Ian McDiarmid: Difference between revisions
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* [http://www.hollywood.com/celebs/fulldetail/id/195431 Bio from Hollywood.com] |
* [http://www.hollywood.com/celebs/fulldetail/id/195431 Bio from Hollywood.com] |
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* [http://www.broadway.com/gen/Buzz_Star_File.aspx?ci=531308 Bio from Broadway.com] |
* [http://www.broadway.com/gen/Buzz_Star_File.aspx?ci=531308 Bio from Broadway.com] |
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{{Persondata |
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|NAME=McDiarmid, Ian |
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|ALTERNATIVE NAMES= |
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|SHORT DESCRIPTION=British actor |
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|DATE OF BIRTH=[[1944-08-11]] |
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|PLACE OF BIRTH=[[Carnoustie, Angus]], [[Scotland]] |
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|DATE OF DEATH= |
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|PLACE OF DEATH= |
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}} |
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[[Category:1944 births|McDiarmid, Ian]] |
[[Category:1944 births|McDiarmid, Ian]] |
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Revision as of 18:10, 10 September 2006
| Ian McDiarmid |
|---|
| Born |
| August 11 1944 Carnoustie, Scotland, UK |
| Occupation |
| Actor and Director |
Ian McDiarmid (born August 11, 1944) is a Scottish actor born in Carnoustie. He has had a successful career in theatre; he has been cast in many plays, while occasionally directing others. From 1990 until 2001, he served with Jonathan Kent as artistic director of the now prestigious Almeida Theatre, thanks largely to both their efforts.
Although McDiarmid's passion lies chiefly in theatrical productions, he has also accepted roles in theatrical films and TV movies. According to McDiarmid, "I am primarily a stage actor and every now and again a movie comes along and I'm happy to do it if the part's good."[1] He is most famous for his role as Palpatine, a cunning politician who eventually becomes Emperor of the Galactic Empire; in both the original and prequel Star Wars trilogies.
Early life and education
McDiarmid's love of the theatre began when he was only five years old, on the day his father took him to see an act by the name of Tommy Morgan in a theatre located in Dundee. According to McDiarmid:
- "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.'"[2]
However, fearing that his father wouldn't approve of his aspiration to be an actor, McDiarmid attended St Andrews University, where he received a degree in psychology, as well as an M.A. in social science.[3] Soon after, he decided to pursue a career in the theatre instead, and took acting training courses at the Royal Scottish Academy 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 outstanding work in the theatre. McDiarmid claims he became its recipient "by doing all the boring jobs you have to do when you are young, to eke out an existence."[4]
Theatrical work
McDiarmid is renowned for his work in British theatre, having won plaudits as an actor and director from a wide variety of sources. In 2002, McDiarmid won Almedia Theatre's Critics Circle Award for Best Actor for his role as Teddy in a revival of Brian Friel's The Faith Healer. Four years later in 2006, he reprised this role, but this time 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.
One theatrical performance of note is his portrayal of the lead character 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, to resemble Hackamore. 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.[5]
Almeida Theatre
From 1990 until 2001, McDiarmid and Jonathan Kent served as the artistic directors of the Almeida Theatre, located in the Islington district of London. Their tenure was marked by a string of highly successful performances involving 'big name' actors usually seen in films such as Kevin Spacey and Joseph Fiennes.
Work in Star Wars
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After a minor part in the film Dragonslayer, 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. McDiarmid has the distinction of being the only Star Wars actor to reprise his role of a human character, an opportunity that he attributes to having been so 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 the character from Return of the Jedi when playing Darth Sidious, the Chancellor's Sith Lord alter ego, but created a more attractive, pleasant, and seductive character in playing Palpatine's public persona. While he had previously achieved little recognition for this role, except from fans, 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 the face on the projector was that of a woman wearing prosthetic makeup and chimpanzee eyes replacing normal human ones). With this addition to The Empire Strikes Back, McDiarmid has now appeared in at least one version of every film in which Palpatine appears.
Filmography
Theatrical films
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith | Supreme Chancellor/Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious |
| 2004 | Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (DVD) | Emperor Palpatine (footage with Ian McDiarmid playing this role was shot and added to a rerelease of the 1980 film in 2004) |
| 2002 | Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones | Supreme Chancellor Palpatine/Darth Sidious |
| 1999 | Sleepy Hollow | Dr. Thomas Lancaster |
| 1999 | Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace | Senator/Supreme Chancellor Palpatine/Darth Sidious |
| 1995 | Restoration | Ambrose |
| 1988 | Dirty Rotten Scoundrels | Arthur |
| 1983 | Gorky Park | Prof. Andreev |
| 1983 | Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi | Emperor Palpatine |
| 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 films
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Our Hidden Lives | B Charles |
| 2005 | Elizabeth I | Lord Burghley |
| 2003 | Charles II: The Power and 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 | Professionals series:The madness of Micky Hamilton | Micky Hamilton |
| 1979 | Macbeth | Ross & the Porter |
Stage credits
This is the chronological list of McDiarmid's stage credits. It includes both plays that he has been in as well as plays he has directed. This list may be incomplete.
| Play | Role | Location | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creditors | Gustav | Almeida Theatre (London, England) | ??? |
| The Speckled Band: An Adventure of Sherlock Holmes |
Armitage/Mr. Montague | Library Theatre (Manchester, England | 1970 |
| Timon of Athens | Timon | Glasgow Citizens Theatre (Glasgow, Scotland) | 1971 |
| Galileo | Galileo | Glasgow Citizens Theatre (Glasgow, Scotland) | 1971 |
| Danton's Death | St. Juste | Royal Shakespeare Company (London, England) | 1971 |
| Danton's Death | St. Juste | Almeida Theatre (London, England) | 1971 |
| Hamlet | Claudius | Library Theatre (Manchester, England) | 1972 |
| Toad of Toad Hall | Judge | Royal Shakespeare Theatre (London, England) | 1973 |
| Schweyk in the Second World War | Hitler | Edinburgh Lyceum (Edinburgh, Scotland) | 1973 |
| Peer Gynt | Peer Gynt | Oxford Playhouse (Oxford, England) | 1973 |
| And They Put Handcuffs on the Flowers | Performer | (London, England) | 1973 |
| The Tempest | Trinculo | The Other Place (Stratford-upon-Avon, England) | 1974 |
| Measure for Measure | Elbow | Royal Shakespeare Theatre (London, England) | 1974 |
| Afore Night Come | Roche | The Other Place (Stratford-upon-Avon, England) | 1974 |
| Much Ado About Nothing | Don John | Aldwych Theatre (London, England) | 1976 |
| Macbeth | The Porter/Ross | The Other Place (Stratford-upon-Avon, England) | 1976 |
| Dingo | Comic | The Other Place (Stratford-upon-Avon, England) | 1976 |
| Dingo | Comic | Donmar Warehouse (London, England) | 1976 |
| Schweyk in the Second World War | Goebbels/Brettschneider | The Other Place (Stratford-upon-Avon, England) | 1976 |
| Schweyk in the Second World War | Goebbels/Brettschneider | Donmar Warehouse (London, England) | 1976 |
| Destiny | Turner | The Other Place (Stratford-upon-Avon, England) | 1977 |
| Destiny | Turner | Aldwych Theatre (London, England) | 1977 |
| The Days of the Commune | Rigault | Aldwych Theatre (London, England) | 1977 |
| The Good Between Us | Billy | Donmar Warehouse (London, England) | 1977 |
| A Miserable and Lonely Death | Lang | Donmar Warehouse (London, England) | 1978 |
| A Miserable and Lonely Death | Lang | Aldwych Theatre (London, England) | 1978 |
| The Love of a Good Man | Performer | Royal Court Theatre (London, England) | 1980 |
| Insignificance | The Professor | Royal Court Theatre (London, England) | 1982 |
| Insignificance | The Professor | West End Theatre (London, England) | 1982 |
| Seduced | Harry Hackamore | Royal Court Theatre (London, England) | 1982 |
| Tales from Hollywood | Brecht | Olivier Theatre (London, England) | 1983 |
| Tales from Hollywood | Brecht | Bristol Hippodrome (Bristol, England) | 1983 |
| The Merchant of Venice | Shylock | (Stratford-upon-Avon, England) | 1984 |
| The Merchant of Venice | Shylock | Royal Shakespeare Theatre (London, England) | 1984 |
| The Party | Tagg | The Other Place (Stratford-upon-Avon, England) | 1984 |
| The Party | Tagg | The Pit Theatre (London, England) | 1984 |
| Crimes in Hot Countries | Performer | Royal Shakespeare Company (London, England) | 1984 |
| The War Plays Trilogy: Red, Black and Ignorant, The Tin Cat People, Great Peace | Monster/Others | The Pit Theatre (London, England) | 1985 |
| Henry V | Chorus | Barbican Theatre (London, England) | 1985 |
| The Castle | Stucly | Royal Shakespeare Company (London, England) | 1985 |
| Scenes from an Execution | (Director) | Almeida Theatre (London, England) | 1985 |
| The Saxon Shore | Cambyses/Old Farmer/Llyr | Almeida Theatre (London, England) | 1986 |
| Edward II | King Edward II | Royal Exchange Theatre (Manchester, England) | 1986 |
| The Danton Affair | Robespierre | Barbican Theatre (London, England) | 1986 |
| Venice Preserved | (Director) | Almeida Theatre (London, England) | 1986 |
| The Country Wife | Mr. Pinchwife | Royal Exchange Theatre (Manchester, England) | 1987 |
| Don Juan | (Director) | Royal Exchange Theatre (Manchester, England) | 1988 |
| Don Carlos | King Phillip II of Spain | Royal Exchange Theatre (Manchester, England) | 1988 |
| The Possibilities | (Director) | Almeida Theatre (London, England) | 1988 |
| Slave Island | (Director) | Royal Exchange Theatre (Manchester, England) | 1988 |
| Volpone | Volpone | Almeida Theatre (London, England) | 1989 |
| The Black Prince | Bradley Pearson | Aldwych Theatre (London, England) | 1989 |
| The Rehearsal | (Director) | Almeida Theatre (London, England) | 1989 |
| The Lulu Plays | Dr. Schon (Director) | Almeida Theatre (London, England) | 1991 |
| Hippolytus | (Director) | Almeida Theatre (London, England) | 1991 |
| Terrible Mouth | Goya | Almeida Theatre (London, England) | 1992 |
| A Hard Heart | (Director) | Almeida Theatre (London, England) | 1992 |
| School for Wives | Arnolphe | Almeida Theatre (London, England) | 1994 |
| Hated Nightfall | Dancer | Royal Court Theatre (London, England) | 1994 |
| Siren Song | (Director) | Almeida Theatre (London, England) | 1994 |
| Experimentum Mundi | Narrator | Almeida Theatre (London, England) | 1995 |
| Tartuffe | Orgon | Almeida Theatre (London, England) | 1996 |
| The Cenci | Count Francesco Cenci | Almeida Theatre (London, England) | 1997 |
| The Government Inspector | Lord Provost | Almeida Theatre (London, England) | 1997 |
| Ivanov | Kosykh | Almeida Theatre (London, England) | 1997 |
| The Doctor's Dilemma | Sir Colenso Ridgeon | Almeida Theatre (London, England) | 1998 |
| The Jew of Malta | Barabas | Almeida Theatre (London, England) | 1999 |
| Into the Woods | Der Freischutz | English National Opera (London, England) | 1999 |
| Into the Woods | Der Freischutz | The London Coliseum (London, England) | 1999 |
| The Tempest | Prospero | Almeida Theatre (London, England) | 2000 |
| Faith Healer | Teddy | Almeida at King's Cross (London, England) | 2001 |
| The Swing at Night | Otto (voice) | Barge Puppet Theatre (London, England) | 2001 |
| The Embalmer | Alexei Miscin | Almeida Theatre (London, England) | 2002 |
| Henry IV | Henry IV | Donmar Warehouse (London, England) | 2004 |
| Lear | Lear | The Crucible Theatre (Sheffield, England) | 2005 |
| Lear | Lear | The Sheffield Theatre (Sheffield, England) | 2005 |
| Faith Healer | Teddy | Booth Theatre (Broadway) | 2006 |
Awards and Nominations
- 2006 - Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Play, Faith Healer
- 2006 - Drama League Award nomination for Distinguished Performance, Faith Healer
- 2006 - London's Critics Circle Award for Best Actor, Faith Healer
- 2006 - Theatre World Award for Outstanding Debut Performance, Faith Healer
- 2006 - Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play, Faith Healer
- 2005 - Theatre Management Associations Theatre Award for Best Actor, Lear
- 2004 - Manchester Evening News Award for Best Actor, Henry IV
- 2004 - Theatre Management Associations Theatre Award nomination for Best Actor, Henry IV
- 2002 - Clarence Derwent Award for Best Supporting Actor, Faith Healer
- 2001 - London Critics Circle Award for Best Theatre Actor, Faith Healer
- 1998 - Special Evening Standard Award for Theatrical Achievement of the Year (shared with Jonathan Kent)
- 1995 - Manchester Evening News Award for Best Actor, Hated Nightfall
- 1991 - Observer Award nomination for Outstanding Achievement for Ten Years of Presenting Irish Drama, Valpone, The Rehearsal and Betrayal Field
- 1990 - Time Out Award for Directing, Valpone
- 1985 - Time Out Award for Directing, Scenes From An Execution
- 1982 - Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a New Play, Insignificance
References
Footnotes
- ^ Ian McDiarmid at the Internet Movie Database; last accessed August 26 2006.
- ^ Simon Hattenstone (2001-12-17). "Force for change". The Guardian. Retrieved 2006-08-27.
- ^ Simon Hattenstone (2001-12-17). "Force for change". The Guardian. Retrieved 2006-08-27.
- ^ Star Wars Actors Database at Nerf-Herders-Anonymous.net; last accessed August 23 2006.
- ^ Ian McDiarmid at the Internet Movie Database; last accessed August 26 2006.
Interviews
- Randy & Jean-Marc Lofficier Interview Darth Vader's Boss. May 1984. Retrieved 20 August 2006.
External links
Fan and tribute sites
- A fan's website
- Unofficial fansite, created by Marion, a German fan
- Star Wars Actors Database at Nerf-Herders-Anonymous.net