In a recent conversation with Empire magazine, celebrating the 25th anniversary of George Lucas’s ‘Star Wars’ prequel trilogy, Ian McDiarmid shared insights into one of the film’s most memorable moments — a scene he believes might have pushed the limits of his character.
McDiarmid, reprising his role as Sheev Palpatine in the film, recalled the moment he found himself at the heart of the trilogy’s darkest moments — especially the scene with Mace Windu, played by Samuel L. Jackson, where Palpatine’s true nature is fully unveiled:
“George [Lucas] kept hyping me up on that. I was screaming, ‘ABSOLUTE POWER!’ I said, ‘Do you want me to do some quiet ones because this is a bit much?’ George said, ‘No, go further, go further!’ So I did, and he seems to have kept most of it — there’s no holding back there.”
As the actor says, fans continue to celebrate his performance, often requesting him to recite lines like ‘DO IT!’
You can watch McDiarmid’s scene with Jackson below.
‘Revenge of the Sith’ Was the Strongest of the Trilogy
‘Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith‘ not only concluded the prequel trilogy but also served as the final chapter Lucas directly oversaw. Balancing the end of the Clone Wars with Anakin Skywalker’s tragic fall from grace, the movie premiered in 2005.
Critically, it was met with a generally positive reception, with many considering it the strongest installment of the prequel trilogy. It broke box office records, earning $868.4 million globally and becoming the second-highest-grossing film in the ‘Star Wars’ franchise at the time.
However, ‘Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace’ wasn’t that well received. According to Ewan McGregor, who portrayed Obi-Wan Kenobi in the series, it was hard to see the dislikes for the film he was proud of.
