Clive Revill, a New Zealand-born actor famous for voicing Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, died on March 11, 2025. The news has only recently been relayed to the media by his daughter, Kate Revill.
Kate confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that her father had passed away due to complications from dementia. Clive lived to be 94 years old before passing in Sherman Oaks, California. Revill had a long career that included stage, screen, and voice acting, leaving a significant impact on the entertainment industry.
Most know Clive Revill as the original Palpatine in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. His iconic, though brief, role as Emperor Palpatine’s voice demonstrated a career that spanned multiple genres and caught audiences’ attention for over sixty years. His stage work shows off his skills as a performer. His contributions to acting extended well beyond Star Wars. His voice acting and stage work, especially with the Royal Shakespeare Company, are a big part of his career.
Clive Revil has died of dementia
Clive Revil died of dementia on March 11, 2025, at the age of 94. He is best known for his role as Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, but his career spans a lifetime of achievements.
Revill was born in New Zealand and began his journey as a celebrated actor in 1950 when he moved to London to train at the Old Vic Theatre. Just two years later, he made his Broadway debut in The Pickwick Papers, which kicked off a successful career on the American stage. His performances were highly praised, earning him Tony Award nominations for his roles as Fagin in Oliver! and Bob-Le-Hotu in Irma la Douce.
Outside of Broadway, Revill built a strong working relationship with well-known director Billy Wilder, appearing in Wilder’s movies The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes and Avanti! His work in Avanti! gained him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. His film credits also include Otto Preminger’s Bunny Lake Is Missing, where he starred alongside Laurence Olivier.
Revill’s connection to Star Wars came about unexpectedly. His earlier work with director Irvin Kershner on the 1966 film A Fine Madness led to Kershner reaching out for The Empire Strikes Back. Kershner needed a voice for Emperor Palpatine, who was only shown as a hologram. Revill recalled in a 2015 interview with The Spectrum that he delivered the lines with “no emotion whatsoever,” which he felt was the best approach. Although his contribution to the film was brief, it secured his place in cinematic history.
Although Revill’s portrayal of Emperor Palpatine was significant, it was short-lived. Ian McDiarmid re-recorded the The Empire Strikes Back lines to provide continuity for later Star Wars films. However, Revill expressed no bitterness about this decision, stating in the same 2015 interview, “I was the original Emperor, but they wanted continuity with the later movies. They made a good choice with McDiarmid.”
Revill’s varied career included much more than Star Wars. He provided the voice for Alfred in Batman: The Animated Series and appeared in movies like Zorro, The Gay Blade, Kaleidoscope, and Transformers. His extensive acting career also featured roles in television productions, with appearances in The Diary of Anne Frank and The Queen of Spain.
Published: Mar 27, 2025 10:59 am