Overview (2)

Mini Bio (1)

Ian McDiarmid was born on August 11, 1944 in Carnoustie, Tayside, Scotland. He studied for a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology at the University of St. Andrews, but eventually found that his calling was in theatre. He went to the Royal Academy in Glasgow, where he received the prestigious gold medal for his work. He now has a highly successful career as a theatre director, and from 1990 until his retirement in 2001, was Joint Artistic Director of London's Almeida Theatre in Islington. He and his co-director Jonathan Kent revived the Almeida and persuaded many Hollywood stars including Kevin Spacey, Ralph Fiennes and Anna Friel to tread the boards in their humble theatre. They won the coveted London Evening Standard Award in 1998 for their efforts. McDiarmid is also well known for his film and television appearances, and is perhaps most famous for his chilling performance as Emperor Palpatine in George Lucas's Star Wars films.

- IMDb Mini Biography By: Mark McKeown

Trade Mark (2)

Often uses a soft-spoken, accented voice



Emperor Palpatine in the Star Wars films



Trivia (15)

Serves as Artistic Director of London's Almedia Theatre.



He was awarded the 2001 London Critics Circle Theatre Award (Drama) for Best Actor for his performance in "Faith Healer" at the Almeida at King's Cross.





In an odd twist of fate, he played an elderly, disfigured Emperor Palpatine in Die Rückkehr der Jedi-Ritter (1983), and then went on to play a younger version of that character, some 20 years later, in the Star Wars prequels.

Attended the University of St. Andrews where he pursued a Master's degree in clinical psychology and the Royal Academy in Glasgow.





The make-up he had to wear in Star Wars: Episode III - Die Rache der Sith (2005) took about two hours to apply and two to take off. By the end of principal photography, the make-up artists had been able to get it on in an hour and a half.

Is the first actor in the Star Wars films to both physically play a Sith Lord, and provide the voice.





Based his character Emperor Palpatine's unusual voice on the Japanese method of using your stomach to project yourself. The result was a strange, guttural croak that Lucas decided was perfect for the character of Palpatine. In an earlier draft of Das Imperium schlägt zurück (1980), the Emperor was described as having a voice that was even deeper and more terrifying than Darth Vader's.



Was very good friends with fellow Star Wars cast member Sebastian Shaw

Currently starring in the Donmar Warehouse production "Henry IV", now showing at The Bristol Old Vic in Bristol, England. [July 2004]



Personal Quotes (8)

As an actor, you find yourself in many unusual places.



[on his co-star Yoda in the Star Wars films] He's terrible. Never turns up. Sends his funny little dummy that gets moved around... most unprofessional.





[on digitally replacing Clive Revill in the DVD release of Das Imperium schlägt zurück (1980)] George felt that it was just and proper. When he made Empire, we hadn't met, and he didn't have a particular idea of who would play the Emperor or how the character would develop. And he had no notion that he would do the backstory - Episodes I, II, and III. So whoever played the Emperor in a mask and added to Revill's voice wouldn't seem authentic to the people who are going to watch the entire saga in the right order. It wouldn't make any sense. Since I was the Emperor [in the other Star Wars films], it felt appropriate that I should be inserted into Empire, and that's what George did.

And then of course I thought Palpatine was a pretty good character. I like the notion that he didn't have any psychological subtlety or depth, that he was just solidly evil and the dirtiest word in his vocabulary was 'friend'. I thought that was terrific.



That's a pattern I'm very happy with. I mean I take theater seriously and I am primarily a stage actor and every now and again a movie comes along and I'm happy to do it if the part's good.



[on his role as Supreme Chancellor Palpatine in Star Wars] To wear the costume to play the character I'm playing is wonderfully empowering. The colors, the textures... people keep coming up to me and saying, "Is it rubber? Is it leather?" I don't quite know what it is. It feels reptilian, which is exactly right.



I don't do the signings and public appearances. A lot of people do and make a lot of money out of them - and good luck to them. I'm not ruling it out forever, though. One day I may be really poor.



[To George Lucas] I haven't seen that shiny helmet for a long time.

