Bio
Ian McDiarmid is a Scottish actor and director best known for his portrayal of Emperor Palpatine (Darth Sidious) in the Star Wars franchise, a role he first played in Return of the Jedi (1983) and reprised in the prequel and sequel trilogies.
McDiarmid's involvement in Star Wars spans multiple films, including The Phantom Menace (1999), Attack of the Clones (2002), Revenge of the Sith (2005), and The Rise of Skywalker (2019). His chilling performance as the Sith Lord helped define the saga’s overarching conflict. Beyond live-action films, he has lent his voice to Palpatine in animated series such as Star Wars Rebels and Star Wars: The Clone Wars, where archive audio of his portrayal was used in the episode "Shattered".
Outside of Star Wars, McDiarmid has appeared in several notable films, including Gorky Park (1983), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988), Restoration (1995), Sleepy Hollow (1999), and The Lost City of Z (2016).
His television work includes appearances in series such as Karaoke (1996), Touching Evil (1997), and Utopia (2013), showcasing his versatility across different genres.
McDiarmid has also contributed to video games, voicing Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars Battlefront II (2017), further cementing his legacy within the franchise.