PT The Fantastic Ian McDiarmid

Yeah, not even McDiarmid can get me excited for the ST.

Although seeing his name brought up again makes me want to watch TPM again, so that's something good that happened today in terms of Star Wars.

 

Sorry, I can't resist. I'm intrigued and... dare I say a little giddy at the idea that Ian McDiarmid is going to return to Star Wars.

There I said it!!!!

 

As with many elements of Star Wars admittedly this has me in two minds.

Like most I am emotionally invested in the climax of ROTJ. I've watched them through 1-6 many times, and you need that cathartic and karmic ending to Ep6 to make it worthwhile. It is honestly an epic feeling knowing Luke's family, and by extension the galaxy is saved.

I like the ST, but was already a bit iffy on the Empire still basically existing. It doesn't feel earned.
Palpatine still existing in some form is a bit perplexing. Like they will have to do it well or it will be a little infuriating. Im optimistic they have some good ideas for him though.

Love that we are getting more of Ian McDiarmid. It could be really interesting to see what he is like under different writers and direction.
He was awesome under Lucas but I'm genuinely intrigued at what they can do with him. I'm expecting something a little surreal and trippy, some unexplored elements of the spiritual realm.

And of course, if Luke and Anakin play a significant part in the victory it will be much easier to be on board with.

 

Me too, my FIGS friend .. me too. If his appearance in this film ends up leading to more work for him (provided he still wants to work), then all the better, I say. Also - he did such a brilliant job in the PT, that's it sort of nice to see him get the recognition. I'm also all for utterly wicked, unrepentant villains and no one can argue that Palpatine/Sidious/theSenate didn't enjoy his evil machinations (a leaf Kylo Ben could take from the "how to be a villain" book).

Anyway - a glorious day for FIGS! More Ian!!

 

I gave Ian a bit of love on my personal YouTube channel last night

 

Oh you just know that the Chosen One defeating him and bringing balance to the force just rankled the hell out of him. The person he groomed to be his ultimate agent of evil turning back to the light and saving his son out of love in the process... as well as bringing the Jedi back, as if to make matters worse!

Now imagine the satisfaction he feels as he works behind the scenes again, just like in the good old days before the Empire, pulling some strings to make the grandson of his creation (so to speak) fall to the dark side... and all the while forcing Luke, that miserable goody-two-shoes Jedi who caused all this to happen in the first place, have his precious new Jedi Order fall flat on it's face and force him to live in exile as a consequence. Imagine Palpatine's laugh faintly in the background next time you watch TLJ and TFA, I'm sure he is liking what he is seeing from his cozy spot in spiritual hell .

He perverted the potential and goodness of the Skywalkers for several generations now, ever since he first laid his eyes on the Chosen One. I'm excited to see what he had up his sleeve this time to somehow shape the events of the galaxy again, and what it will take to stop him for good.

 

Ian McDiarmid is a man with a big heart. He's nothing like Palpatine. But he is a brilliant Shakespearean actor and director with a master's degree in psychology. There's a case to be made that he is the best part of ROTS. I do like how he's more subtle in ROTJ, but his character clearly is having a good time in ROTS. It's hard not to root for him, even if he is Joffrey-turned-Hitler.

 

Soooooo.... anyone else super weirded out by how 20 years on, we are back to essentially getting what we wanted (MORE IAN!)..

 

I love Ian but...

 

I don't understand what you mean

 

I saw TRoS .. and well.... lets just say that at least this thread is still going on .. and on.

 

So you liked his preformance?

 

Disney's answer to WB 's Joker ...

....will be Disney's Palpatine. Origin of the Dark Lord starring Ian Mcdiarmid.

With de-aging vfx.

If Joaquin Phoenix can win a Golden Globe and possibly an Oscar...then Ian Mcdiarmid with a great script and director can also.

Just like how WB's Joker legitimized comic book villain so can Disney's Palpatine legitimizing a sci-if villain.

 

Ian was fine for what he had to do in TROS. I don’t blame him. But the PT remains his finest hour.

 

He is fantastic, funny, and sweet. Love him.

 

I think the entirety of Star Wars fandom has been collectively in love with him since '83. I've never read a fan saying they didn't adore the man, or his portrayal of the character.

 

Absolutely. He has a master's degree in psychology, but he's so humble and nice. He's not arrogant at all, and that's what makes him come off like a trustworthy uncle. I would love to be his niece if I were Scottish. My Dad and Mom treated me well in real life, as many of you know, but my uncles were terrible. None of them lived in the same state, of course, but they all verbally abused me for my transition. Ian McDiarmid would be the kind of guy who would not understand my transition, certainly, but he would never verbally abuse me. He would say, "Hey, young lady. You're a good actor, and I think your impressions of Jim Carrey and Heath Ledger are adept." So, yeah. He has good manners, and that's what I respect about him.

 

I suspect he would. He comes across as being cut from the same cloth as vintage thespians like Ian McKellen and Christopher Lee. They mixed in theatre and film circles for decades and interacted with each other and all types of people. Gay people, straight people, actors who played parts in drag, you name it. I doubt that a transgender person would shock any of them. They are typically very open-minded, non-judgmental and liberal folk.

 

Awe, thanks. I believe so, as well. Empathy is an asset among actors.

 

Happy Birthday to Ian Mc Diarmid! Star Wars wouldn't be the same without his awesome interpretation and love for the saga!

 

Can't believe I missed this as he's easily one of my favorite Star Wars actors.

Happy belated wishes to the Lord of the Sith.

 

My stand out actor in the Prequels though that is not say there was no other great performances in there, also my favourite actor in ROTJ, even though I would have preffered Palpatine not to be in TROS it was nice to have to see more Ian so it was worth it in the end.

 

I'm sharing this video that I first saw many years ago. You can tell Ian was having a good time portraying Palpatine. Ha ha.