US Stamps
Born Aug. 11: Ian McDiarmid

By Michael Baadke
There aren’t many United States stamps that depict a personification of evil, but a 41¢ stamp from 2007 comes awfully close.
The sinister fictional character featured on United States Scott 4143c is Darth Sidious, alter ego of the deceptive Emperor Sheev Palpatine from the series of popular Star Wars films.
The character is portrayed in the films by classically trained actor Ian McDiarmid, who turns 72 today. He was born Aug. 11, 1944, in Carnoustie, Scotland.
McDiarmid is nearly unrecognizable on the stamp. He would undergo hours of prosthetic and make-up application to take on the ghoulish appearance of the evil Darth Sidious.
McDiarmid played dual roles as Sidious and the deviously cordial Palpatine in the first two Star Wars film trilogies.
The actor has also been featured in stage and radio productions, and as a theater director. At the 60th annual Tony Awards in 2006, McDiarmid won the Tony for best performance by a featured actor in a play, for his role as Teddy in Faith Healer.
MORE RELATED ARTICLES
Headlines
-
US Stamps
May 30, 2023, 5 PMA splash of waterfalls on 12 new U.S. stamps June 13 in Yellowstone National Park
-
US Stamps
May 30, 2023, 3 PMNew plate numbers found on U.S. 2018 Meyer Lemons, 2022 Flags on Barns coil stamps
-
World Stamps
May 30, 2023, 11 AMStamp celebrates 30-year Michigan and Latvia union
-
Postal Updates
May 29, 2023, 5 PMUSPS records $1.8 billion loss during second quarter of fiscal 2023