Palpatine Actor Discusses Character’s Sex Life And Return In Star Wars: Rise Of The Skywalker
In a surprising twist, Ian McDiarmid’s Star Wars character, Palpatine, returned in 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker. Speaking to Empire about his unexpected comeback, McDiarmid acknowledged how a “lot of people said it was ridiculous.” He also commented on Palpatine being Rey’s grandfather and whether or not Palpatine has sex.
He said it was obvious that Palpatine died at the end of Return of the Jedi, noting that George Lucas “thought he’d killed me, too.” However, director J.J. Abrams believed it would be a good idea to bring him back in The Rise of Skywalker. “I wasn’t going to argue with him,” McDiarmid said.
“I felt that Palpatine always had a plan B–probably a plan C, D, E, and F as well,” McDiarmid said. “And he was an expert in cloning, so…”