The Emperor In Action

Given that the film charts the rise of the Empire and the dominance of the Dark Side, Epsode III was always going to be a good film for Ian McDiarmid. Taking Chancellor (soon to be Emperor) Palpatine to the height of his political fortunes is not his only function however and, according to McDiarmid, Palpatine finally gets a slice of the action in the final prequel. "You'd imagine that my character has been rather deskbound in the past but this time he will get to take part in the action," the actor told Teletext. "I can't give the story away as George Lucas would kill me but I have been engaged in far more physical activities than any of the other films." Lightsaber fights? Bantha wrestling? McDiarmid isn't telling, though he did drop a few oblique hints. "I have found myself sliding down chutes at speed and landing on heaps of rubber, it's been a completely new experience for me. I haven't had to go down the gym to get fit for the scenes but I did need a few rehearsals to get up to speed."