Ian McDiarmid
Actor
Agent
Assistant
Assistant
Assistant
Biography
Ian is a Tony and Olivier award-winning actor and director. He is perhaps best known for his role as EMPEROR PALPATINE in the STAR WARS Franchise. Recent credits include the lead in the UK tour of Roxana Silbert’s WHAT SHADOWS and in Jez Butterworth’s BRITANNIA for Sky Atlantic.
Ian McDiarmid was born in Carnoustie, Scotland. He attended St Andrews University, graduating with a Master’s degree in Social Science and, subsequently, the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, where he won the Gold Medal.
As a leading theatre actor, he has appeared with all the major U.K. companies, in the West End and on Broadway, receiving many awards, including an Olivier and a Tony. From 1990 to 2002, he was joint Artistic Director of London’s Almeida Theatre, helping to establish its international reputation. His many television and film roles include Emperor Palpatine in the Star Wars films. Ian most recently starred in WHAT SHADOWS at the Birmingham and was seen back on screens as King Pellenor in the Sky/Amazon collaboration Britannia.
Credits
Stage
| Production | Character | Director | Company |
|---|---|---|---|
| THE CARETAKER | Davies | Justin Audibert | Chichester Festival Theatre |
| THE LEMON TABLE | Geoffrey and Sibelius | Michael Grandage | UK Tour |
| FAUST X 2 | Faust | Lisa Blair | Watermill Theatre |
| WHAT SHADOWS | Enoch Powell | Roxana Silbert | Birmingham Rep |
| THE MERCHANT OF VENICE | Shylock | Rupert Gould | The Almeida |
| JONAH AND OTTO | Otto Banister | Claire Lizzimore | Manchester Royal Exchange Studio |
| BAKERSFIELD MIST | Lionel | Polly Teale | The Duchess Theatre |
| EMPEROR AND GAILEAN | Maximus | Jonathan Kent | National Theatre |
| THE PRINCE OF HOMBURG | The Elector | Jonathan Munby | Donmar Warehouse |
| BE NEAR ME | Father David Anderton | John Tiffany | Kilmarnock Theatre, Donmar Warehouse & National Theatre of Scotland |
| SIX CHARACTERS IN SEARCH OF AN AUTHOR | The Father | Rupert Goold | Gielgud Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre & Australian Tour |
| JOHN GABRIEL BORKMAN | John Gabriel Borkman | Michael Grandage | Donmar Warehouse |
| FAITH HEALER | Teddy | Jonathan Kent | Booth Theatre New York & Gate Theatre Dublin |
| LEAR | King Lear | Jonathan Kent | Sheffield Crucible |
| HENRY IV | Henry IV | Michael Grandage | Donmar Warehouse |
| THE EMBALMER | Alexei Miscin | William Kerley | Almeida Theatre & UK Tour |
| FAITH HEALER | Teddy | Jonathan Kent | Booth Theatre New York & Gate Theatre Dublin |
| LEAR | King Lear | Jonathan Kent | Sheffield Crucible |
| HENRY IV | Henry IV | Michael Grandage | Donmar Warehouse |
| THE EMBALMER | Alexei Miscin | William Kerley | Almeida Theatre & UK Tou |
| FAITH HEALER | Teddy | Jonathan Kent | Almeida Theatre |
| THE TEMPEST | Prospero | Jonathan Kent | Almeida Theatre |
| THE JEW OF MALTA | Barabas | Michael Grandage | Almeida Theatre & UK Tour |
| DOCTOR'S DILEMMA | Ridgeon | Michael Grandage | Almeida Theatre & UK Tour |
| TARTUFFE | Orgon | Jonathan Kent | Almeida Theatre |
| THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR | Lord Provost | Jonathan Kent | Almeida Theatre |
| THE CENCI | Count Cenci | Jonathan Kent | Almeida Theatre |
| SCHOOL FOR WIVES | Arnolphe | Jonathan Kent | Almeida Theatre |
| VOLPONE | Vulpine Volpone | Nicholas Hytner | Almeida Theatre |
| THE BLACK PRINCE | Bradley | RSC Aldwych Theatre | RSC Aldwych Theatre |
| THE COUNTRY WIFE | Mr Pinchwife | Nicholas Hytner | Manchester Royal Exchange |
| DON CARLOS | King Philip II of Spain | Nicholas Hytne | Manchester Royal Exchang |
| EDWARD II | King Edward II | Nicholas Hytner | Manchester Royal Exchange |
| THE DANTON AFFAIR | Maximilien Robespierre | Ron Daniels | RSC Barbican |
| THE SAXON SHORE | Cambyses & Llyr | Pierre Audi | Almeida Theatre |
| CREDITORS | Gustav | Various | Almeida Theatre |
| DOWNCHILD | Tom Downchild | Bill Alexander & Nick Hamm | RSC Stratford & Barbican The Pit |
| THE CASTLE | Stucly | Nick Hamm | RSC Stratford & Barbican The Pit |
| CRIMES IN HOT COUNTRIES | Hacker | Bill Alexander | RSC Stratford & Barbican The Pit |
| THE WAR PLAYS | Monster, First Man, Officer & Middle-Aged Man | RSC Stratford & Barbican The Pit | Nick Hamm |
| THE PARTY | John Tagg | Howard Davies | RSC Stratford & Barbican The Pit |
| INSIGNIFICANCE | Albert Einstein | Les Waters | The Royal Court |
Film
| Production | Character | Director | Company |
|---|---|---|---|
| STAR WARS - EPISODE IX: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER | Palpatine | J.J Abrams | Walt Disney Motion Pictures |
| LOST CITY OF Z | Sir George Goldie | James Gray | Amazon Studios & Bleecker Street |
| STAR WARS - EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH / | Emperor Palpatine aka Darth Sidious | George Lucas | Lucasfilm & 20th Century Fox |
| STAR WARS - EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES | Emperor Palpatine aka Darth Sidious | George Lucas | Lucasfilm & 20th Century Fox |
| SLEEPY HOLLOW | Dr Thomas Lacaster | Tim Burton | Paramount Pictures |
| STAR WARS - EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE | Senator Palpatine | George Lucas | Lucasfilm |
| RESTORATION | Ambrose | Michael Hoffman | Avenue Pics Prods & Miramax |
| DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS | Arthur | Frank Oz | Orion Pictures Corporation |
| GORKY PARK | Professor Andreev | Michael Apted | Orion Pictures Corporation |
| STAR WARS - EPISODE VI: RETURN OF THE JED | Emperor Palpatine | Richard Marquand | Lucasfilm & 20th Century Fox |
| DRAGONSLAYER | Brother Jacobus | Matthew Robbins | Paramount Pictures |
| SIR HENRY AT RAWLINSON'S END | Reg Smeeton | Steve Roberts | Charisma |
| THE AWAKENING | Dr Richter | Mike Newel | Orion Pictures Corporation |
| RICHARD'S THINGS | Burglar | Anthony Harvey | Southern Pictures & New World Pics |
| THE LIKELY LADS | Vicar | Michael Tuchner | EMI |
Television
| Production | Character | Director | Company |
|---|---|---|---|
| BRITANNIA | King Pellenor | Various | Amazon Studios |
| STAR WARS: REBELS | Emperor Palpatine | Various | CGCG Inc. |
| OBI-WAN KENOBI | Emperor Palpatine | Deborah Chow | Lucasfilm |
| IVANOV | Kosykh | Jonathan Kent | Almeida Theatre |
| MACBETH | Porter & Ross | Philip Casson | RSC for Thames TV |
| UTOPIA Series 2 | Anton | Marc Munden | Channel 4 |
| 37 DAYS | Sir Edward Grey | Justin Hardy | BBC |
| MARGARET | Denis Thatcher | James Kent | Great Meadown Productions |
| CITY OF VICE | Henry Fielding | Justin Hardy | Touchpaper Television |
| OUR HIDDEN LIVES | B Charles | Michael Samuels | BBC |
| ELIZABETH I | Lord William Cecil Burghley | Tom Hooper | Company Pictures |
| SPOOKS | Professor Fred Roberts | Jonny Campbell | BBC |
| CHARLES II | Sir Edward Hyde | Joe Wright | BBC |
| CRIME AND PUNISHMENT | Porfiry | Julian Jarrold | BBC |
| ALL THE KING'S MEN | Reverend Pierrepoint Edwards | Julian Jarrold | WGBH & BBC |
| GREAT EXPECTATIONS | Jaggers | Julian Jarrold | WGBH & PBS |
| AN UNSUITABLE JOB FOR A WOMAN | Ronald Callender | Ben Bolt | Ronald Callender |
| TOUCHING EVIL | Professor Ronald Hinks | Julian Jarrold | United Film & Television Prods |
| REBECCA | Coroner | Carlton Television | Carlton Television |
| HILLBOROUGH | Dr Popper | Charles McDougall | Granada for ITV |
| COLD LAZARUS | Oliver Morse | Renny Rye | BBC |
| KARAOKE | Oliver Morse | Renny Rye | BBC |
| ANNIE: A ROYAL ADVENTURE | Doctor Eli Eon | Ian Toynton | Rastar Productions & ABC |
| HEART OF DARKNESS | Doctor | Nicolas Roeg | TNT |
| SELECTED EXITS | George Devine | Tristram Powell | Masterpiece Theatre & PBS |
| THE YOUNG INDIANA JONES CHRONICLES | Professor Levi | Nicholas Roeg | Amblin Entertainment & ABC |
| CHERNOBYL: THE FINAL WARNING | Dr Vatisenko | Anthony Page | TNT |
| INSPECTOR MORSE | Hugo De Vries | Danny Boyle | UTV |
| PITY IN HISTORY | Murgatroyd | Sarah Pia Anderson | BBC |
| THE PROFESSIONALS | Mikey Hamilton | William Brayne | LWT for ITV |
| LAST NIGHT ANOTHER DISSIDENT | Fedka | Michael Darlow | ITV Playhouse |
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