Summary
- The original Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back was a combination of actress Marjorie Eaton, voice actor Clive Revill, and special effects makeup.
- Ian McDiarmid was cast as Palpatine for Return of the Jedi after the original actor fell ill, and he went on to portray the character for almost 40 years.
- McDiarmid's performance solidified Emperor Palpatine as a formidable and cunning Star Wars villain, and he returned to the role in the prequels and sequel trilogy, showcasing his range and impact as an actor.
In the vast universe of role recasts in cinema, one stands out as both the most overlooked and the greatest of all. The iconic villain of the Skywalker Saga, Emperor Palpatine, famously played by Ian McDiarmid, didn’t always have his voice and face. Mentioned only in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope and then briefly introduced in Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, Palpatine was a mixture of people, makeup, and other elements that were meant to give life to the sinister puppeteer behind the machinations of the Galactic Empire. For Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, McDiarmid was brought in to embody the ruthless ruler, with the recast being so effective that he lived on in both the prequel and sequel trilogy, cementing Palpatine’s rule and McDiarmid’s hold of the character for almost 40 years.
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
- Release Date
- May 25, 1983
- Runtime
- 131 Minutes
- Director
- Richard Marquand
WHERE TO WATCH
After rescuing Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt, the Rebels attempt to destroy the second Death Star, while Luke struggles to help Darth Vader back from the dark side.
- Writers
- Lawrence Kasdan, George Lucas
Who Played the Original Emperor Palpatine in 'The Empire Strikes Back'?
For an appearance that lasts less than a minute, the original Emperor’s backstory is way too complicated. Character actress Marjorie Eaton originally played the physical part using heavy amounts of makeup. The voice was provided by stage and film actor Clive Revill, who once gave voice to Alfred Pennyworth in Batman: The Animated Series. Adding to the shrouded sinister presence, Eaton’s eyes were also digitally replaced with those of a chimpanzee. Since her appearance was uncredited, there were years of speculation on whether it was her or not in the role. Retractors stated that it was special effects artist Rick Baker’s wife, Elaine Baker, who was hiding under that thick layer of cosmetics.
Somehow, Palpatine F*cks, Ian McDiarmid Confirms
While defending Palpatine's return in 'Rise of the Skywalker' the 'Star Wars' actor confirmed that the Sith Lord does indeed get it on.
The record was set straight in 2010, with the release of J.W. Rinzler’s book The Making of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. In it, the author recounts that Eaton’s footage proved unsatisfactory, establishing it was in fact Baker’s portrayal that ultimately made it to the final cut of the Emperor’s brief holographic exchange with Darth Vader (David Prowse/James Earl Jones). The Baker/Eaton/Revill/chimpanzee mashup is a short but effective introduction that puts the Emperor in the spotlight, making the audience ask, “If Vader is to be feared, who is this man with the ability to control him?” But, for Return of the Jedi, the task required to have an actor do the full performance of the galaxy’s Big Bad.
How Did Ian McDiarmid Become Emperor Palpatine in the Star Wars Franchise?
The road to filling the Emperor’s shoes for Return of the Jedi wasn’t an easy one either. Rinzler also released The Making of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in 2013, revealing British actor Alan Webb was originally cast for the role. He had to drop out because he fell ill with the flu. This would’ve been a very different story for the saga, as Webb passed away in June 1982 — meaning the film would’ve been his last role — and there wouldn’t have been a Palpatine for the prequel or sequel trilogies. The book also reveals Ben Kingsley, who had just appeared in the award-winning Gandhi, and David Suchet of Agatha Christie’s Poirot fame were considered for the role.
With all these setbacks, filming was already behind schedule, so the decision to cast McDiarmid in the role was taken rather quickly. George Lucas and Return of the Jedi director Richard Marquand had a quick meeting with McDiarmid, in which he recalls it lasted no more than 10 minutes and the topic of the movie wasn’t mentioned. Talking about life instead and about how nice McDiarmid’s nose was, their choice was made. Whereas Webb, the originally-cast actor, was 75, McDiarmid was only 37 (!) when playing visibly aged Emperor Palpatine. Reasonably, it took four hours for him to get into the sinister old and wrinkly makeup. This explains why almost 20 years later, in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Palpatine as a senator looks younger and fresher — the actor was 54 years old at the time.
Ian McDiarmid Cemented Emperor Palpatine as the Big Bad of the Star Wars Saga
The road to casting Emperor Palpatine had a clear vision: having a British stage actor who could give a dramatic, theatrical, almost over-the-top performance. McDiarmid understood the assignment and carried it out with excellence. The yet-unnamed Emperor shown in Return of the Jedi isn’t just a second villain to make the movie feel bigger — he’s a force to be reckoned with. Even Darth Vader, the merciless villain we’d come to fear for two films now, cowers to his commands. Without having to display fighting abilities, he just sits on his throne for almost all his screen time and makes it clear he's got the capacity to strategize to make things go his way, whatever it takes. McDiarmid, through his laugh, his tone, and his barking achieves getting the audience to feel hopeless in the last moments of the movie — perhaps things will go his way and our heroes won’t have a happy ending? Fortunately for Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and co., a last-minute save by the rebels, paired with Darth Vader’s change of heart toward his son, gives them their much-earned victory.
Even when he never pursued a career in film, McDiarmid’s impact ensured his return for the prequel trilogy and, though it made his duplicitous role as Senator Palpatine and Darth Sidious a bit of an obvious reveal, he was able to demonstrate his range one more time. As the senator, he’s a believable ally who’s more focused on his political advancement than the common good. As Sidious, he’s playing the long con as the puppet master behind the years-brewing fall of the Republic. The obvious reveal aside, his intense clashing with Padmé (Natalie Portman) and the Jedi council are enough to understand how he was able to fool everyone and rise to power, turning the Republic into the First Galactic Empire. At the time, we thought we’d seen the last of him, but in Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker, J.J. Abrams had other plans. Palpatine (somehow) returned, revealing him as the mastermind behind the First Order and Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) as well as his survival through cloning. The decision was clearly plot-driven and controversial to say the least, but McDiarmid demonstrated once more why he was the one with the ability to handle such a mammoth task.
Whether the vision for the character of Emperor Palpatine was clear or not for his debut in The Empire Strikes Back, what’s clear is McDiarmid nailed his performance in Return of the Jedi as a mighty ruthless ruler who harnessed the power of the dark side. From that moment on, he ensured locking the role as his for almost four decades. Lucas even had him film an extra performance during production of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith to replace the Baker/Revill version in further releases of The Empire Strikes Back. A recast this effective and lasting, that also had several actors as runner-ups, shows how some things are meant to be.
All the Star Wars films are available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S.
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