Ian McDiarmid
Encyclopedia
Ian McDiarmid is a Scottish theatre actor and director, who has also made sporadic appearances on film and television.
McDiarmid has had a successful career in theatre; he has been cast in many plays, while occasionally directing others and although he has appeared mostly in theatrical productions, he has also accepted roles in films and television films. Worldwide, he is most famous for his role as Palpatine
in the Star Wars
live action film series (both the original and prequel trilogies).
McDiarmid has appeared in 47 films since 1976.
. 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 2004 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 received an M.A.
in psychology
. Soon after, he decided to pursue a career in the theatre instead, and took acting training courses at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
in Glasgow
. In 1968, McDiarmid received a gold medal for his work. This would later prove to be the first of many recognitions given to him for his work in the theatre. McDiarmid claimed he became its recipient "by doing all the boring jobs you have to do when you are young, to eke out an existence."
(1972), The Tempest
(1974, 2000), Much Ado About Nothing
(1976), Ross and the Porter in Trevor Nunn
's 1976 Macbeth
(television 1978), The Merchant of Venice
(1984), and King Lear
(2005). While at the Almeida, he directed plays such as Venice Preserv'd
(1986) and Hippolytus
(1991).
He also played the part of Ivanov in Tom Stoppard
's play Every Good Boy Deserves Favour
at the Mermaid Theatre
in 1978.
In 2002, McDiarmid won Almeida Theatre's Critic's Circle Award for Best Actor for his role as Teddy in a revival
of Brian Friel
's Faith Healer
. Five years later in 2006, he reprised this role in his debut on Broadway. Directed by Kent, he performed alongside Ralph Fiennes
and Cherry Jones
, and won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
. He has appeared most recently in the title role of John Gabriel Borkman
, running at the Donmar Theatre in London.
One theatrical performance of note is his portrayal of Harry Hackamore in Sam Shepard
's play Seduced. By McDiarmid's own description, Hackamore was a Howard Hughes
-type character. To play the part, he was made-up in prosthetics, including a false beard and long fingernails. McDiarmid was only 37 at the time, and this convinced George Lucas
and Richard Marquand
that he could convincingly play a much older character in extreme cinematic close-up, which helped him land the role of Palpatine.
From 1990 until 2001, McDiarmid and Jonathan Kent
served as the artistic directors of the Almeida Theatre, located in Islington
, London. In 1998 they shared the Special Evening Standard Award for Theatrical Achievement of the Year. Their tenure was marked by a string of highly successful performances involving actors such as Kevin Spacey
and Ralph Fiennes
.
, McDiarmid was cast by George Lucas in Return of the Jedi
as Emperor Palpatine, the principal villain. Sixteen years after appearing in Return of the Jedi, he reprised the role as a younger Senator and Chancellor in the Star Wars prequel films. He attributes the opportunity to reprise his role to having been much younger than his character the first time he played the part.
The prequels had him play two faces to his character; he re-created his diabolical interpretation of Palpatine from Return of the Jedi when playing Darth Sidious, the Chancellor's Sith alter ego
, but created an attractive, pleasant, and seductive character in Palpatine's public persona. While he had previously achieved little recognition for this role, due to the extensive prosthetics used for the character which made him unrecognizable, he received widespread attention and critical acclaim for his expanded role in the prequels.
In the 2004 re-release of The Empire Strikes Back
, a brief scene between Darth Vader
and a hologram of Emperor Palpatine was updated to have him depicted by McDiarmid. The Emperor was originally voiced by Clive Revill
for that scene, and visually portrayed by Elaine Baker, the wife of make-up designer Rick Baker. Chimpanzee
eyes were superimposed into darkened eye sockets during post-production "in order to create a truly unsettling image". With this addition to The Empire Strikes Back, McDiarmid has now appeared in every film version in which Palpatine appears.
He has also worked with the Star Wars Expanded Universe
as the voice of Palpatine in the video games: Lego Star Wars: The Video Game
and its sequel Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, the video game versions of Empire Strikes Back
and Return of the Jedi, Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
, Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
, and most recently Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron
. He also provided the voice through archived audio in the fan film Contract of Evil.
for Granada
. He played the role of police detective Porfiry Petrovich in the BBC's 2002 TV adaptation of Fyodor Dostoevsky
's Crime and Punishment
, also starring in an episode of Inspector Morse
several years earlier, as psychopathic conman Hugo DeVries. In 2003 McDiarmid took the role of the Stuart statesman Edward Hyde
, in the BBC series Charles II: The Power and The Passion
.
In 2005, he portrayed the part of Satan
in the 41 part BBC Four
radio drama based on John Milton
's Paradise Lost
, which was subsequently re-broadcast on BBC7. Recently, he played the writer and pioneer of policing, Henry Fielding
, in the Channel 4 historical drama series City of Vice
and Denis Thatcher
in 2009's Margaret.
McDiarmid played intelligence chief LeClerc in a 2009 BBC Radio dramatisation of John LeCarre's The Looking Glass War.
He expressed interest in reprising the role of Palpatine for the Star Wars live-action TV series
.
McDiarmid has had a successful career in theatre; he has been cast in many plays, while occasionally directing others and although he has appeared mostly in theatrical productions, he has also accepted roles in films and television films. Worldwide, he is most famous for his role as Palpatine
Palpatine
Palpatine is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the Star Wars saga, portrayed by Ian McDiarmid in the feature films.Palpatine first appeared as the unnamed Emperor of the Galactic Empire in the 1980 film Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back...
in the Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
live action film series (both the original and prequel trilogies).
McDiarmid has appeared in 47 films since 1976.
Early life
McDiarmid was born in CarnoustieCarnoustie
Carnoustie is a town and former police burgh in the council area of Angus, Scotland. It is situated at the mouth of the Barry Burn on the North Sea coast...
. 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
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
. In 2004 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
University of St Andrews
The University of St Andrews, informally referred to as "St Andrews", is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the English-speaking world after Oxford and Cambridge. The university is situated in the town of St Andrews, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It was founded between...
, where he received an M.A.
Master of Arts (Scotland)
A Master of Arts in Scotland can refer to an undergraduate academic degree in humanities and social sciences awarded by the ancient universities of Scotland – the University of St Andrews, the University of Glasgow, the University of Aberdeen and the University of Edinburgh, while the University of...
in psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
. Soon after, he decided to pursue a career in the theatre instead, and took acting training courses at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is a conservatoire of music, drama, and dance in the centre of Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1845 as the Glasgow Educational Association, it is the busiest performing arts venue in Scotland...
in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. In 1968, McDiarmid received a gold medal for his work. This would later prove to be the first of many recognitions given to him for his work in the theatre. McDiarmid claimed he became its recipient "by doing all the boring jobs you have to do when you are young, to eke out an existence."
Theatre
McDiarmid is renowned for his work in British theatre, having won plaudits as an actor and director from a wide variety of sources. He has starred in a variety of Shakespearean plays, including HamletHamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
(1972), The Tempest
The Tempest
The Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place,...
(1974, 2000), Much Ado About Nothing
Much Ado About Nothing
Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy written by William Shakespeare about two pairs of lovers, Benedick and Beatrice, and Claudio and Hero....
(1976), Ross and the Porter in Trevor Nunn
Trevor Nunn
Sir Trevor Robert Nunn, CBE is an English theatre, film and television director. Nunn has been the Artistic Director for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, and, currently, the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. He has directed musicals and dramas for the stage, as well as opera...
's 1976 Macbeth
Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
(television 1978), The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic...
(1984), and King Lear
King Lear
King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The title character descends into madness after foolishly disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological...
(2005). While at the Almeida, he directed plays such as Venice Preserv'd
Venice Preserv'd
Venice Preserv'd is an English Restoration play written by Thomas Otway, and the most significant tragedy of the English stage in the 1680s. It was staged first in 1682, with Thomas Betterton as Jaffeir and Elizabeth Barry as Belvidera...
(1986) and Hippolytus
Hippolytus (play)
Hippolytus is an Ancient Greek tragedy by Euripides, based on the myth of Hippolytus, son of Theseus. The play was first produced for the City Dionysia of Athens in 428 BC and won first prize as part of a trilogy....
(1991).
He also played the part of Ivanov in Tom Stoppard
Tom Stoppard
Sir Tom Stoppard OM, CBE, FRSL is a British playwright, knighted in 1997. He has written prolifically for TV, radio, film and stage, finding prominence with plays such as Arcadia, The Coast of Utopia, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, Professional Foul, The Real Thing, and Rosencrantz and...
's play Every Good Boy Deserves Favour
Every Good Boy Deserves Favour
Every Good Boy Deserves Favour is a stage play by Tom Stoppard with music by André Previn. It was first performed in 1977. The play criticizes the Soviet practice of treating political dissidence as a form of mental illness. Its title derives from the popular mnemonic used by music students to...
at the Mermaid Theatre
Mermaid Theatre
The Mermaid Theatre was a theatre at Puddle Dock, in Blackfriars, in the City of London and the first built there since the time of Shakespeare...
in 1978.
In 2002, McDiarmid won Almeida Theatre's Critic's Circle Award for Best Actor for his role as Teddy in a revival
Revival (play)
A revival is a restaging of a stage production after its original run has closed. New material may be added. A filmed version is said to be an adaptation and requires writing of a screenplay....
of Brian Friel
Brian Friel
Brian Friel is an Irish dramatist, author and director of the Field Day Theatre Company. He is considered to be the greatest living English-language dramatist, hailed by the English-speaking world as an "Irish Chekhov" and "the universally accented voice of Ireland"...
's Faith Healer
Faith Healer
Faith Healer is a play by Brian Friel about the life of faith healer Francis Hardy as monologued through the shifting memories of Hardy, his wife, Grace, and stage manager, Teddy.-Synopsis:...
. Five years later in 2006, he reprised this role in his debut on Broadway. Directed by Kent, he performed alongside Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes is an English actor and film director. He has appeared in such films as The English Patient, In Bruges, The Constant Gardener, Strange Days, The Duchess and Schindler's List....
and Cherry Jones
Cherry Jones
Cherry Jones is an American actress and recipient of the 2009 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Drama Series and the 2005 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play.-Career:...
, and won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
This is a list of the winners and nominations of Tony Award for the Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play. The award has been presented since 1949.-1950s:* 1951: Eli Wallach – The Rose Tattoo* 1952: John Cromwell – Point of No Return...
. He has appeared most recently in the title role of John Gabriel Borkman
John Gabriel Borkman
John Gabriel Borkman is the penultimate composition of the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, written in 1896.-Plot:The Borkman family fortunes have been brought low by the imprisonment of John Gabriel who used his position as a bank manager to illegally speculate with his investors' money...
, running at the Donmar Theatre in London.
One theatrical performance of note is his portrayal of Harry Hackamore in Sam Shepard
Sam Shepard
Sam Shepard is an American playwright, actor, and television and film director. He is the author of several books of short stories, essays, and memoirs, and received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1979 for his play Buried Child...
's play Seduced. By McDiarmid's own description, Hackamore was a Howard Hughes
Howard Hughes
Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American business magnate, investor, aviator, engineer, film producer, director, and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest people in the world...
-type character. To play the part, he was made-up in prosthetics, including a false beard and long fingernails. McDiarmid was only 37 at the time, and this convinced George Lucas
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director, and entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Lucasfilm. He is best known as the creator of the space opera franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...
and Richard Marquand
Richard Marquand
Richard Marquand was a Welsh film director best known for directing the 1983 blockbuster Star Wars film, Return of the Jedi.-Early life:...
that he could convincingly play a much older character in extreme cinematic close-up, which helped him land the role of Palpatine.
From 1990 until 2001, McDiarmid and Jonathan Kent
Jonathan Kent (director)
Jonathan Kent is an English theatre director and opera director. He is best known as a director/producer partner of Ian McDiarmid at the Almeida Theatre from 1990 to 2002.-Early life:...
served as the artistic directors of the Almeida Theatre, located in Islington
Islington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
, London. In 1998 they shared the Special Evening Standard Award for Theatrical Achievement of the Year. Their tenure was marked by a string of highly successful performances involving actors such as Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey, CBE is an American actor, director, screenwriter, producer, and crooner. He grew up in California, and began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, before being cast in supporting roles in film and television...
and Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes is an English actor and film director. He has appeared in such films as The English Patient, In Bruges, The Constant Gardener, Strange Days, The Duchess and Schindler's List....
.
Star Wars
Though McDiarmid believes himself to be first and foremost a stage actor, he is happy to work in a film for the right part. After a minor part in the film DragonslayerDragonslayer
Dragonslayer is a 1981 fantasy movie set in a fictional medieval kingdom, following a young wizard who experiences danger and opposition as he attempts to defeat a dragon....
, McDiarmid was cast by George Lucas in Return of the Jedi
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand and written by George Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan. It is the third film released in the Star Wars saga, and the sixth in terms of the series' internal chronology...
as Emperor Palpatine, the principal villain. Sixteen years after appearing in Return of the Jedi, he reprised the role as a younger Senator and Chancellor in the Star Wars prequel films. He attributes the opportunity to reprise his role to having been much younger than his character the first time he played the part.
The prequels had him play two faces to his character; he re-created his diabolical interpretation of Palpatine from Return of the Jedi when playing Darth Sidious, the Chancellor's Sith alter ego
Alter ego
An alter ego is a second self, which is believe to be distinct from a person's normal or original personality. The term was coined in the early nineteenth century when dissociative identity disorder was first described by psychologists...
, but created an attractive, pleasant, and seductive character in Palpatine's public persona. While he had previously achieved little recognition for this role, due to the extensive prosthetics used for the character which made him unrecognizable, he received widespread attention and critical acclaim for his expanded role in the prequels.
In the 2004 re-release of The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is a 1980 American epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner. The screenplay, based on a story by George Lucas, was written by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan...
, a brief scene between Darth Vader
Darth Vader
Darth Vader is a central character in the Star Wars saga, appearing as one of the main antagonists in the original trilogy and as the main protagonist in the prequel trilogy....
and a hologram of Emperor Palpatine was updated to have him depicted by McDiarmid. The Emperor was originally voiced by Clive Revill
Clive Revill
Clive Selsby Revill is a New Zealand-born British character actor best known for his performances in musical theatre and on the London stage.-Early life and stage career:...
for that scene, and visually portrayed by Elaine Baker, the wife of make-up designer Rick Baker. Chimpanzee
Chimpanzee
Chimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...
eyes were superimposed into darkened eye sockets during post-production "in order to create a truly unsettling image". With this addition to The Empire Strikes Back, McDiarmid has now appeared in every film version in which Palpatine appears.
He has also worked with the Star Wars Expanded Universe
Star Wars Expanded Universe
The Star Wars Expanded Universe encompasses all of the officially licensed, fictional background of the Star Wars universe, outside of the six feature films produced by George Lucas. The expanded universe includes books, comic books, video games, spin-off films like Star Wars: The Clone Wars,...
as the voice of Palpatine in the video games: Lego Star Wars: The Video Game
LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game
Lego Star Wars: The Video Game is a video game based on the Star Wars themed toy line by the Lego Group and the first game in TT Games' Lego videogame franchise. It takes place during the prequel trilogy , with a bonus segment from A New Hope...
and its sequel Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, the video game versions of Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is a 1980 American epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner. The screenplay, based on a story by George Lucas, was written by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan...
and Return of the Jedi, Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, sometimes called Super Empire Strikes Back, is a platform game for the Super Nintendo, it is the sequel to Super Star Wars and was followed by Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. It is based on the second film of the original Star Wars trilogy, Star Wars...
, Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, sometimes called Super Return of the Jedi, is a platform game for the Super NES/Super Famicom which follows Super Star Wars and Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. There is also a simplified version for the Nintendo Game Boy and Sega Game Gear portable...
, and most recently Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron
Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron
Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron is a spin-off from the Star Wars Battlefront series released November 3, 2009 on the Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable. It has been called the sequel to Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron.-Plot:...
. He also provided the voice through archived audio in the fan film Contract of Evil.
TV and radio
McDiarmid took an early role as Mickey Hamilton, a killer intent on avenging the death of his wife and child in The ProfessionalsThe Professionals (TV series)
The Professionals was a British crime-action television drama series produced by Avengers Mk1 Productions and London Weekend Television that aired on the ITV network from 1977 to 1983. In all, 57 episodes were produced, filmed between 1977 and 1981. It starred Martin Shaw, Lewis Collins and Gordon...
for Granada
Granada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
. He played the role of police detective Porfiry Petrovich in the BBC's 2002 TV adaptation of Fyodor Dostoevsky
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Fyodor Mikhaylovich Dostoyevsky was a Russian writer of novels, short stories and essays. He is best known for his novels Crime and Punishment, The Idiot and The Brothers Karamazov....
's Crime and Punishment
Crime and Punishment
Crime and Punishment is a novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky. It was first published in the literary journal The Russian Messenger in twelve monthly installments during 1866. It was later published in a single volume. This is the second of Dostoyevsky's full-length novels following his...
, also starring in an episode of Inspector Morse
Inspector Morse (TV series)
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. Dexter makes a cameo appearance in all but three of the episodes....
several years earlier, as psychopathic conman Hugo DeVries. In 2003 McDiarmid took the role of the Stuart statesman Edward Hyde
Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon
Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon was an English historian and statesman, and grandfather of two English monarchs, Mary II and Queen Anne.-Early life:...
, in the BBC series Charles II: The Power and The Passion
Charles II: The Power and The Passion
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...
.
In 2005, he portrayed the part of Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
in the 41 part BBC Four
BBC Four
BBC Four is a British television network operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation and available to digital television viewers on Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable....
radio drama based on John Milton
John Milton
John Milton was an English poet, polemicist, a scholarly man of letters, and a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell...
's Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton. It was originally published in 1667 in ten books, with a total of over ten thousand individual lines of verse...
, which was subsequently re-broadcast on BBC7. Recently, he played the writer and pioneer of policing, Henry Fielding
Henry Fielding
Henry Fielding was an English novelist and dramatist known for his rich earthy humour and satirical prowess, and as the author of the novel Tom Jones....
, in the Channel 4 historical drama series City of Vice
City of Vice
City of Vice is a British historical crime drama television series set in Georgian London and was first screened on 14 January 2008 on Channel 4. It is produced by Touchpaper Television part of the RDF Media Group. The series mixes fiction with fact following the fortunes of the famous novelist...
and Denis Thatcher
Denis Thatcher
Major Sir Denis Thatcher, 1st Baronet, MBE, TD was a British businessman, and the husband of the former British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. He was born in Lewisham, London, the elder child of a New Zealand-born British businessman, Thomas Herbert Thatcher, and his wife Kathleen, née Bird...
in 2009's Margaret.
McDiarmid played intelligence chief LeClerc in a 2009 BBC Radio dramatisation of John LeCarre's The Looking Glass War.
He expressed interest in reprising the role of Palpatine for the Star Wars live-action TV series
Star Wars live-action TV series
The untitled Star Wars live-action TV series is a planned space opera television series, set between the events seen in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope....
.
Stage appearances
- HamletHamletThe Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
, Open Space TheatreOpen Space TheatreThe Open Space Theatre was created by Charles Marowitz and Thelma Holt in 1968.It began in a basement on Tottenham Court Road in London, then transferred to an art deco post office on the Euston Road in 1976. Thelma attracted a team of volunteer architects and workers to build the theatre...
, London, 1972 - And They Put Handcuffs on the Flowers, Open Space TheatreOpen Space TheatreThe Open Space Theatre was created by Charles Marowitz and Thelma Holt in 1968.It began in a basement on Tottenham Court Road in London, then transferred to an art deco post office on the Euston Road in 1976. Thelma attracted a team of volunteer architects and workers to build the theatre...
, London, 1973 - In the Jungle of the Cities, Place Theatre, London, 1973
- MacbethMacbethThe Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
, Belgrade TheatreBelgrade TheatreThe Belgrade Theatre is a live performance venue seating 858 and situated in Coventry, England. It was the first civic theatre to be built after the Second World War in Britain and as such was more than a place of entertainment...
, CoventryCoventryCoventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, England, 1973, then Bankside Globe Theatre, London, 1973 - Measure for MeasureMeasure for MeasureMeasure for Measure is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603 or 1604. It was classified as comedy, but its mood defies those expectations. As a result and for a variety of reasons, some critics have labelled it as one of Shakespeare's problem plays...
, Royal Shakespeare CompanyRoyal Shakespeare CompanyThe Royal Shakespeare Company is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs 700 staff and produces around 20 productions a year from its home in Stratford-upon-Avon and plays regularly in London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and on tour across...
, Stratford-on-Avon, England, 1974 - Macbeth, Royal Shakespeare Company, Aldwych TheatreAldwych TheatreThe Aldwych Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Aldwych in the City of Westminster. The theatre was listed Grade II on 20 July 1971. Its seating capacity is 1,200.-Origins:...
, London, 1975 - Macbeth, Royal Shakespeare Company, Other Place Theatre, Stratford-on-Avon, England, 1976
- DestinyDestinyDestiny or fate refers to a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual...
, Royal Shakespeare Company, Other Place Theatre, 1976 - DingoDingoThe Australian Dingo or Warrigal is a free-roaming wild dog unique to the continent of Australia, mainly found in the outback. Its original ancestors are thought to have arrived with humans from southeast Asia thousands of years ago, when dogs were still relatively undomesticated and closer to...
, Royal Shakespeare Company, Other Place Theatre, 1976 - Schweyk in the Second World War, Royal Shakespeare Company, Other Place Theatre, 1976, then Warehouse TheatreWarehouse TheatreThe Warehouse Theatre is a professional producing theatre with one hundred seats in the centre of the London Borough of Croydon, south London, England based in an oak-beamed former cement Victorian warehouse...
, London, 1977 - Much Ado about NothingMuch Ado About NothingMuch Ado About Nothing is a comedy written by William Shakespeare about two pairs of lovers, Benedick and Beatrice, and Claudio and Hero....
, Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Shakespeare TheatreRoyal Shakespeare TheatreThe Royal Shakespeare Theatre is a 1,040+ seat thrust stage theatre owned by the Royal Shakespeare Company dedicated to the British playwright and poet William Shakespeare. It is located in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon - Shakespeare's birthplace - in the English Midlands, beside the River Avon...
, Stratford-on-Avon, 1976, then Aldwych Theatre, 1977 - That Good between Us, Royal Shakespeare Company, Warehouse Theatre, 1977
- Macbeth, Royal Shakespeare Company, Warehouse Theatre, 1977
- The Days of the CommuneThe Days of the CommuneThe Days of the Commune is a play by the twentieth-century German dramatist Bertolt Brecht. It dramatises the rise and fall of the Paris Commune in 1871. The play is an adaptation of the 1937 play The Defeat by the Norwegian poet and dramatist Nordahl Grieg...
, Royal Shakespeare Company, Aldwych Theatre, 1977 - Dingo, Royal Shakespeare Company, Warehouse Theatre, 1978
- Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, Mermaid TheatreMermaid TheatreThe Mermaid Theatre was a theatre at Puddle Dock, in Blackfriars, in the City of London and the first built there since the time of Shakespeare...
, London, 1978 - MephistoMephistoMephisto or Mephistopheles is one of the chief demons of German literary tradition.Mephisto or Mephistopheles may also refer to:* Mephisto , a high-speed human-powered vehicle...
, Oxford Playhouse Company, The RoundhouseThe RoundhouseThe Roundhouse is a Grade II* listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, London, England, which has been converted into a performing arts and concert venue. It was originally built in 1847 as a roundhouse , a circular building containing a railway turntable, but was only used for railway...
Theatre, London, 1981 - The Worlds, New Half Moon TheatreHalf Moon TheatreThe Half Moon Theatre Company was formed in 1972 in a rented synagogue in Alie Street, Aldgate, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Half Moon Passage was the name of a nearby alley...
, London, 1981 - EzraEzraEzra , also called Ezra the Scribe and Ezra the Priest in the Book of Ezra. According to the Hebrew Bible he returned from the Babylonian exile and reintroduced the Torah in Jerusalem...
, New Half Moon Theatre, 1981 - InsignificanceInsignificance (film)Insignificance is a 1985 motion picture drama/comedy directed by Nicolas Roeg, produced by Jeremy Thomas and Alexander Stuart, and adapted by Terry Johnson from his play of the same name. The film is set in 1954, with most of the action taking place in a hotel room in New York City...
, Royal Court TheatreRoyal Court TheatreThe Royal Court Theatre is a non-commercial theatre on Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is noted for its contributions to modern theatre...
, London, 1982 - Tales from Hollywood, National Theatre, 1983
- The Merchant of VeniceThe Merchant of VeniceThe Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic...
, Royal Shakespeare Company, The Pit (Barbican Centre), 1984 - The Party, Royal Shakespeare Company, The Pit (Barbican CentreBarbican CentreThe Barbican Centre is the largest performing arts centre in Europe. Located in the City of London, England, the Centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhibitions. It also houses a library, three restaurants, and a conservatory...
), London, 1985 - Henry VHenry V (play)Henry V is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to be written in approximately 1599. Its full titles are The Cronicle History of Henry the Fifth and The Life of Henry the Fifth...
, Royal Shakespeare Company, Barbican Theatre, London, 1985 - The War Plays, Royal Shakespeare Company, The Pit (Barbican Centre), 1985
- Crimes in Hot Countries, Royal Shakespeare Company, The Pit (Barbican Centre), 1985
- The Castle, Royal Shakespeare Company, The Pit (Barbican Centre), 1985
- Downchild, Royal Shakespeare Company, The Pit (Barbican Centre), 1985
- Edward IIEdward II (play)Edward II is a Renaissance or Early Modern period play written by Christopher Marlowe. It is one of the earliest English history plays. The full title of the first publication is The Troublesome Reign and Lamentable Death of Edward the Second, King of England, with the Tragical Fall of Proud...
, Royal Exchange Theatre, ManchesterManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England, 1986 - The Saxon ShoreThe Saxon ShoreThe Saxon Shore is a 1998 novel by Canadian writer Jack Whyte chronicling Caius Merlyn Britannicus's effort to return the baby Arthur to the colony of Camulod and the political events surrounding this. The book is a portrayal of the Arthurian Legend set against the backdrop of Post-Roman Briton's...
, Almeida Theatre Company, Almeida Theatre, 1986 - Creditors, Almeida Theatre Company, Almeida Theatre, 1986
- The Danton Affair, Royal Shakespeare Company, Barbican Theatre, 1986
- Don CarlosDon Carlos (play)Don Carlos is a historical tragedy in five acts by Friedrich Schiller; it was written between 1783 and 1787 and first produced in Hamburg in 1787...
, Royal Exchange Theatre, 1987 - The Black PrinceThe Black Prince (play)The Black Prince is a Restoration era stage play, a historical tragedy written by Roger Boyle, 1st Earl of Orrery. It premiered on stage in 1667 and was first published in 1669...
, Aldwych TheatreAldwych TheatreThe Aldwych Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Aldwych in the City of Westminster. The theatre was listed Grade II on 20 July 1971. Its seating capacity is 1,200.-Origins:...
, 1989 - VolponeVolponeVolpone is a comedy by Ben Jonson first produced in 1606, drawing on elements of city comedy, black comedy and beast fable...
, Almeida Theatre Company, Almeida Theatre, 1990 - The RehearsalThe Rehearsal (play)The Rehearsal was a satirical play aimed specifically at John Dryden and generally at the sententious and overly ambitious theatre of the Restoration tragedy. The play was staged in 1671 and published anonymously in 1672, but it is certainly by George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and others...
, Almeida Theatre Company, Almeida Theatre, 1990 - Lulu, Almeida Theatre Company, Almeida Theatre, 1991
- HippolytusHippolytus (play)Hippolytus is an Ancient Greek tragedy by Euripides, based on the myth of Hippolytus, son of Theseus. The play was first produced for the City Dionysia of Athens in 428 BC and won first prize as part of a trilogy....
, Almeida Theatre Company, Almeida Theatre, 1991 - School for Wives, Almeida Theatre Company, Almeida Theatre, 1993
- Hated Nightfall, Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, England, 1995
- TartuffeTartuffeTartuffe is a comedy by Molière. It is one of his most famous plays.-History:Molière wrote Tartuffe in 1664...
, Almeida Theatre Company, Almeida Theatre, 1996 - The Government Inspector, Almeida Theatre Company, Almeida Theatre, 1997
- The Doctor's Dilemma, Almeida Theatre Company, Almeida Theatre, 1998
- The Jew of MaltaThe Jew of MaltaThe Jew of Malta is a play by Christopher Marlowe, probably written in 1589 or 1590. Its plot is an original story of religious conflict, intrigue, and revenge, set against a backdrop of the struggle for supremacy between Spain and the Ottoman Empire in the Mediterranean that takes place on the...
, Almeida Theatre, 1999 - The TempestThe TempestThe Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place,...
, Almeida TheatreAlmeida TheatreThe Almeida Theatre, opened in 1980, is a 325 seat studio theatre with an international reputation which takes its name from the street in which it is located, off Upper Street, in the London Borough of Islington. The theatre produces a diverse range of drama and holds an annual summer festival of...
, 2000–01 - Faith HealerFaith HealerFaith Healer is a play by Brian Friel about the life of faith healer Francis Hardy as monologued through the shifting memories of Hardy, his wife, Grace, and stage manager, Teddy.-Synopsis:...
, Almeida Theatre Company, Almeida Theatre, 2001 - Faith Healer, Gate TheatreGate TheatreThe Gate Theatre, in Dublin, was founded in 1928 by Hilton Edwards and Micheál Mac Liammóir, initially using the Abbey Theatre's Peacock studio theatre space to stage important works by European and American dramatists...
in Dublin, 2001–2002 - The Embalmer, Almeida Theatre Company, Almeida Theatre, 2002
- Henry IVEnrico IVHenry IV is a play by Luigi Pirandello. A study on madness with comic and tragic sides, it has been translated into English by Tom Stoppard and others...
, Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, England, 2004 - LearLear (play)Lear is a 1971 three-act play by the British dramatist Edward Bond. It is an epic rewrite of William Shakespeare's King Lear. The play was first produced at the Royal Court Theatre in 1971, featuring Harry Andrews in the title role...
, Sheffield Crucible, 2005 - Faith Healer, Booth TheatreBooth TheatreThe Booth Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 222 West 45th Street in midtown-Manhattan, New York City.Architect Henry B. Herts designed the Booth and its companion Shubert Theatre as a back-to-back pair sharing a Venetian Renaissance-style façade...
, 2006 - John Gabriel Borkman, Donmar WarehouseDonmar WarehouseDonmar Warehouse is a small not-for-profit theatre in the Covent Garden area of London, with a capacity of 251.-About:Under the artistic leadership of Michael Grandage, the theatre has presented some of London’s most memorable award-winning theatrical experiences, as well as garnered critical...
, 2007 - Jonah and Otto, Manchester Royal ExchangeRoyal Exchange, ManchesterThe Royal Exchange is a grade II listed Victorian building in Manchester, England. It is located in the city centre on the land bounded by St Ann’s Square, Exchange Street, Market Street, Cross Street and Old Bank Street...
, 2008 - Be Near MeBe Near Me"Be Near Me" is a song by ABC. The hit single from How to Be a...Zillionaire!, it is a message from the group's lead singer, Martin Fry, to an unknown addressee. He commands the addressee not to leave him. It peaked at #26 on the UK singles chart in 1985, then later in the year it went to #9 on the...
, National Theatre of ScotlandNational Theatre of ScotlandThe National Theatre of Scotland is a theatre company established in February 2006. The company performs in a wide range of venues including theatres, halls and found spaces across Scotland....
and Donmar WarehouseDonmar WarehouseDonmar Warehouse is a small not-for-profit theatre in the Covent Garden area of London, with a capacity of 251.-About:Under the artistic leadership of Michael Grandage, the theatre has presented some of London’s most memorable award-winning theatrical experiences, as well as garnered critical...
, 2009 - Six Characters in Search of an AuthorSix Characters in Search of an AuthorSix Characters in Search of an Author is a play by the Italian writer Luigi Pirandello.The play is a satirical tragicomedy. It was first performed in 1921 at the Teatro Valle in Rome, to a very mixed reception, with shouts from the audience of "Manicomio!" .Subsequently the play enjoyed a much...
, Headlong TheatreHeadlong (group)Headlong is a British theatre company noted for reworking plays of the past and commissioning new work. It was previously called Anvil Productions and then the Oxford Stage Company...
, 2008–2010 - The Prince of HomburgThe Prince of Homburg (play)The Prince of Homburg is a play by Heinrich von Kleist written in 1809-10, but not performed until 1821, after the author's death. A performance during his lifetime was not possible because Princess Marianne of Prussia , by birth a member of the Hesse-Homburg family, to whom Kleist had given sight...
, Donmar WarehouseDonmar WarehouseDonmar Warehouse is a small not-for-profit theatre in the Covent Garden area of London, with a capacity of 251.-About:Under the artistic leadership of Michael Grandage, the theatre has presented some of London’s most memorable award-winning theatrical experiences, as well as garnered critical...
, 2010 - Emperor and Galilean, National Theatre, 2011
- The Faith Machine, Royal Court Theatre, 2011
Stage director
- Venice Preserv'dVenice Preserv'dVenice Preserv'd is an English Restoration play written by Thomas Otway, and the most significant tragedy of the English stage in the 1680s. It was staged first in 1682, with Thomas Betterton as Jaffeir and Elizabeth Barry as Belvidera...
, Almeida Theatre Company, Almeida TheatreAlmeida TheatreThe Almeida Theatre, opened in 1980, is a 325 seat studio theatre with an international reputation which takes its name from the street in which it is located, off Upper Street, in the London Borough of Islington. The theatre produces a diverse range of drama and holds an annual summer festival of...
, 1986 - Dom JuanDom JuanDom Juan or The Feast with the Statue is a French play by Molière, based on the legend of Don Juan. Molière's characters Dom Juan and Sganarelle are the French counterparts to the Spanish Don Juan and Catalinón, characters who would later become familiar to opera goers as Don Giovanni and Leporello...
, Royal Exchange Theatre, 1988 - The Possibilities, Almeida Theatre Company, Almeida TheatreAlmeida TheatreThe Almeida Theatre, opened in 1980, is a 325 seat studio theatre with an international reputation which takes its name from the street in which it is located, off Upper Street, in the London Borough of Islington. The theatre produces a diverse range of drama and holds an annual summer festival of...
, 1988 - Scenes from an Execution, Almeida Theatre, 1990
- The RehearsalThe Rehearsal (play)The Rehearsal was a satirical play aimed specifically at John Dryden and generally at the sententious and overly ambitious theatre of the Restoration tragedy. The play was staged in 1671 and published anonymously in 1672, but it is certainly by George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and others...
, Almeida Theatre Company, Almeida Theatre, 1990 - VolponeVolponeVolpone is a comedy by Ben Jonson first produced in 1606, drawing on elements of city comedy, black comedy and beast fable...
, Almeida Theatre Company, Almeida Theatre, 1990 - Lulu, Almeida Theatre Company, Almeida Theatre, 1991
- HippolytusHippolytus (play)Hippolytus is an Ancient Greek tragedy by Euripides, based on the myth of Hippolytus, son of Theseus. The play was first produced for the City Dionysia of Athens in 428 BC and won first prize as part of a trilogy....
, Almeida Theatre Company, Almeida Theatre, 1991 - A Hard Heart, Almeida Theatre Company, Almeida Theatre, 1992
- Venice Preserv'dVenice Preserv'dVenice Preserv'd is an English Restoration play written by Thomas Otway, and the most significant tragedy of the English stage in the 1680s. It was staged first in 1682, with Thomas Betterton as Jaffeir and Elizabeth Barry as Belvidera...
, Almeida Theatre Company, Almeida TheatreAlmeida TheatreThe Almeida Theatre, opened in 1980, is a 325 seat studio theatre with an international reputation which takes its name from the street in which it is located, off Upper Street, in the London Borough of Islington. The theatre produces a diverse range of drama and holds an annual summer festival of...
, 1995
Theatrical film
| Year | Film | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | The Likely Lads The Likely Lads (film) The Likely Lads is a 1976 British comedy film directed by Michael Tuchner, starring James Bolam and Rodney Bewes. It's a spin-off from the popular 1960s British television series The Likely Lads, from which it takes its title, though in fact it's closer in tone to the more recent sequel series... |
Vicar | |
| 1980 | Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is a 1980 American epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner. The screenplay, based on a story by George Lucas, was written by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan... |
Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious | Only in post-2005 releases |
| Sir Henry at Rawlinson End Sir Henry at Rawlinson End (film) Sir Henry at Rawlinson End is a 1980 British film based on the eponymous character created by Vivian Stanshall. It starred Trevor Howard as Sir Henry and Stanshall himself as Henry's brother Hubert. Unusually, the film was released in sepia-toned monochrome. After a long wait, while the film... |
Reg Smeeton | ||
| Richard's Things | Burglar | ||
| The Awakening | Dr. Richter | ||
| 1981 | Dragonslayer Dragonslayer Dragonslayer is a 1981 fantasy movie set in a fictional medieval kingdom, following a young wizard who experiences danger and opposition as he attempts to defeat a dragon.... |
Brother Jacobus | |
| 1983 | Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand and written by George Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan. It is the third film released in the Star Wars saga, and the sixth in terms of the series' internal chronology... |
Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious | |
| Gorky Park Gorky Park (film) Gorky Park is a 1983 film based on the novel Gorky Park by Martin Cruz Smith. It was directed by Michael Apted from a screenplay by Dennis Potter .... |
Prof. Andreev | ||
| 1988 | Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (film) Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is a 1988 American comedy film directed by Frank Oz. The screenplay by Dale Launer, Stanley Shapiro, and Paul Henning focuses on two con artists who ply their trade on the French Riviera... |
Arthur | |
| 1995 | Restoration | Ambrose | |
| 1999 | Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is a 1999 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the fourth film to be released in the Star Wars saga, as the first of a three-part prequel to the original Star Wars trilogy, as well as the first film in the saga in terms... |
Senator Palpatine/Darth Sidious | |
| Sleepy Hollow Sleepy Hollow (film) Sleepy Hollow is a 1999 American period horror film directed by Tim Burton. It is a film adaptation loosely inspired by the 1820 short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving and stars Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, Miranda Richardson, Marc Pickering, Michael Gambon, Jeffrey Jones,... |
Dr. Thomas Lancaster | ||
| 2002 | Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones is a 2002 American epic space opera film directed by George Lucas and written by Lucas and Jonathan Hales. It is the fifth film to be released in the Star Wars saga and the second in terms of the series' internal chronology... |
Supreme Chancellor Palpatine/Darth Sidious | |
| 2005 | Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is a 2005 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the sixth and final film released in the Star Wars saga and the third in terms of the series' internal chronology.... |
Supreme Chancellor/Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious | Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated – Teen Choice Awards for Choice Movie Bad Guy Teen Choice Awards The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with... |
| 2009 | The Odds | unknown | (Short) |
Television
| Year | TV Series | Role | Number of episodes | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Red Letter Day Red letter day A red letter day is any day of special significance.The term originates from Medieval church calendars. Illuminated manuscripts often marked initial capitals and highlighted words in red ink, known as rubrics... |
Blade | 1 episode | |
| 1978 | Crown Court Crown Court (TV series) Crown Court was an afternoon television courtroom drama produced by Granada Television for the ITV network that ran from 1972, when the Crown Court system replaced Assize courts and Quarter sessions in the legal system of England and Wales, to 1984.... |
Greg Gorgon | 1 episode | |
| 1979 | Macbeth Macbeth The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607... |
Ross & the Porter | ||
| The Professionals The Professionals (TV series) The Professionals was a British crime-action television drama series produced by Avengers Mk1 Productions and London Weekend Television that aired on the ITV network from 1977 to 1983. In all, 57 episodes were produced, filmed between 1977 and 1981. It starred Martin Shaw, Lewis Collins and Gordon... |
Mickey Hamilton | 1 episode | ||
| 1981 | ITV Playhouse ITV Playhouse ITV Playhouse was a UK comedy-drama TV series that ran from 1967 to 1983, which featured contributions from playwrights such as Dennis Potter, Rhys Adrian and Alan Sharp. The series began in black and white, but was later shot in colour and was produced by various companies for the ITV network, a... |
Fedka | 1 episode | |
| 1983 | The Nation's Health | Doctor Vernon Davis | 4 episodes | |
| 1985 | Pity in History | Murgatroyd | ||
| 1988 | The Modern World: Ten Great Writers | Fyodor Dostoyevsky | 1 episode | |
| 1990 | Inspector Morse Inspector Morse (TV series) 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. Dexter makes a cameo appearance in all but three of the episodes.... |
Hugo De Vries | 1 episode | |
| 1991 | Chernobyl: The Final Warning | Dr. Vatisenko | ||
| 1993 | The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles is an American television series that aired on ABC from March 4, 1992, to July 24, 1993. The series explores the childhood and youth of the fictional character Indiana Jones and primarily stars Sean Patrick Flanery and Corey Carrier as the title character, with... |
Prof. Levi | 1 episode | |
| Heart of Darkness Heart of Darkness Heart of Darkness is a novella written by Joseph Conrad. Before its 1903 publication, it appeared as a three-part series in Blackwood's Magazine. It was classified by the Modern Library website editors as one of the "100 best novels" and part of the Western canon.The story centres on Charles... |
Doctor | |||
| Selected Exits | unknown | |||
| 1995 | Annie: A Royal Adventure! | Dr. Eli Eon | ||
| 1996 | Karaoke | Oliver Morse | 4 episodes | |
| Cold Lazarus Cold Lazarus Cold Lazarus is a four-part British television drama written by Dennis Potter with the knowledge that he was dying of cancer of the pancreas.... |
Oliver Morse | 1 episode | ||
| Hillsborough | Dr. Popper | |||
| 1997 | An Unsuitable Job for a Woman An Unsuitable Job for a Woman An Unsuitable Job For A Woman is the title of a 1972 detective novel by P. D. James - and also the title of a TV series of four dramas developed from that novel.... |
Ronald Callender | 1 episode | |
| Rebecca | Coroner | |||
| 1999 | Great Expectations Great Expectations (1999 film) Great Expectations is BBC's 1999 BAFTA award-winning television film adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel of the same name and was aired on Masterpiece Theatre.- Plot :... |
Jaggers | ||
| All the King's Men All the King's Men (TV programme) All the King's Men is a feature-length World War I drama by the BBC starring David Jason, first broadcast on Remembrance Sunday, 14 November 1999... |
Rev. Pierrepoint Edwards | |||
| 2002 | Crime and Punishment | Porfiry Petrovich | ||
| 2003 | Charles II: The Power and The Passion Charles II: The Power and The Passion 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... |
Sir Edward Hyde | ||
| 2004 | Spooks Spooks Spooks is a British television drama series that originally aired on BBC One from 13 May 2002 – 23 October 2011, consisting of 10 series. The title is a popular colloquialism for spies, as the series follows the work of a group of MI5 officers based at the service's Thames House headquarters, in a... |
Prof. Fred Roberts | 1 episode | |
| 2005 | Our Hidden Lives | B. Charles | ||
| Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (TV series) Elizabeth I is a 2005 British television miniseries directed by Tom Hooper. The teleplay by Nigel Williams concentrates on the last 25 years of the nearly 45-year-long reign of Elizabeth I of England.... |
Lord Burghley | 2 episodes | Alongside Helen Mirren Helen Mirren Dame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award for Best Actress, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, and two Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards.-Early life and family:... and Jeremy Irons Jeremy Irons Jeremy John Irons is an English actor. After receiving classical training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Irons began his acting career on stage in 1969, and has since appeared in many London theatre productions including The Winter's Tale, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the... |
|
| 2008 | City of Vice City of Vice City of Vice is a British historical crime drama television series set in Georgian London and was first screened on 14 January 2008 on Channel 4. It is produced by Touchpaper Television part of the RDF Media Group. The series mixes fiction with fact following the fortunes of the famous novelist... |
Henry Fielding | 5 episodes | |
| 2009 | Margaret Margaret (2009 film) Margaret is a 2009 television film produced by Great Meadow Productions for the BBC. It is a fictionalisation of the life of Margaret Thatcher and her fall from the premiership in the 1990 leadership election. It was first broadcast on 26 February 2009 on BBC Two... |
Dennis Thatcher |
Video games
| Year | Video Game | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, sometimes called Super Empire Strikes Back, is a platform game for the Super Nintendo, it is the sequel to Super Star Wars and was followed by Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. It is based on the second film of the original Star Wars trilogy, Star Wars... |
Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious | (voice) |
| 1994 | Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, sometimes called Super Return of the Jedi, is a platform game for the Super NES/Super Famicom which follows Super Star Wars and Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. There is also a simplified version for the Nintendo Game Boy and Sega Game Gear portable... |
Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious | (voice) |
| 2005 | Lego Star Wars The Video Game | Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious | (voice) |
| 2006 | Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy | Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious | (voice) |
| 2007 | Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron is the third entry in the Star Wars Battlefront series of video games, first released on October 9, 2007 in North America and later in Australia and Europe. The game was designed as a PlayStation Portable exclusive and features the eponymous Rebel Alliance... |
Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious | (CGI model) |
| 2010 | Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron is a spin-off from the Star Wars Battlefront series released November 3, 2009 on the Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable. It has been called the sequel to Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron.-Plot:... |
Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious | (CGI model) |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Work |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is a conservatoire of music, drama, and dance in the centre of Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1845 as the Glasgow Educational Association, it is the busiest performing arts venue in Scotland... Gold Medal (won) |
|
| 1982 | Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a New Play (won) | Insignificance Insignificance Insignificance may refer to:*Insignificance , a 1985 film directed by Nicolas Roeg*Insignificance , an album by Jim O'Rourke named after the film*Insignificance , a song by Pearl Jam*Insignificance... |
| 1985 | Time Out Comedy Awards Time Out Comedy Awards The Time Out Comedy Awards were bestowed upon the comedy community by the London listings magazine Time Out. They ran from 1991 to 2006, and include many well-known comedians as past winners: Eddie Izzard, Noel Fielding and Jimmy Carr... for Directing (won) |
Scenes From An Execution |
| 1990 | Time Out Comedy Awards Time Out Comedy Awards The Time Out Comedy Awards were bestowed upon the comedy community by the London listings magazine Time Out. They ran from 1991 to 2006, and include many well-known comedians as past winners: Eddie Izzard, Noel Fielding and Jimmy Carr... for Directing (won) |
Volpone Volpone Volpone is a comedy by Ben Jonson first produced in 1606, drawing on elements of city comedy, black comedy and beast fable... |
| 1991 | Observer Awards for Outstanding Achievement for Ten Years of Presenting Irish Drama (nominated) | Volpone Volpone Volpone is a comedy by Ben Jonson first produced in 1606, drawing on elements of city comedy, black comedy and beast fable... , The Rehearsal The Rehearsal (play) The Rehearsal was a satirical play aimed specifically at John Dryden and generally at the sententious and overly ambitious theatre of the Restoration tragedy. The play was staged in 1671 and published anonymously in 1672, but it is certainly by George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and others... , and Betrayal Field |
| 1995 | Manchester Evening News Manchester Evening News The Manchester Evening News is a regional daily newspaper covering Greater Manchester in the United Kingdom. It is published every day except Sunday and is owned by Trinity Mirror plc following its sale by Guardian Media Group in early 2010. It has an average daily circulation of 90,973 copies... Award for Best Actor (won) |
Hated Nightfall |
| 1998 | Special Evening Standard Award for Theatrical Achievement of the Year (shared with Jonathan Kent Jonathan Kent (director) Jonathan Kent is an English theatre director and opera director. He is best known as a director/producer partner of Ian McDiarmid at the Almeida Theatre from 1990 to 2002.-Early life:... ) |
|
| 2001 | Critics' Circle Theatre Awards for Best Theatre Actor (won) | Faith Healer Faith Healer Faith Healer is a play by Brian Friel about the life of faith healer Francis Hardy as monologued through the shifting memories of Hardy, his wife, Grace, and stage manager, Teddy.-Synopsis:... |
| 2002 | Clarence Derwent Award for Best Supporting Actor (won) | Faith Healer Faith Healer Faith Healer is a play by Brian Friel about the life of faith healer Francis Hardy as monologued through the shifting memories of Hardy, his wife, Grace, and stage manager, Teddy.-Synopsis:... |
| 2004 | Manchester Evening News Manchester Evening News The Manchester Evening News is a regional daily newspaper covering Greater Manchester in the United Kingdom. It is published every day except Sunday and is owned by Trinity Mirror plc following its sale by Guardian Media Group in early 2010. It has an average daily circulation of 90,973 copies... Award for Best Actor (won) Theatregoers' Choice Award Theatregoers' Choice Award The Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Awards are organised by the theatre website Whatsonstage.com and recognise the performers and productions of British theatre with emphasis on London's West End. Nominations and eventual winners are selected by the theatre-going public.... for Best Actor (won) |
Henry IV Enrico IV Henry IV is a play by Luigi Pirandello. A study on madness with comic and tragic sides, it has been translated into English by Tom Stoppard and others... |
| 2005 | Theatregoers' Choice Award Theatregoers' Choice Award The Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Awards are organised by the theatre website Whatsonstage.com and recognise the performers and productions of British theatre with emphasis on London's West End. Nominations and eventual winners are selected by the theatre-going public.... for Best Actor (won) |
King Lear King Lear King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The title character descends into madness after foolishly disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological... |
| 2006 | Drama League Award Drama League Award The Drama League Awards, created in 1935, honor distinguished productions and performances both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in addition to recognizing exemplary career achievements in theatre, musical theatre, and directing... for Distinguished Performance (nominated) Outer Critics Circle Award Outer Critics Circle Award The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway and were begun during the 1949-1950 theater season. The awards are decided upon by theater critics who review for out-of-town newspapers, national publications, and other media outlets... for Outstanding Actor in a Play (nominated) Theatre World Award Theatre World Award The Theatre World Award, first awarded for the 1945-46 season, is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or off-Broadway.-History:... for Outstanding Debut Performance (won) Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play This is a list of the winners and nominations of Tony Award for the Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play. The award has been presented since 1949.-1950s:* 1951: Eli Wallach – The Rose Tattoo* 1952: John Cromwell – Point of No Return... (won) |
Faith Healer Faith Healer Faith Healer is a play by Brian Friel about the life of faith healer Francis Hardy as monologued through the shifting memories of Hardy, his wife, Grace, and stage manager, Teddy.-Synopsis:... |