Oh, Threepio was a strange thing that happened in spite of myself, because I didn't want the part, and wasn't interested in science fiction. And then, you know nearly 30 years now he's been my almost constant companion.

One of the reasons I think I could come up with his voice was because I had done a lot of work with the BBC when I first started acting. As a member of the repertory company you're asked to do all sorts of weird stuff with your vocal chords and the rest of your body, and if you watch us [record Ghosts], watch us shooting these scenes, people are not just standing there reading the script like that - they are using their bodies because that changes the way your voice happens.

It's very exciting, but it's kind of fun. The thing I would hate is if somebody began to say, 'Now wait a minute, that Lord Nelson person, he's sounding awfully like C3PO from Star Wars.' That would be a shame, but Threepio would be equally shocked if he suddenly sounded like Lord Nelson. So you do have to keep these things separate.