Ian McDiarmid

Actor

August 11, 1944 (81 years)

Carnoustie, Tayside, Scotland, UK

Biography

Ian McDiarmid (born 11 August 1944) is a Scottish actor and director best known for portraying Emperor Palpatine in the Star Wars film series. He has received an Olivier Award for Best Actor and a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performances. Wikipedia

Filmography

8.5

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Darth Sidious (voice) (archive sound)

Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Mace Windu and other Jedi Knights lead the Grand Army of the Republic against the droid army of the Separatists.

7.7

Star Wars Rebels

Emperor Palpatine

Set between the events of Star Wars: Episodes III and IV, the story unfolds during a dark time when the evil Galactic Empire is tightening its grip of power on the galaxy. Imperial forces have occupied a remote planet and are ruining the lives of its people. The motley but clever crew of the starship Ghost — cowboy Jedi Kanan, ace pilot Hera, street-smart teenager Ezra, the “muscle” Zeb, warrior firebrand Sabine, and cantankerous old astromech droid Chopper — is among a select few who are brave enough to stand against the Empire. Together, they will face threatening new villains, encounter colorful adversaries, embark on thrilling adventures, and become heroes with the power to ignite a rebellion.

7.7

Spooks

Prof. Fred Roberts

Tense drama series about the different challenges faced by the British Security Service as they work against the clock to safeguard the nation. The title is a popular colloquialism for spies, and the series follows the work of a group of MI5 officers based at the service's Thames House headquarters, in a highly secure suite of offices known as The Grid.

7.6

The Professionals

Mickey Hamilton

The lives of Bodie and Doyle, top agents for Britain's CI5 (Criminal Intelligence 5), and their controller, George Cowley. The mandate of CI5 was to fight terrorism and similar high-profile crimes. Cowley, a hard ex-MI5 operative, hand-picked each of his men. Bodie is a cynical ex-SAS paratrooper and mercenary whose nature ran to controlled violence, while his partner, Doyle, comes to CI5 from the regular police force, and is more of an open minded liberal. Their relationship is often contentious, but they are the top men in their field, and the ones to whom Cowley always assigned to the toughest cases.

8.2

Star Wars: The Bad Batch

Darth Sidious / Emperor Palpatine (voice)

The 'Bad Batch' of elite and experimental clones make their way through an ever-changing galaxy in the immediate aftermath of the Clone Wars.

7.9

Inspector Morse

Hugo De Vries

Inspector Morse is a detective drama based on Colin Dexter's series of Chief Inspector Morse novels. The series starred John Thaw as Chief Inspector Morse and Kevin Whately as Sergeant Lewis, as well as a large cast of notable actors and actresses.

7.0

ITV Playhouse

Fedka

ITV Playhouse is a British comedy-drama TV series that ran from 1967 to 1983, which featured contributions from playwrights such as Dennis Potter, Rhys Adrian and Alan Sharp. The series began in black and white, but was later shot in colour and was produced by various companies for the ITV network, a format that would inspire Dramarama. Actors appearing in the series included Leslie Anderson, Gwen Nelson, Ricky Alleyne, Pat Heywood, Michael Elphick, Ian Hendry, Edward Woodward, Margaret Lockwood, Jessie Matthews and Lloyd Peters.

7.0

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious

During the reign of the Galactic Empire, former Jedi Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, embarks on a crucial mission to confront allies turned enemies and face the wrath of the Empire.

6.3

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Emperor Palpatine

The surviving Resistance faces the First Order once again as the journey of Rey, Finn and Poe Dameron continues. With the power and knowledge of generations behind them, the final battle begins.

6.6

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

Senator Palpatine

Anakin Skywalker, a young slave strong with the Force, is discovered on Tatooine. Meanwhile, the evil Sith have returned, enacting their plot for revenge against the Jedi.

7.5

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

Chancellor Palpatine / Darth Sidious

When the sinister Sith unveil a thousand-year-old plot to rule the galaxy, the Republic crumbles and from its ashes rises the evil Galactic Empire. Jedi hero Anakin Skywalker must choose a side.

8.0

Utopia

Anton

The Utopia Experiments is a legendary graphic novel shrouded in mystery. When a group of strangers find themselves in possession of an original manuscript, their lives suddenly and brutally implode.

6.6

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones

Chancellor Palpatine

Following an assassination attempt on Senator Padmé Amidala, Jedi Knights Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi investigate a mysterious plot into the heart of the Separatist movement and the beginning of the Clone Wars.

6.9

Britannia

King Pellenor

An epic drama set in 43AD as the Roman Imperial Army – determined and terrified in equal measure - returns to crush the Celtic heart of Britannia - a mysterious land ruled by warrior women and powerful druids who can channel the powerful forces of the underworld. Or so they say.

7.9

Return of the Jedi

The Emperor

Luke Skywalker leads a mission to rescue his friend Han Solo from the clutches of Jabba the Hutt, the Emperor prepares to crush the Rebellion with a more powerful Death Star, and the Rebel fleet mounts a massive attack on the space station. Luke Skywalker confronts Darth Vader in a final climactic duel before the evil Emperor.

7.2

Sleepy Hollow

Dr. Lancaster

Skeptical young detective Ichabod Crane gets transferred to the hamlet of Sleepy Hollow, New York, where he is tasked with investigating the decapitations of three people – murders the townsfolk attribute to a legendary specter, The Headless Horseman.

7.9

Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi

Darth Sidious (voice)

Journey into the lives of two distinctly different Jedi from the prequel era – Ahsoka Tano and Count Dooku. Each will be put to the test as they make choices that will define their destinies.

6.8

Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi's Return

Self - Emperor Palpatine

This special explores the return of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker to the screen, as well as Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen to their classic roles. Director Deborah Chow leads the cast and crew as they create new heroes and villains that live alongside new incarnations of beloved Star Wars characters, and an epic story that dramatically bridges the saga films.

6.4

The Lost City of Z

Sir George Goldie

A true-life drama in the 1920s, centering on British explorer Col. Percy Fawcett, who discovered evidence of a previously unknown, advanced civilization in the Amazon and disappeared whilst searching for it.

6.3

Charles II: The Power and The Passion

Sir Edward Hyde

Charles II: The Power and the Passion is a four-part television miniseries, broadcast on BBC One from 16 November to 7 December 2003. The series depicts the reign of Charles II, covering the period just before his Restoration in 1660. It focuses on his conflicts with Parliament, his relationships with his mistresses—particularly Barbara Villiers—and his efforts to restore England after the Civil War. When shown in the United States, as The Last King: The Power and the Passion of King Charles II, nearly an hour was removed for broadcast by the A&E Network. The edits often make little regard for either the full product's continuity or coherence.