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Ian McDiarmid (born August 11, 1944) is a Scottish actor born in Carnoustie, Tayside, Scotland.
Star Wars
He is most famous for his role in Star Wars as Palpatine, the cunning politician who eventually becomes ruler of the evil Empire. He is one of the few actors who has depicted the same character in both of the Star Wars trilogies.
In the 2004 re-release of Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, a brief scene between Darth Vader and a hologram of Emperor Palpatine was updated to have him depicted by McDiarmid (the Emperor was originally voiced by Clive Revill for that scene and the face on the projector was that of a woman). With this addition to The Empire Strikes Back, Palpatine is now exclusively depicted by McDiarmid in the films.
He was an unknown charismatic stage actor in his thirties when he was cast as the most powerful being in the Star Wars universe. He has achieved little recognition for his role, which may have a lot to do with the mysterious absence of his character from Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi’s advertising, except from Star Wars fans with whom he has a kind of cult following. While some fans complained about the addition of Hayden Christensen to Return of the Jedi, hardly a word was said about McDiarmid being added to The Empire Strikes Back.
Theatrical Work
From 1990 until 2001, he and Jonathan Kent served as the artistic directors of the Almeida Theater, located in the Islington district of the city of London, UK.
Filmography
Theatrical movies
- The Likely Lads (1976) as vicar
- Richard's Things (1980) as burglar
- The Awakening (1980) as Dr. Richter
- Sir Henry at Rawlinson End (1980) as Reg Smeeton
- Dragonslayer (1981) as Brother Jacobus
- Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983) as Emperor Palpatine
- Gorky Park (1983) as Prof. Andreev
- Dirty Rotten Scoundrels(1988) as Arthur
- Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999) as Darth Sidious / Senator Palpatine / Chancellor Palpatine
- Sleepy Hollow (1999) as Dr. Thomas Lancaster
- Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002) as Darth Sidious / Chancellor Palpatine
- Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back DVD Version (2004) as Emperor Palpatine
- Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith as Chancellor Palpatine / Darth Sidious / Emperor Palpatine
TV movies
- Macbeth (1979) as the porter and ross
- Chernobyl: The Final Warning (1991) as Dr. Vatisenko
- Heart of Darkness (1994) as doctor
- Annie: A Royal Adventure!(1995) as Dr. Eli Eon
- Hillsborough(1996) as Dr. Popper
- Rebecca(1997) as coroner
- Great Expectations (1999) as Jaggers
- All the King's Men (1999) as Rev. Pierrepoint Edwards