[2] He also played Alfred Pennyworth on Birds of Prey, Rupert Cavanaugh (Ian Hainsworth's butler) in Desperate Housewives, Professor Crumbs in Wizards of Waverly Place, and Palpatine in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Abercrombie was born on 11 September 1934 in Grays, Essex, England. Ian Abercrombie, who played Elaine's boss Mr. Pitt on 'Seinfeld' from 1994 to 1998, died Thursday at the age of 77. Revill was also the first actor to play Palpatine, in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980). Ian Abercrombie (September 11, 1934 – January 26, 2012) was a British actor who provided the voice of Palpatine on the Star Wars: The Clone Wars film and TV series. He received acclaim for the one-man show Jean Cocteau—A Mirror Image. Star Wars: The Clone Wars - watch online: streaming, buy or rent . He was 77. He shared two roles with actor Clive Revill. British-born actor Ian Abercrombie, who memorably played Mr. Pitt, Elaine's wealthy, persnickety boss, on "Seinfeld," died Thursday, Jan. 26, in Los Angeles from complications of kidney failure. He also portrayed Ganthet on Green Lantern: The Animated Series, completing his work on the latest episode of the Cartoon Network show just before his death.[4]. English Ian Abercrombie (September 11, 1934 – January 26, 2012[1]) was a British actor who provided the voice of Palpatine on the Star Wars: The Clone Wars film and TV series. Many plays in summer stock, regional, and off-Broadway followed in a variety of theatrical offerings, from revues to Shakespeare (in a particularly low period, he worked as a magician's assistant for $10 a performance). During Celebration VI, Filoni mentioned that before his death, Abercrombie recorded for most of season five as the character, but did not finish, so actor Tim Curry was brought in to voice Palpatine. Nationality Abercrombie seemed to be always working, appearing in scores of films, TV shows and theater productions during his 50-year-plus career in show business. 284 images (& sounds) of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars cast of characters. However, there’s a new actor who also helped bring the Wookiee to life as well. He is known for his roles as Justin Pitt in Seinfeld and as Professor Crumbs on Wizards of Waverly … Ian McDiarmid, Actor: Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. Characters of Star Wars: The High Republic, How Wookieepedia treats Canon and Legends, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine/Darth Sidious, Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes, Ian Abercrombie, Who Played the Boss on 'Seinfeld,' Dies at 77, https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Ian_Abercrombie?oldid=10190369. Ian McDiarmid, who played one such character in the shape of Emperor Palpatine, has now admitted there was one scene in particular that he to be found especially wicked. Credits. Star Wars Celebration VI included the panel "Vocal Stars of The Clone Wars", hosted by James Arnold Taylor and featuring cast members Matt Lanter, Ashley Eckstein, Dee Bradley Baker and Tom Kane. So if I could choose, I'd choose Witwer provided Ian McDiarmid is not available. Abercrombie sadly passed away in 2012, but one of his final roles was providing the voice of Palpatine in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. On radio, he was heard in several productions of the Hollywood Theater of the Ear. Abercrombie was known to cult film audiences as Wiseman in the comedy horror film Army of Darkness (1993). Ian Abercrombie, a busy character actor who gained recognition as Elaine Benes’ (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) eccentric boss Mr. Pitt on NBC’s Seinfeld, died Thursday in Hollywood. Supervising director Dave Filoni said that Abercrombie was very excited that Darth Sidious finally was going to be seen in person and not as a hologram anymore. At Lucas' behest, the special only aired once, and it was never released on home video. He received awards[clarification needed] for his work in Sweet Prince with Keir Dullea; Teeth 'N'smiles; A Doll's House with Linda Purl; and The Arcata Promise, opposite Anthony Hopkins. In the United States, he went to California for a backers' audition, which went nowhere, but he began a long film and television career. Ian McDiarmid was born on August 11, 1944 in Carnoustie, Tayside, Scotland. He guest-starred on many television series such as Seinfeld, The Nanny, Wizards of Waverly Place, Airwolf, Babylon 5, Barnaby Jones and NewsRadio. Abercrombie also voiced the character in the Clovis story arc of the Lost Missions (season six), since it was originally a part of the season four, and later the season five, line-up. In 1957, he was drafted into the United States Army and stationed in West Germany as part of Special Services, where he directed the continental premiere of Separate Tables. Born He also played Alfred Pennyworth on Birds of Prey, Rupert Cavanaugh (Ian Hainsworth's butler) in Desperate Housewives, Professor Crumbs in Wizards of Waverly Place, and … In The Star Wars Insider #82, Ian McDiarmid explains that Palpatine's evil visage is "what he always looked like," and that his kindlier look is just a "carapace." Let us not forget Ian Abercrombie, who unfortunately passed away on this day in 2012. He moved to the United States at age 17.[3]. Abercrombie voiced Chancellor Palpatine/Darth Sidious in the 2008 film The Clone Wars, the television continuation, and two spin-off video games (Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes[5] and Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Lightsaber Duels). May he continue to rest in peace. With Palpatine dropping his nice guy facade, there's no reason to hide his true face. Biographical information I mean he voiced Palpatine in this silly Angry Birds Star Wars trailer. [3] He began his theatrical career during the Blitz in World War II. He studied for a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology at the University of St. Andrews, but eventually found that his calling was in theatre. He played Alfred Pennyworth on Birds of Prey, Justin Pitt (Elaine Benes's boss) during the sixth season of Seinfeld, Rupert Cavanaugh (Ian Hainsworth's butler) on Desperate Housewives, Professor Crumbs on Wizards of Waverly Place, and Palpatine on Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Additionally, The Clone Wars episode "The Lawless" includes a dedication to Abercrombie in the opening titles. September 11, 1934[1] Abercrombie died in Hollywood, California on 26 January 2012, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, twenty days after the Wizards of Waverly Place finale, from kidney failure. He was 77.[3]. Ian Abercrombie[1] (11 September 1934 – 26 January 2012) was an English actor and comedian long based in the United States, best known for playing Justin Pitt (Elaine Benes' boss) during the sixth season of Seinfeld. Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes, Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Lightsaber Duels, Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman, Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School, Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None, Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Lightsaber Duels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Republic Heroes, "U.S., Border Crossings from Canada to U.S., 1895–1956", "Ian Abercrombie, Elaine's Boss on 'Seinfeld', Dies at 77", "Ian Abercrombie, 77, was boss Mr. Pitt on Seinfeld", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ian_Abercrombie&oldid=1017391575, British expatriate male actors in the United States, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from January 2012, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2012, Turner Classic Movies person ID same as Wikidata, Wikipedia articles with BIBSYS identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Hotel Manager / Jeweller / Mr. Simkins / Lawyer, Season 4 Episode 9 "The Secret of Management", Season 6 Episode 19: "Crimes and Witch-Demeanors", This page was last edited on 12 April 2021, at 14:20. He briefly appears off-screen at the end of season two's premiere " The Siege of Lothal " (originally voiced by Sam Witwer and later Ian McDiarmid from 2019). Using his leadership qualities and powers of manipulation, Palpatine restructured much of the Republic government, even before his Declaration of a New Order, b… Ian Abercrombie. The Star Wars Holiday Special is also phenomenally bad — you don't know the meaning of pain until you've heard Carrie Fisher croon an ode to "Life Day." Ian Abercrombie was an actor who portrayed Chancellor Palpatine / Darth Sidious in seasons one through five of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, as well as Pirate #2. Revill was Alfred Pennyworth in early episodes of Batman (1992), a role Abercrombie played in the television series Birds of Prey (2002). The storied actor made his villainous Star Wars debut in the poorly-received Clone Wars 2008 movie, but reprised the role in both video games and the far more popular The Clone Wars TV series. He was known amongst TCW fans as the original voice actor for Palpatine. [Source]. The Emperor was almost played by a different actor in Return of the Jedi, and it would have changed Star Wars moving forward. He made his American stage debut in 1955 in a production of Stalag 17 with Jason Robards and Jules Munshin. He had recently been diagnosed with lymphoma, but the Los Angeles Cedars-Sinai Ian Abercrombie began his theatrical career as a lad during the Blitz in World War II. Ian Abercrombie (11 September 1934 – 26 January 2012) was an English actor and comedian long based in the United States, best known for playing Justin Pitt (Elaine Benes' boss) during the sixth season of Seinfeld. In 1992, he voiced a character for the pilot episode of Defenders of Dynatron City, an original property created by LucasArts. He went to the Royal Academy in Glasgow, where he received the prestigious gold medal for his work. Occupation This was his final released work, shown in 2014. He is known for his roles as Justin Pitt in Seinfeld and as Professor Crumbs on Wizards of Waverly Place. Ian McDiarmid (/ m ə k ˈ d ɜːr m ɪ d /; born 11 August 1944) is a Scottish actor and director of stage and screen, best known for portraying Emperor Palpatine in the Star Wars film series. Career As more star systems get swept into the Clone Wars, the valiant Jedi knights struggle to maintain order. And Mayhew was once again recruited to play the Wookiee in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. In Star Wars Rebels, set between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, Palpatine is portrayed as the Emperor of the Galactic Empire. Ian Abercrombie (11 September 1934 – 26 January 2012) was an English actor and comedian long based in the United States, best known for playing Justin Pitt (Elaine Benes' boss) during the sixth season of Seinfeld. Take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat. Wookieepedia is a FANDOM Movies Community. Originally the Senate Representative for the Mid Rim planet of Naboo, Palpatine used his connections and charisma to depose his predecessor Finis Valorum and assume the mantle of Chancellor. Ian Abercrombie (11 September 1934 — 26 January 2012) was an English actor. Revill was the voice of "Alfred Pennyworth" in early episodes of Batman: The Animated Series (1992), a role Abercrombie played in Birds of Prey (2002). He is the second actor with the name Ian to portray Palpatine: The first was Ian McDiarmid who played Palpatine in 4 of the 6 Star Wars films as wel… Abercrombie voiced the character in the animated, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) series. Ian Abercrombie I liked Abercrombie better than Curry, but I have to agree with those that mentioned Witwer. Ian Abercrombie. [2] He played Alfred Pennyworth in Birds of Prey , Justin Pitt ( Elaine Benes 's boss) during the sixth season of Seinfeld , Rupert Cavanaugh (Ian Hainsworth's butler) in Desperate Housewives , Professor Crumbs in Wizards of Waverly Place , and Palpatine on Star Wars: The Clone Wars . Actor [citation needed] Abercrombie voiced Ambrose in Oscar winner Rango (2011). Ian Abercrombie (11 September 1934 – 26 January 2012) was an English actor. On February 28, 2013, it was announced that he would officially voice Supreme Chancellor Palpatine/Darth Sidious after Ian Abercrombie 's passing. January 26, 2012[1] Photos of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Show) voice actors. After his footwork years during which he earned Bronze, Silver and Gold medals in stage dancing, he performed in London, Scotland, Ireland, and the Netherlands. Ian McDiarmid returns in Star Wars Episode 9: The Rise of Skywalker as Emperor Palpatine. Currently you are able to watch "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" streaming on Disney Plus or buy it as download on Apple iTunes, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video. After his footwork years during which he earned Bronze, Silver and Gold medals in dance for the stage, he performed in London, Holland, Ireland, and Scotland. However, I think it's very likely we could get Ian to reprise his (voice in this case) role in Rebels. The cast dedicated the panel to Abercrombie. Abercrombie portrayed the character in the animated Clone Wars series and film. Died Star Wars: The Clone Wars (film) (Chancellor Palpatine / Darth Sidious) "Rising Malevolence" (Chancellor Palpatine) "Bombad Jedi" (Chancellor Palpatine) "Cloak of Darkness" (Darth Sidious) As Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic, Palpatine was head of the Galactic Senateand Commander in Chief of the Republic's Grand Army. Revill was also the first actor to play "Palpatine", in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980). Veteran Scottish actor Ian McDiarmid says he has "no idea" if he will ever again play the role of Emperor Palpatine in the Star Wars films. Pic credit: Lucasfilm