Anthony Daniels has said C3PO will not be replaced by CGI in Star Wars: Episode VII because he refused to do the film if he couldn't wear the famous golden suit.

The actor is the only star to have appeared in all of the Star Wars films and told Entertainment Weekly that he had put his foot down when Episode VII director JJ Abrams had asked if he would be interested in just doing a voiceover.

He said: "When JJ Abrams rang me to ask about filming Episode VII, one of the first things he said after he told me how wonderful I was - and that didn't take long - but he then said, 'Would you be interested in being in the film just doing the voice?' I said, 'No,' and he said, 'Right!'

"He knew I'd say that. There's no way I would just do the voice. I also said that it can't be the same suit. I will tell you that the team then got together and built a new suit. They made an entirely new lookalike with changes that you will never notice [on screen] that made my life a lot easier. I can get it on and off very quickly."

Anthony explained his reasoning: "[During the prequels], the only time C3PO has been CG was when it was very dangerous [to act in the scene in a suit] - and it wasn't very good. In fact, I'm going to say it was awful.

"One of the difficulties is with a character that you know and love so well is that, as a member of the audience, you go, 'Oh no, that's not right. No, he doesn't move like that.' With me, he's always going to move the same way and have the same reactions, timing, and so on. With CG, you're working with some brilliant person on the keyboard who is trying to pretend to be me.

"The only time that has worked without doubt is Disney's Star Tours: The Adventures Continue [theme park ride]. There's an element in the pre-show which is digital and I cannot tell it's not me. It's brilliantly done by Disney. In a cartoon series like Rebels, you accept it because it's not trying to pretend to be reality. It's an extension, it's an exaggeration. On that basis, it's utterly acceptable - providing the characterisation is correct."