Ian McDiarmid

Actor

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Acting

Associate Agent: Alex Campbell
Assistant: Camille Allan
Assistant: Tom Ogg

Voiceover

Assistant: Amber Hill
Associate Agent: Jennifer Karniely

Acting

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.

Film

ProductionCharacterDirectorCompany

STAR WARS: 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

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

Stage

ProductionCharacterDirectorCompany

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

THE 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

THE 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

THE 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

Television

ProductionCharacterDirectorCompany

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