Ian McDiarmid (/məkˈdɜːrmɪd/; born 11 August 1944) is a British character actor and director. He has appeared in 47 films since 1976. He is most famous for his role as 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.\n', '

McDiarmid was born in Carnoustie, Scotland. He became a theatre aficionado when he was five years old, when his father took him to see an act named Tommy Morgan at a theatre 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.\'" \n', '

However, fearing his father\'s disapproval, McDiarmid attended Queens College, Dundee, (now the University of Dundee, but then a constituent part of the University of St Andrews), where he received a 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. \n', '

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