According to Yoda, “Always two there are; no more, no less. A master and an apprentice.” This dynamic was on full display between Hayden Christensen and Ian McDiarmid with their roles in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith as Senator Palpatine and Anakin Skywalker. However, Christensen also implied that this relationship existed behind the scenes as well, noting what an honor it was to work with such an accomplished actor like McDiarmid.
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At Star Wars Celebration in Orlando, a special panel honored the saga’ 40th anniversary, bringing together the films’ stars throughout its impressive legacy.
One of the most anticipated actors in attendance was Christensen, who played in two of the prequel films. To showcase Anakin’s descent into darkness, he worked closely with McDiarmiad and spoke quite fondly of him.
“Everyone knows he’s such an amazing actor, but he’s also a really generous actor. He really took me under his wing and was caring and giving,” Christensen explained. “I owe a lot of what I was able to accomplish in Episode III to being able to work with Ian.”
During the panel, McDiarmid referenced a specific scene from Revenge of the Sith that had a massive monologue about a Sith who had supposedly learned how to manipulate the Force to such a degree, he could prevent his loved ones from dying.
Adding to McDiarmid’s fondness for the pivotal sequence, Christensen revealed, “That scene he’s talking about is one of my favorites and I just remember being so enraptured with the story he was telling that I almost forgot I was acting in the scene. I was like, ‘Oh no, I gotta do my part now too.’ He’s just so captivating in his work, it was amazing.”
Christensen’s fondness for McDiarmid was shared by not just the audience, but by the fellow panelists. George Lucas himself explained that his performance is made all the more impressive when considering how polite and sweet McDiarmid is as a person, Palpatine being such a sinister character.
What do you think about McDiarmid’s contributions to the saga? Do you wish we never learned Palpatine’s backstory? Let us know in the comments!
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