Ian McDiarmid
Birthday: 11 August 1944, Carnoustie, Tayside, Scotland, UK
Height: 178 cm
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 ...Show More
I don't do the signings and public appearances. A lot of people do and make a lot of money out of th Show more
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. Hide
[on digitally replacing Clive Revill in the DVD release of Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Show more
[on digitally replacing Clive Revill in the DVD release of Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (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. Hide
That's a pattern I'm very happy with. I mean I take theater seriously and I am primarily a stage act Show more
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. Hide
[on his co-star Yoda in the Star Wars films] He's terrible. Never turns up. Sends his funny little d Show more
[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. Hide
[on his role as Supreme Chancellor Palpatine in Star Wars] To wear the costume to play the character Show more
[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. Hide
And then of course I thought Palpatine was a pretty good character. I like the notion that he didn't Show more
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. Hide
As an actor, you find yourself in many unusual places.
As an actor, you find yourself in many unusual places.
Ian McDiarmid's FILMOGRAPHY
as Actor (76)
Ian McDiarmid'S roles
