Star Wars
McDiarmid is mostly the stage actor, however around recent years has probably turn into better known for his appearances inside Star Wars as Palpatine, the cunning politician who eventually becomes ruler of the Galactic Empire. 1st swimming a Emperor inside Return of the Jedi, and then as a younger Senator and Chancellor Palpatine in Episodes I-III, he is one of the few actors who has depicted the same character in both of the Star Wars trilogies (as well as playing a younger version of the character as an older actor).

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 (a Emperor was originally voiced by Clive Revill for that scene and the face on the projector was that of a woman). By owning this addition to The Empire Strikes Back, McDiarmid has now appeared in at least one version of every film in which Palpatine appears.

He wwhen a comparatively unknown magnetic stage actor within his thirties once he was cast as the virtually all right existence in the Star Wars universe. He experienced antecedently achieved little recognition for his role, until 1999 while he was known as back to reprise a role in the prequels. Patch more non-man roles, like Yoda, R2-D2, C-3PO and eventually Chewbacca, were all played by their original actors, all the more person roles were recast by having immature actors. McDiarmid has a distinction of existence a merely person actor to reprise his role, an chance that he attributes to with been such immature than his character a foremost instance he played a a share. A prequels experienced him play 2 faces to his character. He re-created the character from either Return of the Jedi when swimming Darth Sidious, however created the different, extra attractive, pleasant, & seductive character within playing Palpatine. When he got received occasionally praise from either fans, he received far flung attention for his expanded role in the prequels.

Theatrical Work
From either 1990 until 2001, he and Jonathan Kent served as a artistic directors of the Almeida Theater, located in the Islington district of London.

1 theatrical performance of note is his portrayal of the lead character Harry Hackamore around Sam Shepard's play Seduced. By McDiarmid's possess description, Halter was the Howard Hughes-type character. To play the a portion, he was mass produced-higher around prosthetics, including a treacherously beard & yearn fingernails, to resemble Hughes. McDiarmid was just 37 at a instance, & this convinced George Lucas and Richard Marquand that he could convincingly play a tremendously older character inside extreme cinematic close-higher, which helped him land the role of Palpatine.

Filmography
Theatrical movies
|- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" ! Season !! Film !! Role |- | 2005 || Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith || Supreme Chancellor Palpatine |- | 2002 || Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones || Supreme Chancellor Palpatine |- | 1999 || Sleepy Hollow || Dr. Thomas Lancaster |- | 1999 || Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace || Senator Palpatine |- | 1995 || Restoration || Ambrose |- |- | 1988 || Dirty Rotten Scoundrels || Arthur |- | 1983 || Gorky Park || Prof. Andreev |- | 1983 || Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi || The Emperor |- | 1981 || Dragonslayer || Brother Jacobus |- | 1980 || Sir Henry at Rawlinson End || Reg Smeeton |- | 1980 || The Awakening || Dr. Richer |- | 1980 || ''Richard's Things || Burglar |- | 1976 || The Likely Lads || Vicar |}

TV movies
|- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" ! Season !! Film !! Role |- | 2005 || Our Hidden Lives||B Charles |- | 2005 || Elizabeth I||Lord Burghley |- | 2003 || Charles II: The Power & the Passion || Edward Hyde |- | 1999 || All the King's Men || Rev. Pierrepoint Edwards |- | 1999 || Great Expectations || Jaggers |- | 1997 || Rebecca || Coroner |- | 1996 || Hillsborough || Dr. Popper |- | 1995 || Annie: A Royal Adventure! || Dr. Eli Eon |- | 1994 || Heart of Darkness || Doctor |- | 1991 || Chernobyl: The Final Warning || Dr. Vatisenko |- | 1979 || Macbeth'' || Ross & the Porter |}