Trivia

Based his character Emperor Palpatine's unusual voice on the Japanese method of using your stomach to project yourself. The result was a strange, guttural croak that Lucas decided was perfect for the character of Palpatine. In an earlier draft of El imperio contraataca (1980), the Emperor was described as having a voice that was even deeper and more terrifying than Darth Vader's.

In an odd twist of fate, he played an elderly, disfigured Emperor Palpatine in El regreso del jedi (1983), and then went on to play a younger version of that character, some 20 years later, in the Star Wars prequels.

In 1982, he played Harry Hackamore, a Howard Hughes-type character, in the play, "Seduced", by Sam Shepard. This showed his ability to convincingly play, in close-up, a character much older than himself. This is what attracted the attention of George Lucas and Richard Marquand, who decided that he could play the Emperor in El regreso del jedi (1983), which was already in production at the time.

Has appeared with his drama school classmate Denis Lawson in El regreso del jedi (1983) and with Lawson's nephew Ewan McGregor in Karaoke (1996), Star Wars. Episodio I: La amenaza fantasma (1999), Star Wars. Episodio II: El ataque de los clones (2002) and Star Wars. Episodio III: La venganza de los sith (2005).

Was very good friends with fellow Star Wars cast member Sebastian Shaw.

Is the first actor in the Star Wars films to both physically play a Sith Lord, and provide the voice.

In his portrayal of Emperor Palpatine, Ian McDiarmid has the honor of being the only actor ever to have played a character older than he was in his first portrayal in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983), then played his character's younger self when he himself was older in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, but playing his character's much older self when McDiarmid himself was also older in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019), but then finally playing a younger (but still old) portrayal of his character in Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022).

Attended the University of St. Andrews where he pursued a Master's degree in clinical psychology and the Royal Academy in Glasgow.

Serves as Artistic Director of London's Almedia Theatre.

His Star Wars character, Senator Palpatine, is believed to have been named after the character Senator Palantine, who appears in the film Taxi Driver (1976). In Star Wars. Episodio III: La venganza de los sith (2005), Palpatine conceals a lightsaber in his sleeve and brings the hilt into his hand when he is about to engage in a fight. As Travis Bickle, Robert De Niro conceals his handgun likewise in Taxi Driver (1976).

The make-up he had to wear in Star Wars. Episodio III: La venganza de los sith (2005) took about two hours to apply and two to take off. By the end of principal photography, the make-up artists had been able to get it on in an hour and a half.

Has appeared in El regreso del jedi (1983) with Frank Oz, and then in Dos pícaros sinvergüenzas (1988), which Oz directed. These films were later turned into an NPR radio broadcast and a Broadway musical, respectively.

He was awarded the 2001 London Critics Circle Theatre Award (Drama) for Best Actor for his performance in "Faith Healer" at the Almeida at King's Cross.

His character Emperor Palpatine uses force lightning in the third (and final) instalments of all three Star Wars trilogies (Original Trilogy, Prequel Trilogy, Sequel Trilogy).

Has appeared in Dos pícaros sinvergüenzas (1988), which is a remake of Dos seductores (1964), which starred Marlon Brando. He also appeared in Heart of Darkness (1994), which is based on the Joseph Conrad story of the same name, which was previously filmed as Apocalipsis (1979), also with Brando.

Currently starring in the Donmar Warehouse production "Henry IV", now showing at The Bristol Old Vic in Bristol, England. (julio de 2004)

Appearing, as Stevens, in the BBC Radio 4's adaptation of "The Remains of the Day", starring with Julia Ford, Oliver Ford Davies, Peter Sallis, Anton Lesser, Adrian Scarborough, Garrick Hagon, 'Ed Bishop', 'Tom George', 'Maggie McCarthy', 'Ben Crowe', Deborah Findlay, 'David Shaw-Parker', Becky Hindley and Tracy Wiles. (agosto de 2003)