Star Wars original Emperor actor Clive Revill dies aged 94

Clive Revill, the legendary actor who brought us our first on-screen appearance of Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars has passed away at the age of 94.

It’s reported that the actor passed away in a care facility in Sherman Oaks on 11 March, with the news coming from his daughter Kate Revill.

Revill provided the voice of The Emperor in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

Clive Revill leaves behind an incredible career, appearing in series such as Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965), The Legend of Hell House (1973), and even provided the voice of Alffred Pennyworth in Batman: The Animated Series.

One of Revill’s most famous roles though is that of The Emperor in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back gave us our first glimpse at the mysterious, but powerful, Emperor, in a dialogue scene between himself and Darth Vader.

The Emperor appears to Vader as a hologram, telling him “there’s a disturbance in the force” before ordering him to prevent Luke Skywalker from becoming a Jedi. After some additional dialogue the plan is then hatched to turn him over to the dark side of the force instead.

Now in most versions of The Empire Strikes Back this scene will have Ian McDiarmid as The Emperor instead, as he played the character in the following film Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi. McDiarmid would reprise his role in the prequels as well as one of the Disney sequels, Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker.

In the original release of The Empire Strikes Back though The Emperor isn’t as fully-formed, with a strange puppet-like appearance and Clive Revill providing the voice for the villain.

While Revill didn’t reprise the role his performance is wonderful all the same, and the actor praised Ian McDiarmid’s portrayal of the character in the following years.