Ian McDiarmid as Emperor Palpatine in<em> Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi</em> (Credit: Lucasfilm Ltd.)
The organizers behind the Montreal Comiccon said it best when we entered this Q&A edition – once in a while, there are guests that generate great interest and attention towards the annual reunion for fans of mass culture. For Star Wars fans, to have the chance to breathe the same interior air as Emperor Palpatine is something quite special! Yes indeed, British stage actor Ian McDiarmid was in Montreal for Comiccon 2025, showing us that, at 80 years old, he still has UNLIMITED POWER. I was quite excited for this Q&A as a huge Star Wars fan myself. Although the ultimate Emperor of the Galaxy and most powerful Lord of the Sith in the franchise is not my favourite character, I was quite curious to hear what he had to say about his experience with the role. The discussion took an interesting direction, and it was a good overall.
Here’s a quick overview of his biography before we start. Before Star Wars took control of his career in the public eye, McDiarmid was and still is a great British stage and screen actor. His career spans decades of distinguished work in theatre, where he has earned a reputation as one of the UK’s most accomplished classical actors and directors. McDiarmid trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) and made his professional acting debut in the 1970s in Glasgow. He quickly became known for his versatility and depth in both classical and modern roles. As a director and co-artistic director of the Almeida Theatre in London from 1990 to 2001, McDiarmid was a key figure in revitalizing this venue, staging bold productions and introducing British audiences to lesser-known European plays and contemporary works. Though most famous on screen for the Emperor, McDiarmid has also appeared in other films and TV series, including Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988), Sleepy Hollow (1999), and Charles II: The Power and the Passion (2003).
About his craft, McDiarmid offered thoughtful insights into the power of storytelling and the role of the actor. “Everybody is alone in the dark,” he reflected, “and it’s the artist’s job to stimulate the imagination.” He described the theatre/cinema as a place of quiet magic, where ideas are generated in the minds of the audience—each person experiencing the story in their own way, alone in the dark. This, he suggested, is where true connection and transformation happen. This is especially true with characters that honour our darkest traits and desires, like the Emperor. McDiarmid emphasized that great stories grow with us. As we age, the same tales resonate in new ways. “A good work of art,” he said, “is a story that can be retold at different times, from different angles.” It’s this timeless quality that gives stories their lasting power—and perhaps explains the continued impact of Star Wars across generations.
A ‘love & hate’ relationship with Star Wars fandom?
For an 80-year-old actor who has been active for so long, it must be a curious experience to be widely remembered for ONLY one role (more or less). A pretty well-known fact at this point – Star Wars fans can be a bit intense in their knowledge of the lore! After 40 years of Emperor Palpatine in Ian McDiarmid’s life, he gave the impression that he is becoming a bit impatient with fans geeking way too much. Not his first rodeo at a Comiccon convention and similar fan fairs, McDiarmid answered the fans’ questions with a firm grip, like a true PR expert. The host said it best – Ian has been in the lives of at least three to four generations of fans since 1983, and we all have our own experience with him as we discovered Star Wars. However, he did approach our audience with a smile and said that he was worried to see so many of us enjoy the Dark Side of the Force a little too much. As it often happens during these Q&A sessions, a few fans tried their luck by either impersonating his voice as the Emperor at the mic or asking him about the Old Republic in Canon or Legends stories. His answer was always firm and unequivocal: “No”. Those were his good Palpatine moments during the chat.
The many faces of Palpatine
Surprisingly enough (or is it?), George Lucas did not give him any notes on how to approach Palpatine when he was first asked to play the role for Return of the Jedi back in 1983. In other words, he did not have a lot of time with Lucas and a constructive backstory before they started shooting. The funniest thing is that after Lucas met Ian for the role the first time, he complimented him for his “great nose”, which worked out to be a good thing, considering he wanted to see the Emperor’s nose come out of the shrouded hood. McDiarmid first imagined the Emperor in his mind as a serious yet flamboyant Chinese or Japanese Emperor, with colourful robes and a firm rule on the Galaxy, not expecting to become a “revolting old reptile” (his words, not mine) on the make-up chair. As a British stage actor who trained in Shakespeare, fair to say McDiarmid was taken by surprise. Back then, his prosthetics took about 4 hours to install before he became the first version of the Emperor we ever saw on screen. Lucas was not well-known for being the most encouraging director for actors, as he always gave little feedback, which was also a challenge for the British actor.
Ian McDiarmid as Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (Credit: Lucasfilm Ltd.)
Discussing the prequels, McDiarmid stated that he found it relevant that the Emperor’s story was told backwards. It gave us a chance to witness how, even in his prime, this man was always the same – the pure manifestation of evil. My absolute favourite moment of the discussion was McDiarmid actually recalling one key piece of feedback that George Lucas finally gave him when they were filming The Phantom Menace (1999) sixteen years later. At that point in the story, he was Senator Palpatine from Naboo, not yet Chancellor, not yet revealed as Darth Sidious. Considering that the character must appear respectable and charismatic in public, he remains a master manipulator in his mind, always ten steps ahead of everyone around him. With his mind working with so many calculations and schemes, Lucas believed that the Senator’s eyes needed to look ’empty’. Eyes are the window to the soul, and Palpatine’s soul is pure darkness. I LOVED that piece of advice, and it got me curious to rewatch the scenes in Episode I in which Palpatine briefly appears. See for yourself….
Ian McDiarmid as Senator Palpatine in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (Credit: Lucasfilm Ltd.)
His interest in villains and their relationship with power
His acting credits say as much: McDiarmid is very drawn to darker performances and villains both in theatre and cinema. To the fans’ delight, he did start with the phrase “power can be dangerous when it is unlimited” (a quick nod to his line in Revenge of the Sith), but he is interested in the idea that powerful villains are eternal dissatisfied people. Regardless of how much power they get, it’s never enough. When asked if a good story always means a good villain, he somewhat agreed. Villains are a heavyweight in Star Wars, but he liked to compare the franchise to a Shakespearian tale that remains relevant in all ages of history, where attractiveness and corruption are key weapons that make the villains relatable people, especially for an influential character like young Anakin Skywalker.
Another good example of that, McDiarmid spoke with deep admiration for the late Christopher Lee, who played Count Dooku in the prequels. He described Lee’s portrayal of Count Dracula in 1970 as layered and poignant, noting that “he showed great pain as a villain.” Meeting and working with him, McDiarmid said, was an absolute thrill—an experience he clearly still treasures.
Ian McDiarmid as Darth Sidious and Christopher Lee as Count Dooku in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (Credit: Lucasfilm Ltd.)
A participant asked him about his favourite Star Wars film in the franchise; his answer was instantaneous: Revenge of the Sith (2005). Celebrating the 20th anniversary of its original release in theatres, McDiarmid praised the film as he had a lot to do as an actor, although he does find some of his acting as ‘over the top’, especially during that fight with Mace Windu in the Chancellor’s office. As most of the shoot was done in-studio, in Australia, he had a lot of creative discussions with Lucas regarding Palpatine as a character. Through detailed discussions over the script, the actor confirmed that he was able to help the visionary director bring new elements to the role before he is finally revealed as a Sith Lord. For example, considering that most of the scenes involving Palpatine in the prequel trilogy were in interior offices, McDiarmid admired the theatre setting for the ‘Darth Plagueis’ story in the film. With a tongue in cheek, he called it ‘the squid ballet’, which was quite funny. This setting honours the actor’s career as a Shakespearian stage actor; he seemed happy about it.
Ian McDiarmid as Chancellor Palpatine and Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (Credit: Lucasfilm Ltd.)
Regarding the production of Revenge of the Sith, fans were delighted to hear behind-the-scenes anecdotes from his time on the set. Recalling the duel with Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson), McDiarmid described a hectic day of shooting, complete with wind machines and long hours. The famous Yoda battle, heavy with CGI, he admitted with a laugh, was mostly created through effects. “I only shot for half an hour—then George sent me off for coffee,” he joked.
(Credit: Lucasfilm Ltd.)
I saved the best news for last – Ian McDiarmid confirmed that if the phone rang, he would gladly play Palpatine again. However, as we all think, he’s not sure if the Emperor is still alive at this point, after dying twice in the franchise. He did briefly refer to his controversial return in The Rise of Skywalker in 2019 – the ‘somehow Palpatine returned’ situation- stating that he was surprised that director J.J. Abrams asked him to reprise his role as Palpatine, considering that he died at the very end of Return of the Jedi and there was no talk about his involvement during the last two films. He was a good professional about it, agreed to return and played along with the new narrative that his character had a granddaughter, who would later kill him ‘for good’.
Ian McDiarmid as Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (Credit: Lucasfilm Ltd.)
A good movie outside of Star Wars
Out of respect for the artist, I think it is only fair that we also acknowledge some of his work that is not related to Star Wars, even if 90% of the discussion was about Star Wars. When asked about his favourite film, McDiarmid did not hesitate and showed no mercy (see what I did there? haha): Bonnie and Clyde. The 1967 classic, he explained, left a strong impression on him—another example of a villain story that has endured and evolved in meaning over time. The other key role of his that I remember quite fondly is that of Doctor Lancaster in Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow (1999). A classic Halloween movie for me, McDiarmind plays a corrupt village Doctor implicated in a great scheme with the elected officials of his municipality during a series of murders in the community, quite a few similarities with our Emperor, although this man seems a bit clueless. I highly recommend it as a Halloween rewatch!
Ian McDiarmid with the cast of Sleepy Hollow, including Michael Gambon, Jeffrey Jones, Michael Gough, Miranda Richardson, Jessica Oyelowo and Christina Ricci (Credit: Paramount Studios)
There you have it – a great discussion with the Emperor of the Galaxy! He redefined the nature of evil in movie history, and he will always remain high on my list of most memorable performances in popular culture! My respects, good Sir Ian!
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