Ian McDiarmid
Birthday: Born in 1944-08-11 in Carnoustie, Tayside, Scotland, UK
Deathday: Alive
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
TV Credits
Inspector Morse
Character: 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....
Spooks
Character: 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....
Star Wars: The Bad Batch
Character: 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....
City of Vice
Character: Henry Fielding
In the 1750s London’s perilous streets were run by armed gangs, corrupt night watchmen and thief takers. Then two Westminster magistrates, novelist Henry Fielding and his brother, John, obtained a grant from Parliament allowing them to bring some law and order to the crime-ridden boroughs of Central London....
Charles II: The Power and The Passion
Character: Sir Edward Hyde
Charles II: The Power and the Passion is an award-winning British television mini-series, broadcast on BBC One in 2003, and produced by the BBC in association with the A&E Network in the United States depicting the reign of Charles II....
37 Days
Character: Sir Edward Grey
This three-part political thriller follows the catastrophic chain of events leading up to World War I from the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on 28 June 1914 to Britain's declaration of war on Germany 37 days later. This tense and gripping miniseries set among the corridors of power in Whitehall and Berlin tracks the unfolding crisis through the eyes of leading politicians and civil servants struggling to prevent the world's first global war. 37 Days unlocks the mystery of the war s o...
Elizabeth I
Character: Lord Burghley
Elizabeth I is a two-part 2005 British historical drama television miniseries directed by Tom Hooper, written by Nigel Williams, and starring Helen Mirren as Elizabeth I of England. The miniseries covers approximately the last 24 years of her nearly 45-year reign. Part 1 focuses on the final years of her relationship with the Earl of Leicester, played by Jeremy Irons. Part 2 focuses on her subsequent relationship with the Earl of Essex, played by Hugh Dancy. The series originally was broadcast ...
Britannia
Character: 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....
The Nation's Health
Character: Dr Vernon Davis
The Nation's Health is a 4 episode series written by G.F.Newman based on his book of the same name, originally broadcast on the fledgling Channel 4 UK TV channel in 1983. The series consists of four episodes that are, in order, titled: Acute, Decline, Chronic, and Collapse. In it we are faced with a maelstrom of political issues, illnesses, fatalities, personal greed and professional vanities. As may be clear from these titles, the series draws a relentlessly bleak view of the NHS in 1980s Brit...
Karaoke
Character: Oliver Morse
Daniel Feeld, writer of the film Karaoke, starts to believe that his characters are coming alive....
Star Wars Rebels
Character: 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 ...
Utopia
Character: 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....
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Character: 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....
Star Wars Rebels
Character: Emperor Palpatine (voice)
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 ...
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Character: 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....
Star Wars: The Bad Batch
Character: 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....
Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi
Character: 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....
Crime and Punishment
Character: Porfiry
John Simm stars in this adaptation of Dostoyevsky's tragic masterpiece - a profound drama of redemption and a thrilling detective story of the soul....
The Modern World: Ten Great Writers
Character: Dostoevsky
This documentary series uses drama and commentary to shed light on the lives and works of Joseph Conrad, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, T. S. Eliot, Henrik Ibsen, James Joyce, Franz Kafka, Thomas Mann, Luigi Pirandello, Marcel Proust and Virginia Woolf....
The Professionals
Character: 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 contenti...
Cold Lazarus
Character: Oliver Morse
The year is 2368 and a group of scientists are on the brink of a major breakthrough as they begin to tap into the memory of a man who died in the 1990s....
Movie Credits
Star Wars Rebels: The Siege of Lothal
Character: Emperor Palpatine (voice)
The Inquisitor is dead. The Ghost crew has connected with other rebel cells. And a new ally named Ahsoka Tano has emerged. Despite these successes and developments, the fight against the Empire takes a deadly turn, as the evil Sith Lord Darth Vader comes to Lothal....
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Character: Arthur
Con artist Lawrence Jamieson is a longtime resident of a luxurious coastal resort, where he enjoys the lavish fruits of his deceptions -- that is, until a competitor, Freddy Benson, shows up. When the new guy's lowbrow tactics impinge on his own sophisticated work and believing him to be the infamous conman 'The Jackal', Lawrence resolves to get rid of him. Confident of his own duplicitous talents, he challenges Freddy to a winner-takes-all competition: whoever swindles their latest mark, Americ...
Dragonslayer
Character: Brother Jacopus
A sorcerer and his apprentice are on a mission to kill an evil dragon to save the King’s daughter from being sacrificed according to a pact that the King himself made with the dragon to protect his kingdom....
Return of the Jedi
Character: The Emperor
Luke Skywalker leads a mission to rescue his friend Han Solo from the clutches of Jabba the Hutt, while the Emperor seeks to destroy the Rebellion once and for all with a second dreaded Death Star....
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
Character: 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....
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
Character: Chancellor Palpatine
Following an assassination attempt on Senator Padmé Amidala, Jedi Knights Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi investigate a mysterious plot that could change the galaxy forever....
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
Character: Chancellor Palpatine / Darth Sidious
The evil Darth Sidious enacts his final plan for unlimited power – and the heroic Jedi Anakin Skywalker must choose a side....
Sleepy Hollow
Character: 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....
Macbeth
Character: The Porter / Ross
Macbeth is a 1978 videotaped version of Trevor Nunn's Royal Shakespeare Company production of the play by William Shakespeare. Produced by Thames Television, it features Ian McKellen as Macbeth and Judi Dench as Lady Macbeth. The TV version was directed by Philip Casson. The original stage production was performed at The Other Place, the RSC's small studio theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. It had been performed in the round before small audiences, with a bare stage and simple costuming. The recor...
The Awakening
Character: Dr. Richter
When a British archaeologist violates an Egyptian queen's tomb, her evil spirit enters his daughter....
Star Wars: A Musical Journey
Character: Host
Star Wars: In Concert, originally called Star Wars: A Musical Journey, was a worldwide series of concerts featuring specially edited footage from all six of the Star Wars films (on the world's largest LED screen) set to live performances of John Williams' Star Wars score. The first performance took place in the O2 Arena in London, England. It was attended by 20,000 fans. The North American concerts started in Anaheim, California on October 1, 2009. The concerts were narrated by Anthony Daniels a...
Crime and Punishment
Character: Porfiry
John Simm stars in this adaptation of Dostoyevsky's tragic masterpiece - a profound drama of redemption and a thrilling detective story of the soul....
Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi's Return
Character: 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....
Annie: A Royal Adventure
Character: Dr. Eli Eon
Annie is back! Along with her friends Molly, Hannah, her dog Sandy, and her wealthy father Oliver Warbucks. They take a trip to England where Warbucks is going to be Knighted by the King. Annie and the gang stumbles onto a wicked scheme led by an evil noblewoman who plans to blow up Buckingham Palace so she can become Queen and claim the throne for herself! And now it is up to Annie and her friends to stop her!...
All the King's Men
Character: Rev. Pierrepoint Edwards
Feature-length drama about the mystery of Sandringham Company, which disappeared in action at Gallipoli in 1915. Commanded by Captain Frank Beck, their estate manager, the men advanced into battle, were enveloped in a strange mist and never seen again....
Margaret
Character: Denis Thatcher
A detailed and compelling portrait of one of the most formidable characters in British politics as she faces her final days in power. The year is 1990 and Margaret Thatcher's support within the government is wavering - her hold on the premiership hangs in the balance. Then, long-serving politician Sir Geoffrey Howe resigns over Thatcher's attitude to Europe. His resignation speech sparks a chain of events that leads to the overthrow of Britain's first woman prime minister. This modern dramatic t...
Richard's Things
Character: Burglar
Following her husband's death, a wife discovers and confronts her husband's lover. Their mutual pain, love, envy and jealousy bring them together in an unexpected emotional and physical relationship....
Our Hidden Lives
Character: B. Charles
Based on the best-selling book by award-winning writer Simon Garfield, four stories from Britain's 'lost decade' (1945 - 1955) are presented from the diaries of four very distinct people. In his book, Garfield selected some of the most expressive diarists, and focused on the post-war years giving a vivid portrait of how Britain coped in the post-war years and how little, or how much, attitudes have changed over the past 60 years. The stories touch on homosexuality, single women making their way...
The Likely Lads
Character: Vicar
With the destruction of their previous neighbourhood has inevitably come the destruction of the lads’ favoured watering hole The Fat Ox. Again, it’s Bob rather than Terry who is visibly distressed by this. Upset and much the worse for free alcohol, Bob then storms into the library to seek sympathy from Thelma - who is, predictably, unimpressed. So when Thelma finds out that Terry has been getting semi-serious with glamorous Finnish shop assistant Chris, she takes it upon herself to try and pair ...
Star Wars: Evolution of the Lightsaber Duel
Character: Self
Though lightsabers have been a force in the Star Wars galaxy since George Lucas’ original film, the weapon’s on-screen presence evolved throughout both cinematic trilogies and into Star Wars: The Force Awakens. SportsCenter is tracing the lightsaber’s lineage through the films, and a new trailer for the special will definitely delight any fan’s inner Star Wars Kid....
Star Wars: Greatest Moments
Character: Self
Alex Zane counts down the top 20 Star Wars moments as voted by the public. Includes contributions from famous fans as well as the stars and crew of the intergalactic saga....
The Beginning: Making Episode I
Character: Self
The entire process of making Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) is shown here in this documentary. From pre-production through post-production, we get to see visual effects meetings, John Williams' music sessions, and even the storm that wiped out the pod-racers & props....
Hillsborough
Character: Doctor Popper, Coroner
Drama based on the real life events of April 1989, when ninety-six Liverpool supporters were crushed to death during an F.A. Cup Semi-Final match against Nottingham Forest at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough Stadium. This movie follows three Liverpudlian families before the match, during the tragedy and at the ensuing court battles which tried to decide who was to blame and what went wrong....
Restoration
Character: Ambrose
An aspiring young physician, Robert Merivel found himself in the service of King Charles II and saves the life of someone close to the King. Merivel joins the King's court and lives the high life provided to someone of his position. Merivel is ordered to marry his King's mistress in order to divert the queens suspicions. He is given one order by the king and that is not to fall in love. The situation worsens when Merivel finds himself in love with his new wife. Eventually, the King finds out and...
Great Expectations
Character: Jaggers
A young boy called Pip stumbles upon a hunted criminal who threatens him and demands food. A few years later, Pip finds that he has a benefactor. Imagining that Miss Havisham, a rich lady whose adopted daughter Estella he loves, is the benefactor, Pip believes in a grand plan at the end of which he will be married to Estella. However, when the criminal from his childhood turns up one stormy night and reveals that he, Magwitch, is his benefactor, Pip finds his dreams crumbling. Although initially...
Sir Henry at Rawlinson End
Character: Reg Smeeton
Sir Henry Rawlinson attempts to exorcise the ghost of his brother Humbert, who was accidentally killed in a drunken duck-shooting incident....
The Story of Star Wars
Character: Palpatine/The Emperor (archive footage)
The Skywalker family is at the heart of the Star Wars saga. Now hear the inside story of Luke and Anakin Skywalker from the characters who witnessed it all: the famous droid duo C-3PO and R2-D2. Episodes IV,V and VI are explored in "The Story of Luke Skywalker," which follows the young man escaping from his daily chores on Tatooine to his becoming a hero in the Rebal Alliance. In "The Story of Anakin Skywalker," you'll go behind the mask of the greatest Star Wars villain and discover how Darth V...
The Lost City of Z
Character: 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....
Chernobyl: The Final Warning
Character: Dr. Vatisenko
True story about the tragic nuclear power plant accident in Chernobyl....
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Demons of Deception
Character: Prof. Levi
Indy's work with the Belgian Army takes him to the front lines of Verdun in 1916, where officers' callous stupidity sends thousands of men to their deaths for virtually no territorial gain. In Paris, Indy falls in love with the seductive German spy Mata Hari, only to suffer the pains of deceit....
Amazing Stories
Character: Blade
Weird tale of a sci fi convention and a family who are apparently being taken over by vegetables....
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Character: 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....
Gorky Park
Character: Prof. Andreev
Police Inspector Renko tries to solve the case of three bodies found in Moscow's Gorky Park but finds his attempts to solve the crime impeded by his superiors. Working on his own, Renko seeks out more information and stumbles across a conspiracy involving the highest levels of the government....
Sleepy Hollow: Behind the Legend
Character: Self
A behind the scenes look at the making of Sleepy Hollow....
The Skywalker Legacy
Character: Self
The story lives forever in this feature-length documentary that charts the making of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker....
Heart of Darkness
Character: Doctor
A trading company manager travels up an African river to find a missing outpost head and discovers the depth of evil in humanity's soul....