Ian McDiarmid, who plays Emperor Palpatine in the Star Wars franchise, says it’s a “horrible idea” to imagine his character having sex.
Speaking with Empire Magazine, McDiarmid discussed on his role in the Star Wars movies and the twist included in 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker that revealed Daisy Ridley’s Rey is Palpatine’s granddaughter.
“Yes, he does [have sex],” McDiarmid said. “It’s a horrible idea to think of Palpatine having sex in any shape or form. But then, of course, perhaps he didn’t.”
He continued, “Maybe it’s all to do with midi-chlorians – and don’t ask me what those are. Never trust your granddaughter. That’s the T-shirt Palpatine got made. Shortly after his death.”
In Star Wars lore, Rey’s father, Dathan, was technically a genetically engineered clone created by Sith cultists in an attempt to preserve Palpatine’s bloodline. Dathan lacked a connection to the Force and was declared a failure, causing him to run away. He then met and eventually married Rey’s mother Miramir.
Ian McDiarmid thought Palpatine was dead after Return of the Jedi
Reflecting further on Palpatine’s return in The Rise of Skywalker, McDiarmid said, “A lot of people said it was ridiculous. Of course, he was dead at the end of Return Of The Jedi! And frankly, I think George thought he’d killed me too. But J.J. thought it would be a good idea – I wasn’t going to argue with him…I felt that Palpatine always had a plan B – probably a plan C, D, E, and F as well. And he was an expert in cloning.”
All things considered, McDiarmid says he’s happy with Palpatine’s journey over the course of the entire Star Wars franchise. “The thing that I’m most pleased about, and you know, this only came to a head when they asked me to come back for The Rise Of Skywalker, is that every single evil act in all of the Star Wars franchise is either directly or indirectly down to that character,” he explained. “That is total evil, and that’s strangely satisfying as an arc. I do feel fortunate to have been able to do it – and other villains of cinema now have to compete with that.”
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is currently streaming on Disney+
