Anthony Daniels and Alan Rickman. Photos via Wikimedia Commons

Picture a world where the man inside the C-3PO suit, and the man providing his voice, is Alan Rickman.

Now imagine a warped universe where Anthony Daniels plays not just endless spin-offs of his famous golden protocol droid designed to serve humans, but also portrays the Sheriff of Nottingham, Alexander Dane/Dr. Lazarus and Severus Snape.

OK, that might be a very silly universe. But the fact that the stars of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Galaxy Quest and Harry Potter — and the star of Star Wars — were born today, on February 21, 1946, forces me to find some possible connection between the two men. Or some fate that would bring them together.

I wasn’t able to find a connection. But, I did discover a couple interesting factoids. One: You may not know that Daniels contributed not only to the Star Wars universe, but also to Middle-earth: He voiced the character of Legolas in Ralph Bakshi’s 1978 animated adaptation of The Lord of the Rings.

Two: Rickman wasn’t planning on becoming an actor. Originally, he worked as a graphic designer for a radical newspaper.

Anyway, let’s celebrate their birthdays, and thank them for their contributions to some of our more prized geeky movies.

Happy 66th birthdays, Misters Daniels and Rickman!