150 Votes in Poll
123 Votes in Poll
Ian McDiarmid—Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious—answers fan questions with wit and deep behind-the-scenes detail.
Palpatine: “The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural.”
171 Votes in Poll
291 Votes in Poll
Can we take a minute to appreciate Ian McDiarmid’s ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC acting a Palpatine?
The tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise read by Ian McDiarmid
⭐️ FEATURED
Last week we discussed the unique influence of each Star Wars director on their trilogies. Now we’ll move forward onto the work of a director’s greatest tool.
Actors are essential. They convey emotions beyond what’s simply written in a script—closely connected with a director’s job. I don’t think Star Wars has any subpar actors at all.
The production teams have always casted relatively unknown actors for their roles. This is by design to attract focus towards the characters themselves rather than the actors.
The prequel trilogy had a ridiculous casting process. Thousands of kids auditioned for Anakin, and Jake Lloyd got the part. There’s a cool video that documented the casting process, and it reinforces the fact that Lloyd was a pretty good choice, despite the misgivings he was subject to.
The person who’s probably received the most hate for acting in a Star Wars film is Ahmed Best. He’s talked about how horrible his life was after The Phantom Menace came out, and he’s thankfully been able to recover and regain plenty of appreciation from fans.
Still, the prequels ended a few careers. Obviously, some of the more recognized actors went along perfectly well, and Samuel L. Jackson even got his own lightsaber color for it!
Ian McDiarmid rocked as Palpatine, using a specific technique of keeping himself as a reserved power. He is so much fun to watch for all the power he displays—and all the power he had yet to show in Revenge of the Sith.
The original trilogy was the real showcase for acting. A New Hope had a rocky start simply because it was limited by budget and production difficulties. As time went on, though, everyone began to understand what they were doing and what Star Wars would be all about.
Sir Alec Guinness was one of the greatest actors of his time, and he probably put the most thought and effort into a story he didn’t even fully know about. There’s a cool fan edit that highlights how contemplative his expressions were, and how accurately they reflect on the prequels’ events.
Another essential actor is Frank Oz. A puppet character was nearly impossible, but he pulled it off and probably saved The Empire Strikes Back from certain failure.
Let’s not forget Harrison Ford’s perfect addition of “I know” to the list of classic character lines in cinema.
The sequel trilogy had a really great cast, especially because of how many actors returned from the original trilogy. Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher were better in these movies than any other. Their characters feel aged into perfect mentor figures.
Mark Hamill in particular steals the show in The Last Jedi. He didn’t even agree with the direction of his character until after he saw the film, but he still put in every bit of effort he had.
Speaking of effort, Adam Driver knows how to be intense. He evolves Kylo Ren from a spontaneous, fiery personality towards a very directed, intentful use of the dark side. The destruction of his helmet is very satisfying to watch.
There are little things every actor does to really make their character their own. Are there any particular that I missed? Do you think weak acting is intrinsic or a product of poor direction? Discuss below!
Could the in-universe empire, first order, rebels, and resistance actually be the iconic American franchises's portrayal of the British empire, just a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...? 🎶 Cue theme song. 🎺
Just think about it, mcdiarmid, Cushing, shaw, Guinness, Lee, prowse, daniels, Mendelsohn, grant, mayhew, baker, ridley, jones, neeson, mcgregor, clarke, boyega, davis, etc. are all British/Scottish/Australian/etc. actors. That's a long list! 🇺🇸🇬🇧👍😉😁
