Did You Know? The Emperor Was First Played by a Woman—with Monkey Eyes!

In this series exploring the history of the Star Wars franchise, we couldn’t skip over the fascinating backstory of the Emperor, whose real name, Sheev Palpatine, was revealed later, though fans know him best as Darth Sidious.

First introduced as the shadowy mastermind behind Darth Vader and the Empire in the Original Trilogy, his character received further depth and background in the Prequels.

While Ian McDiarmid is now synonymous with the role, he wasn’t the original Emperor. Several performers brought the character to life before McDiarmid’s portrayal was retroactively added to earlier films for continuity.

This article dives into the unique story behind the original Emperor—played by an actress in his first on-screen appearance. It’s a story that uncovers a surprising link between Star Wars and monkeys, building on our recent piece about Yoda, who was nearly played by one!

The Emperor’s story remains one of the most compelling in the Star Wars saga (despite the “somehow, Palpatine survived” twist in the Sequel Trilogy). Known officially as Sheev Palpatine, he was a powerful Force user trained in the Sith ways by Darth Plagueis, whom he later betrayed to claim the title of Sith Lord for himself.

Over time, he trained apprentices like Darth Maul and Count Dooku and ultimately swayed Anakin Skywalker to the dark side, transforming him into Darth Vader.

Through cunning manipulation, Palpatine seized control of the Republic, dismantling it to form the tyrannical Galactic Empire, with himself as Emperor. His reign was eventually brought down by the Rebellion, and although he appeared to perish, he returned in the Sequel Trilogy before seemingly meeting his final end.

While Palpatine’s full backstory wasn’t revealed until the Prequels, the Original Trilogy introduced him as the dark power behind the Empire. Ian McDiarmid’s portrayal became iconic, and his scenes were later inserted into earlier films for continuity. But who originally played him before McDiarmid?

Believe it or not, the first person to portray the Emperor was actually a woman—Marjorie Eaton, who appeared as the hologram of the Emperor in Episode V. Eaton’s face was nearly unrecognizable under extensive makeup crafted by Phil Tippett, with initial tests performed on Elaine Baker, the wife of makeup artist Rick Baker.

To create the Emperor’s eerie gaze, chimpanzee eyes were superimposed onto Eaton’s darkened eye sockets during post-production, giving Palpatine his distinctive look.

The character’s voice, meanwhile, was provided by Clive Revill, who later recalled:

With [director Irvin] Kershner, you had to keep the reins tight — you couldn’t go overboard. It was the perfect example of the old adage ‘less is more’ — the Emperor doesn’t say very much.

But when he finally appears, it’s at a point in the saga when everyone’s waiting to see him. It’s the Emperor, the arch-villain of all time, and when he says there’s a great disturbance in the Force, I mean, that’s enough oomph!

– Titan Magazines

As you can see, it was quite an elaborate process. While Ian McDiarmid eventually made the role his own, it’s essential to recognize and appreciate the history behind the character, which is truly fascinating!

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