Voice Compare » Star Wars » Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious
Comparision of the voice over actors who have been the voice of Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious with sound clips and images.
EDITOR'S OPINION
The greatest evil in the Star Wars universe now joins the Voice Compare.Emperor Palpatine first appeared in The Empire Strikes Back, portrayed by an uncredited woman wearing a mask, with the voiced dubbed over by Clive Revill. This was until 2004 with the DVD release, as Clive would be replaced with new footage shot of Ian McDiarmid, who was cast in the role for Return of the Jedi and reprised said role for the prequel trilogy.
Clive gave a pretty decent take, though sadly how the character evolved past this appearance over the years, it doesn't have the same impact or sense of dread the later performers gave it.
For the 2003 Clone Wars series and Star Wars video games from 1995-2008, Emperor Palpatine has been voiced Nick Jameson. Nick's take on Palpatine really comes off almost reptilian in the role, which oddly is fitting.
In the 2008 Clone Wars series and movie, Palpatine was this time handled by Ian Abercrombie. Not really sure what to say about Ian, as he plays the role well enough. It feels a bit more natural than Nick's take.
And finally we have Sam Witwer from The Force Unleashed, and... wow. I am in shock and amazement, as I think Sam perfectly nailed Ian McDiarmid's voice. This is no doubt my favourite out of the four actors performances.
Cypo
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Ringworm128 said at 5:09 AM on Sun Mar 10 2013
Non of them are perfect, I suppose Sam Witwer is the best one but even he sounds like a cheap over the top impression of Ian Mcdiamid.
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Red524 said at 11:18 AM on Fri Mar 8 2013
Clive Revill is okay. The character wasn't really established at the time, so he sounds quite a bit younger than the others and more like a generic Evil English Guy.
Nick Jameson's voice is serpentine, old-sounding, and positively dripping with evil. I love it!
Ian Abercrombie sounds the oldest of them (probably because he is the oldest) and does a decent job, making the emperor sound mysterious and powerful in a subtle way.
Sam Witwer sounded like he was focusing too much on trying to do an Ian Mcdiarmid impression and it frequently sounds awkward.
I went with Nick Jameson.
ReplyNick Jameson's voice is serpentine, old-sounding, and positively dripping with evil. I love it!
Ian Abercrombie sounds the oldest of them (probably because he is the oldest) and does a decent job, making the emperor sound mysterious and powerful in a subtle way.
Sam Witwer sounded like he was focusing too much on trying to do an Ian Mcdiarmid impression and it frequently sounds awkward.
I went with Nick Jameson.
MilanTheVillain01 said at 2:59 AM on Wed Mar 6 2013
Allegedly, for Season 5 of the Clone Wars, Palpatine/Sidious is gonna be voiced by Tim Curry.
& I have to say, I think I'm OK with this....
Emphasis the word, "think".
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& I have to say, I think I'm OK with this....
Emphasis the word, "think".
MilanTheVillain01 said at 9:26 PM on Tue Mar 12 2013
@TheVengeanceKnight Again, my friend, emphasis on the word, "think"....
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jonhardwick said at 3:58 PM on Wed Mar 13 2013
@MilanTheVillain01 Why couldn't they get Ian McDiarmid or at least Sam Witwer to replace him.
ReplyMilanTheVillain01 said at 8:51 PM on Wed Mar 13 2013
@jonhardwick That's for us to know & them to find out.
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TheVengeanceKnight said at 1:49 AM on Thu Jan 31 2013
Can't wait for the next episode of Clone Wars where Ian Abercrombie finally gets to let loose as Darth Sidious! XD
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LordofEvil96 said at 11:08 PM on Mon Dec 17 2012
1. Sam Witwer: Of all these guys he sounds the closest to McDiarmid. The only problem with him is that he sounds a little like he has a speech impediment at points.
2. Ian Abercrombie: While he is a little high in range for the role he does sound a little like McDiarmid just higher.
3. Nick Jameson: He doesn't sound as Natural as Ian and Sam. Although he gets points for sounding almost snakelike.
4. Clive Revill: It pains me to say that while I do like this take it gets the number 4 spot because it sounds a little too generic. It's not bad but it's such a different take from the other 3.
Reply2. Ian Abercrombie: While he is a little high in range for the role he does sound a little like McDiarmid just higher.
3. Nick Jameson: He doesn't sound as Natural as Ian and Sam. Although he gets points for sounding almost snakelike.
4. Clive Revill: It pains me to say that while I do like this take it gets the number 4 spot because it sounds a little too generic. It's not bad but it's such a different take from the other 3.
GerPer92 said at 5:19 AM on Sat Oct 27 2012
Sam sounds closest to McKellen, which is impressive, if you look at his age.
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CatsTuxedo said at 2:26 PM on Sat Oct 27 2012
@GerPer92 I think you mean McDiarmid, not McKellen.
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Cheesyfeet106 said at 5:48 PM on Mon Jul 9 2012
Also, I think Ian really works because he is the oldest.
ReplyCheesyfeet106 said at 5:46 PM on Mon Jul 9 2012
Clive Reville: As the very first voice, he was menacing and sinister. However, after Ian McDiarmuid took over, Palpatine's depiction has completely changed.
Nick Jameson: As Cypo said, he is almost reptilian, which does fit Palpatine, or atleast when he's Sidious. He normal Palpatine was also awesome though.
Ian Abercrombie: I was a bit skeptical at first but now I really like his performance. RIP.
Sam Witwer: Although he did sometimes sound like he might have an accent, I think he really nailed the Ian McDiarmuid voice. However, I don't know what his Chancellor voice would sound like.
I think its a tie between Nick and Ian. Btw, does anyone know who will do Palps in S5 of Clone Wars as Ian has sadly died?
ReplyNick Jameson: As Cypo said, he is almost reptilian, which does fit Palpatine, or atleast when he's Sidious. He normal Palpatine was also awesome though.
Ian Abercrombie: I was a bit skeptical at first but now I really like his performance. RIP.
Sam Witwer: Although he did sometimes sound like he might have an accent, I think he really nailed the Ian McDiarmuid voice. However, I don't know what his Chancellor voice would sound like.
I think its a tie between Nick and Ian. Btw, does anyone know who will do Palps in S5 of Clone Wars as Ian has sadly died?
Beaux said at 1:11 PM on Sat Jun 16 2012
*Sorry about the big block of text, but my posts don't seem to be working right... I've tried hitting Enter normally and I've tried Shift + Enter, but the blockage persists*
ReplyBeaux said at 1:10 PM on Sat Jun 16 2012
Clive Revill is decent, but the character hadn't really been developed enough at that point for him to really stand out. I think he might have done a better job if he was given the role today, but he gets an arguable last place (read on to find out who battles with him for the spot).
Nick Jameson sounds the most evil out of the actors here and delivers a good, sinister performance. Probably my favorite as he puts a lot of energy and evil into the voice without going too over-the-top.
Ian Abercrombie is also good and probably what Palpatine would sound like if he were a real old man in his situation (which makes sense given that his actor is the oldest at the time of the role). Still, Star Wars isn't a very realistic series and Darth Sidious should be a bit more... insidious. He gets my second place vote. (Also, I just learned that he has passed away. He will definitely survive in spirit through his time as Palpatine, but he will be missed...)
Sam Witwer is far too over-the-top and his performance is almost comical at time and it almost sounds like he has some sort of accent or speech impediment instead of sounding old. Still, it's passable as an impersonation of Ian McDiarmid, but he gets an arguable last place, either him or Clive Revill.
ReplyNick Jameson sounds the most evil out of the actors here and delivers a good, sinister performance. Probably my favorite as he puts a lot of energy and evil into the voice without going too over-the-top.
Ian Abercrombie is also good and probably what Palpatine would sound like if he were a real old man in his situation (which makes sense given that his actor is the oldest at the time of the role). Still, Star Wars isn't a very realistic series and Darth Sidious should be a bit more... insidious. He gets my second place vote. (Also, I just learned that he has passed away. He will definitely survive in spirit through his time as Palpatine, but he will be missed...)
Sam Witwer is far too over-the-top and his performance is almost comical at time and it almost sounds like he has some sort of accent or speech impediment instead of sounding old. Still, it's passable as an impersonation of Ian McDiarmid, but he gets an arguable last place, either him or Clive Revill.
Porchops said at 12:56 AM on Thu May 24 2012
Clive Revill gets my vote. I'll admit that McDiarmid is really the best, but I feel that Abercrombie and Witwer try too hard to imitate him; they don't sound completely natural.
ReplyTheVengeanceKnight said at 2:26 AM on Sun Feb 5 2012
Clive Revill - Eh...
Nick Jameson - His Palpatine voice is good, though his Sidious doesn't really do much for me.
Ian Abercrombie (RIP) - Both his Palpatine and Sidious voices work and fit the time period.
Sam Witwer - Works as a post-revelation Palpatine/Sidious
ReplyNick Jameson - His Palpatine voice is good, though his Sidious doesn't really do much for me.
Ian Abercrombie (RIP) - Both his Palpatine and Sidious voices work and fit the time period.
Sam Witwer - Works as a post-revelation Palpatine/Sidious
Torak said at 1:25 PM on Mon Jan 30 2012
Clive Revill was...alright but didn't really fit for me.
Nick Jameson is probably my favorite here, he had a good evil and sinister voice without trying too hard.
Ian Abercrombe is ok, but doesn't sound evil enough really.
Sam Witwer is good but sounds a little odd to me, like he's trying to imitate Ian McDiarmid or something.
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Nick Jameson is probably my favorite here, he had a good evil and sinister voice without trying too hard.
Ian Abercrombe is ok, but doesn't sound evil enough really.
Sam Witwer is good but sounds a little odd to me, like he's trying to imitate Ian McDiarmid or something.
Nightmare Crusher said at 11:24 AM on Sat Feb 4 2012
@Torak He was trying to sound like Ian McDiarmid. He mentioned the full story behind why he was playing Palpatine in an interview somewhere.
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TheVengeanceKnight said at 3:21 AM on Mon Feb 4 2013
@Torak Watch the latest Clone Wars episode and see if your mind has been changed about Abercrombie. ;-D
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Torak said at 4:59 PM on Thu Feb 7 2013
@TheVengeanceKnight Well, from what I heard: he sound pretty dam good! To be fair though, the show got darker just as he did! :D So I'll rank them as this:
1. Ian (Sounds closest to McDiarmid)
2. Nick (Has a quality to his voice that just fits)
3.Sam (Tries a bit too hard to sound like McDiarmid)
4. Clive (Not bad, just generic.) :)
Reply1. Ian (Sounds closest to McDiarmid)
2. Nick (Has a quality to his voice that just fits)
3.Sam (Tries a bit too hard to sound like McDiarmid)
4. Clive (Not bad, just generic.) :)
RabidSonicFan said at 8:08 PM on Thu Dec 15 2011
My favorite here is Nick Jameson. Everyone else is okay, I guess.
ReplyTheVengeanceKnight said at 4:48 AM on Mon Nov 14 2011
Sam Witwer's good, though it sounds a bit too over-the-top. Ian Abercrombie's is more subtle.
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Metabad said at 11:00 PM on Tue Sep 27 2011
I don't get why everyone loves Sam Witwer's performance as Sidious so much, I think he sounds horrible, he doesn't even make an effort to sound a thing like Ian McDiarmid and hardly fits the character on his own merits. His voice is more fitting for Starkiller than it is for Sidious.
Nick Jameson I think does the best job here, he sounds like Ian while sounding different enough to make the role his own. He sounds the way Sidious manipulative self should sound like.
Ian Abercrombie sounds alright, pretty fitting from what I hear but kind of hard to judge with the effects added to it.
Clive Revill sounds decent, but far too generic in the role. I do sort of like it but at the same time I can see why it never caught on when compared to Ian McDiarmid's performance in the sequel.
McDiarmid of course is the best Sidious overall, but as far as voice acting goes, I'm giving this one to Nick Jameson.
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Nick Jameson I think does the best job here, he sounds like Ian while sounding different enough to make the role his own. He sounds the way Sidious manipulative self should sound like.
Ian Abercrombie sounds alright, pretty fitting from what I hear but kind of hard to judge with the effects added to it.
Clive Revill sounds decent, but far too generic in the role. I do sort of like it but at the same time I can see why it never caught on when compared to Ian McDiarmid's performance in the sequel.
McDiarmid of course is the best Sidious overall, but as far as voice acting goes, I'm giving this one to Nick Jameson.
OptimusSolo (Admin) said at 3:43 AM on Wed Sep 28 2011
@Metabad Its not a voice actors job to try to sound like the person that came before him or played him in real life!!! Sam Witwer is the clear winner on this one, not sure what you're are hearing when you listen to him but he easily fits the character! I think you are confusing what real voice acting is all about - its not about trying to impersonate those who did the voice before you!!
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Metabad said at 5:08 AM on Wed Sep 28 2011
@OptimusSolo I think you missed the part where I said that he hardly fits the character on his own merits, by that I meant on his own when not compared to the previous performances.
As far as fitting the character goes, I suppose that is only a matter of opinion but I REALLY don't think he fits the character, when I play his clip I hear a deep and far too young sounding voice trying too hard, or perhaps not trying hard enough to sound old and decrepit.
Again, imitating who came before him was not my sole argument. It might seem that way but it was not. Heck, the reason I like Nick Jameson is because yes while he does make a good effort to sound like McDiarmid he has a bit of a higher tone to his voice and his performance really made the role his own.
On another note I'm a bit offended that you said that I was confused about what real voice acting was all about, as I have been interested in voice acting for quite a while, looked into it, and even voice acted before in a flash animation and an RPG game that both sadly never got off the ground. I know its not all about impersonating others, you definitely have to work to make the performance your own. However on the other hand plenty of voice actors can sound very similar to those that came before them with great degrees of success such as Jim Cummings, Frank Welker, Billy West, etc.
I'm sure there have been voice actors before that have been praised for roles that you've certainly disliked.
ReplyAs far as fitting the character goes, I suppose that is only a matter of opinion but I REALLY don't think he fits the character, when I play his clip I hear a deep and far too young sounding voice trying too hard, or perhaps not trying hard enough to sound old and decrepit.
Again, imitating who came before him was not my sole argument. It might seem that way but it was not. Heck, the reason I like Nick Jameson is because yes while he does make a good effort to sound like McDiarmid he has a bit of a higher tone to his voice and his performance really made the role his own.
On another note I'm a bit offended that you said that I was confused about what real voice acting was all about, as I have been interested in voice acting for quite a while, looked into it, and even voice acted before in a flash animation and an RPG game that both sadly never got off the ground. I know its not all about impersonating others, you definitely have to work to make the performance your own. However on the other hand plenty of voice actors can sound very similar to those that came before them with great degrees of success such as Jim Cummings, Frank Welker, Billy West, etc.
I'm sure there have been voice actors before that have been praised for roles that you've certainly disliked.
OptimusSolo (Admin) said at 12:48 AM on Thu Sep 29 2011
@Metabad Wasn't meaning to offend at all but your comments did in fact make it seem like you would only appreciate those who sounded just like or close to McDiarmid. Sorry if that's not how you meant it but just try to be more clear next time :) - Of course impersonators can be highly successful as there is always a need to 'carry on' certain voices after others can't. But all of those actors you listed also have an uncanny ability to create original voices/characters as well.
ReplyStarShooter said at 1:41 PM on Wed Sep 21 2011
Also, i found out the name of woman who weared played palpatine in phycical form in Star Wars IV. Her name is Elaine Baker (Found it at Wikipedia).
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OptimusSolo (Admin) said at 3:00 AM on Thu Sep 22 2011
@StarShooter this is pretty common knowledge to most star wars fans but thanks for sharing :)
ReplyStarShooter said at 12:16 PM on Tue Sep 20 2011
Normally Ian McDiarmid would take my vote, but too bad he is not here, so Clive Revill gets it, though i like Nick Jameson too. Ian Abercrombie is unfortuanley the worst in my opinon, with Sam Witwer taking third place.
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dreakz (Guest)
said at 6:58 PM on Sun Jan 16 2011
said at 6:58 PM on Sun Jan 16 2011
Sam Witwer is the best.
And Starkiller looks like Sam because he is Starkiller :P
And Starkiller looks like Sam because he is Starkiller :P
christopherlee (Guest)
said at 11:48 AM on Sun Nov 21 2010
said at 11:48 AM on Sun Nov 21 2010
Too bad there's no McDiarmid here since his voice is so perfect in every way. Well i hope something turns up so that you can use it here Cypo.
Cypo (Moderator) said at 10:25 PM on Fri Nov 19 2010
I had checked while doing this, said games just used archive audio of Ian from ROTJ, specifically his laugh.
Which, I didn't think archive audio counted.
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Which, I didn't think archive audio counted.
pete said at 10:47 PM on Fri Mar 4 2011
@Cypo Ian Mcdiarmid voiced him in the game version of Revenge of the Sith so he should be on here.
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Cypo (Moderator) said at 9:41 PM on Sat Mar 5 2011
@pete No he didn't. Ian only appears in the ROTS game via cutscenes taken from the movie, while Nick Jameson (who is above on this list) did him in the actual gameplay and alternate "dark" ending.
Replypete said at 4:54 PM on Wed Apr 6 2011
@Cypo He dubbed him over for the rereleae of ROTJ so he should be on here
ReplyOptimusSolo (Admin) said at 5:22 PM on Wed Apr 6 2011
@pete No he did not. He never 'dubbed' the voice. They shot NEW footage with him physically in the role, hence he was the actual actor in those scenes and NOT doing voice work!
Replyjonhardwick (Guest)
said at 5:02 PM on Fri Nov 19 2010
said at 5:02 PM on Fri Nov 19 2010
actually in some the early 1990's star wars games for the SNES ian mcdiarmid reprised his role.
OptimusSolo (Admin) said at 12:11 AM on Wed Nov 17 2010
One problem this is for VOICE ACTORS not real life actors so sorry prgii
Replyprgii (Guest)
said at 8:25 PM on Tue Nov 16 2010
said at 8:25 PM on Tue Nov 16 2010
Ian McDiarmid should be here, as he is the one and only best actor and voice for Darth Sidious in my opinion.
And that Sam Witwer guy looks just about exactly like Starkiller in the Force Unleashed games.
And that Sam Witwer guy looks just about exactly like Starkiller in the Force Unleashed games.
marvefan93 (Guest)
said at 10:17 PM on Mon Nov 15 2010
said at 10:17 PM on Mon Nov 15 2010
Nicks has got to be my favorite here, i'm just so used to him its hard hearing anyone else as the character. But i will say that Sam Witwer does nail the character as well and gets my honorary second vote! :)
OptimusSolo (Admin) said at 8:20 PM on Mon Nov 15 2010
Sam Witwer is a clear winner here although I do love the old Revill voice as well.
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said at 3:18 PM on Wed Apr 10 2013
HAH!