Ian McDiarmid (pronounced /ˌmək.ˈdɜrˌmɨd/; born 11 August 1944) is a Scottish Tony Award-winning theatre actor and director, who has also made sporadic appearances on film and television. He has had a successful career in theatre; he has been cast in many plays, while occasionally directing others.
Although McDiarmid has appeared mostly in theatrical productions, he has also accepted roles in theatrical films and TV movies. Worldwide, he is most ...
more
Ian McDiarmid (pronounced /ˌmək.ˈdɜrˌmɨd/; born 11 August 1944) is a Scottish Tony Award-winning theatre actor and director, who has also made sporadic appearances on film and television. He has had a successful career in theatre; he has been cast in many plays, while occasionally directing others.
Although McDiarmid has appeared mostly in theatrical productions, he has also accepted roles in theatrical films and TV movies. Worldwide, he is most famous for his role as Palpatine in both the original and prequel Star Wars trilogies.
McDiarmid was born in Carnoustie. He became a theatre aficionado when he was five years old, when his father took him to see an act by the name of Tommy Morgan in a theatre located in Dundee. In 2001 he stated, "It sort of fascinated me, and it also scared me. All those lights, all that make-up. I said to myself, 'I don't know what this is, but I want it.'" However, fearing his father's disapproval, McDiarmid attended the University of St Andrews, where he...
less
