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Ian McDiarmid
Ian McDiarmid Brussels Comic Con 2020.jpg
McDiarmid in 2020
Born (1944-08-11) 11 August 1944 (age 80)
Carnoustie, Angus, Scotland
Alma mater
Occupation
  • Actor
  • director
Years active 1972–present

Ian McDiarmid (born August 11, 1944) is a Scottish actor and director. He is famous for playing the evil Palpatine (also known as the Emperor or Darth Sidious) in the Star Wars movies. He has also had a very successful career in theatre, winning important awards like the Olivier Award for Best Actor and a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.

Early Life and Education

Ian McDiarmid was born in Carnoustie, Scotland, on August 11, 1944. When he was just five years old, his father took him to see a show at a theatre. Ian was amazed by the lights and makeup, and he knew right away that he wanted to be an actor.

Even though he loved theatre, he first studied psychology at the University of St Andrews. After that, he decided to follow his dream of acting. He went to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow to train as an actor. In 1968, he received a gold medal for his acting work there, which was a great start to his career.

Acting Career

Ian McDiarmid has worked a lot in British theatre as both an actor and a director. He has performed in many plays by William Shakespeare, including Hamlet, The Tempest, and Macbeth.

From 1990 to 2001, he was one of the artistic directors of the Almeida Theatre in London. This meant he helped choose which plays would be performed and worked with many famous actors. He also directed several plays himself. In 2006, he won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play for his role in the play Faith Healer on Broadway.

Star Wars Role

Star Wars and the Power of Costume July 2018 03 (Emperor Palpatine's Sith robes from Episode VI)
McDiarmid's robes from Return of the Jedi (1983) on display

Ian McDiarmid is best known for his role as the Emperor in the Star Wars movies. He first played the Emperor, the main villain, in Return of the Jedi (1983). People loved his performance, especially his dark and powerful voice.

Years later, he returned to play a younger version of the character in the Star Wars prequel films: The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith. In these movies, he played two sides of the character: the kind Senator Palpatine and his evil secret identity, the Sith Lord Darth Sidious.

He also appeared as the Emperor again in the 2019 film Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which was the final movie in the main Star Wars story. In 2004, a scene in The Empire Strikes Back was updated to include Ian McDiarmid as the Emperor, so now he appears in every live-action Star Wars film where the character is shown.

Beyond the movies, Ian McDiarmid has voiced Palpatine/Darth Sidious in several Star Wars video games and animated TV shows, including Star Wars: The Bad Batch and Tales of the Jedi. He also made a special appearance as the Emperor in the 2022 TV series Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Television and Radio Work

Ian McDiarmid has acted in many television shows and radio dramas. In 1990, he played a character named Hugo DeVries in an episode of Inspector Morse. He also played a police detective in the BBC's 2002 show Crime and Punishment.

In 2005, he voiced Satan in a long radio drama based on the famous poem Paradise Lost. He also played Denis Thatcher, the husband of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, in the 2009 TV film Margaret. In 2014, he had a leading role in the BBC drama 37 Days, which was about the events leading up to the First World War.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1976 The Likely Lads Vicar
1980 Sir Henry at Rawlinson End Reg Smeeton
Richard's Things Burglar
The Awakening Dr. Richter
1981 Dragonslayer Brother Jacobus
1983 Return of the Jedi The Emperor
Gorky Park Professor Andreev
1988 Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Arthur
1995 Restoration Ambrose
1999 Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace Senator Palpatine / Darth Sidious
Sleepy Hollow Dr. Thomas Lancaster
2002 Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones Supreme Chancellor Palpatine / Darth Sidious
2004 Star Wars Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back DVD Special Edition The Emperor DVD re-release; replacing portrayal by Marjorie Eaton (visual) Clive Revill (voice) in original 1980 film.
2005 Star Wars: A Musical Journey Host Musical anthology for DVD
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith Supreme Chancellor Palpatine / Darth Sidious Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated — Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Villain
2009 The Odds Gambler Short film
2015 Star Wars: The Force Awakens Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious (voice) Archive recording
2016 The Lost City of Z Sir George Goldie
2019 Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1976 Red Letter Day Blade Episode: "Amazing Stories"
1979 Macbeth Ross / The Porter Television film
The Professionals Mickey Hamilton Episode: "The Madness of Mickey Hamilton"
1981 ITV Playhouse Fedka Episode: "Last Night Another Dissident..."
1983 The Nation's Health Doctor Vernon Davis 4 episodes
1985 Pity in History Murgatroyd Television film
1988 The Modern World: Ten Great Writers Fyodor Dostoyevsky Episode: "Crime and Punishment"
1990 Inspector Morse Hugo De Vries Episode: "Masonic Mysteries"
1991 Chernobyl: The Final Warning Dr. Vatisenko Television film
1993 The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles Professor Levi Episode: "Paris, October 1916"
Heart of Darkness Doctor Television film
Selected Exits George Devine
1995 Annie: A Royal Adventure! Dr. Eli Eon
1996 Karaoke Oliver Morse 4 episodes
Cold Lazarus Oliver Morse Episode #1.3
Hillsborough Dr. Popper Television film
1997 An Unsuitable Job for a Woman Ronald Callender Episode: "Sacrifice"
Rebecca Coroner Episode #1.2
Touching Evil Ronald Hinks 2 episodes
1999 Great Expectations Jaggers Television film
All the King's Men Rev. Pierrepoint Edwards
2002 Crime and Punishment Porfiry Petrovich
2003 Charles II: The Power and The Passion Sir Edward Hyde
2004 Spooks Prof. Fred Roberts Episode #3.2
2005 Our Hidden Lives B. Charles Television film
Elizabeth I Lord Burghley 2 episodes
2008 City of Vice Henry Fielding 5 episodes
2009 Margaret Denis Thatcher Television film
2014 37 Days Sir Edward Grey 3 episodes
Utopia Anton / Phillip Carvel 5 episodes
2018 Britannia King Pellenor 9 episodes
Star Wars Rebels Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious (voice) 3 episodes; earlier (2015) in episode "The Siege of Lothal" voiced by Sam Witwer
Star Wars Galaxy of Adventures Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious (voice) Episode: "Luke vs. Emperor Palpatine - Rise to Evil" (archive recording only)
2020 Star Wars: The Clone Wars Darth Sidious (voice) Episode: "Shattered" (archive recording only)
2021—2024 Star Wars: The Bad Batch Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious (voice) 2 episodes
(Also archive recording only in episode: "Aftermath")
2022 Obi-Wan Kenobi Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious Episode: "Part VI"
Episode: "Рart I" (archive material only)
Tales of the Jedi Darth Sidious (voice) Episode: "The Sith Lord"

Awards and Nominations

Year Award Work Result
1968 Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama Gold Medal Won
1982 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a New Play Insignificance Won
1985 Time Out Comedy Awards for Directing Scenes from an Execution Won
1990 Time Out Comedy Awards for Directing Volpone Won
1991 Observer Awards for Outstanding Achievement for Ten Years of Presenting Irish Drama (nominated) Volpone, The Rehearsal, and Betrayal Field Won
1995 Manchester Evening News Award for Best Actor Hated Nightfall Won
1998 Special Evening Standard Award for Theatrical Achievement of the Year (shared with Jonathan Kent) Won
2001 Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Theatre Actor Faith Healer Won
2002 Clarence Derwent Award for Best Supporting Actor Faith Healer Won
2004 Manchester Evening News Award for Best Actor Henry IV Won
2004 Theatregoers' Choice Award for Best Actor Henry IV Won
2005 Theatregoers' Choice Award for Best Actor King Lear Won
2005 Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith Nominated
2005 Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Villain Nominated
2006 Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance Faith Healer Nominated
2006 Outer Critics' Circle Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play Nominated
2006 Theatre World Award for Outstanding Debut Performance Won
2006 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play Won
2021 Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Nominated

See also

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