Hvem spiller dark sidious i original trilogy?
Ian McDiarmid
Lucas og instruktør Richard Marquand besatte den skotske Shakespeare-skuespiller Ian McDiarmid til at spille kejser Palpatine i Return of the Jedi. Han var sidst i 30'erne og havde aldrig spillet en hovedrolle i en spillefilm, selv om han havde haft mindre optrædener i film som Dragonslayer (1981). Efter "Return of the Jedi" genoptog han skuespilleteknikken i London. I et interview med BackStage afslørede McDiarmid, at han "aldrig havde haft en filmkarriere for øje og ikke engang gik til audition for rollen som Palpatine". Han uddybede: "Jeg blev indkaldt til interviewet efter at en Casting Director for Return of the Jedi havde set mig optræde i Sam Shepard-stykket Seduced på et studieteater på Royal Court. Jeg spillede en døende Howard Hughes."
Ian McDiarmid
Lucas and director Richard Marquand cast Scottish Shakespearean actor Ian McDiarmid to play Emperor Palpatine for Return of the Jedi. He was in his late 30s and had never played a leading role in a feature film, though he had made minor appearances in films like Dragonslayer (1981). After Return of the Jedi, he resumed stage acting in London. In an interview with BackStage, McDiarmid revealed that he "never had his sights set on a film career and never even auditioned for the role of Palpatine." He elaborated, "I got called in for the interview after a Return of the Jedi casting director saw me perform in the Sam Shepard play Seduced at a studio theatre at the Royal Court. I was playing a dying Howard Hughes."
Palpatine