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Name: Ian McDiarmid (pronounced "mc-dare-mid")
Birthdate: August 11, 1944
Birthplace: Carnoustie, Tayside, Scotland
Eyes: Blue
Hair: White
Height: 5' 10"

Best Known as: Senator Palpatine/Lord Sidious/The Emperor in the Star Wars movies

Ian McDiarmid was born in Tayside, Scotland, in 1944. He studied for an M.A. 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 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. 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.

Filmography:
Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)Supreme Chancellor Palpatine/Darth Sidious
'Star Wars': A Musical Journey (2005) (V) Host
"Charles II: The Power & the Passion" (2003) (mini) TV Series Sir Edward Hyde
... aka The Last King (USA)
Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)Supreme Chancellor Palpatine/Darth Sidious
Crime and Punishment (2002/II) (TV) Porfiry
Sleepy Hollow (1999) Dr. Thomas Lancaster
All the King's Men (1999) (TV) Rev. Pierrepoint Edwards
Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace (1999)Sen. Palpatine/Darth Sidious
Great Expectations (1999) (TV) Jaggers
Rebecca (1997/I) (TV) Coroner
"Touching Evil" (1997) (mini) TV Series- Professor Ronald Hinks
Hillsborough (1996) (TV) Dr. Popper
"Karaoke" (1996) (mini) TV Series Oliver Morse
"Cold Lazarus" (1996) (mini) TV Series (uncredited)Oliver Morse
Restoration (1995) Ambrose
Annie: A Royal Adventure! (1995) (TV) Dr. Eli Eon
Heart of Darkness (1994) (TV)- Doctor
Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1994) (VG) Emperor Palpatine
Chernobyl: The Final Warning (1991) (TV) Dr. Vatisenko
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988) Arthur
Gorky Park (1983) Prof. Andreev
Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983) Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious
Dragonslayer (1981) Brother Jacobus
Sir Henry at Rawlinson End (1980) Reg Smeeton
The Awakening (1980) Dr. Richter
... aka The Wakening (UK)
Richard's Things (1980) Burglar
Macbeth (1979) (TV) The porter and ross
The Likely Lads (1976) Vicar

www.ianmcdiarmid.com

Information courtesy of [I do believe in faeries I do I do]