Movies - TV
Star Wars' Ian McDiarmid Answers The Palpatine Question No One Asked
By WITNEY SEIBOLD
In "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker," the heroine Rey was revealed to be the granddaughter of Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), the villain from previous "Star Wars" movies.
Viewers may have trouble focusing on Palpatine's schemes as the existence of a granddaughter implies that the monstrous, craggy warlock has engaged in sexual intercourse.
Deleted scenes in "Rise of Skywalker" explained that when Palpatine plummeted to his death in "Return of the Jedi," he projected his consciousness into a strand of cloned DNA.
This DNA created Dathan, who then had Rey via copulation, passing on some of Palpatine's DNA. But that story version isn't in the final cut of "Rise of Skywalker."
Journalist Ben Travis interviewed Ian McDiarmid and asked the actor about Palpatine's sexual history. McDiarmid seemed to answer that the Emperor did indeed copulate.
When asked about if Palpatine has sex, McDiarmid said: "Please don't pursue that line too vigorously, but yes, he does. It's a horrible idea to think of Palpatine having sex."
McDiarmid, however, then walked back his assertion, stating, "But then, of course, perhaps he didn't. Maybe it's all to do with midi-chlorians ... and don't ask me what those are."