Star Wars and Batman legend dies aged 94 following dementia battle as daughter speaks out
Clive Revill, the original voice of Emperor Palpatine in The Empire Strikes Back, has died at the age of 94.
The New Zealand-born actor passed away on March 11 at a care facility in Sherman Oaks, California, following a battle with dementia.
His daughter, Kate Revill, confirmed his death to The Hollywood Reporter.
Revill was a versatile performer whose career spanned more than six decades across stage, film and voice acting.
Born in Wellington, New Zealand in 1930, Revill was working as an actuary in a bank when he met Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh.
Olivier invited him to study at the Old Vic Theatre School in Bristol, prompting Revill to raise money for the journey to England in 1950.
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He initially struggled away from home, later recalling: “I had my doubts at one point when I thought, ‘I can’t do it. I can’t do this. I can’t find it within myself.'”
A woman at his drama school encouraged him to “find the truth within yourself,” advice that helped him regain his confidence.
Revill made his Broadway debut in 1952 in Mr. Pickwick before joining the Royal Shakespeare Company.
He received Tony nominations for his performances as Bob-Le-Hotu in Irma la Douce (1961) and as Fagin in Oliver! (1963).
His film work earned him a Golden Globe nomination for his role as Carlo Carlucci in Billy Wilder’s Avanti! (1972).
Perhaps Revill’s most iconic role came in 1980 when director Irvin Kershner asked him to record lines for The Empire Strikes Back.
He voiced the menacing Emperor Palpatine in the pivotal scene where Darth Vader communicates with the holographic projection of his master.
Revill’s chilling delivery of “There is a great disturbance in the Force” became legendary among fans.
“They come up to me, and I tell them to get close and shut their eyes,” he recalled in a 2015 interview.
“Then I say [in the emperor’s haunting voice], ‘There is a great disturbance in the Force.’ People turn white, and one nearly fainted!”
Though Ian McDiarmid later replaced his voice in the 2004 DVD release, Revill continued to voice other Star Wars characters in various video games.
His voice acting talents extended to Batman: The Animated Series, where he played Alfred the butler in 1992.
He also appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation and voiced characters in Transformers.
Revill was known for his remarkable ability to portray characters of various ethnicities throughout his career.
His film appearances included Bunny Lake Is Missing, Kaleidoscope, Modesty Blaise and The Legend of Hell House.
On television, he featured in numerous popular series including Columbo, Murder, She Wrote, Magnum, P.I. and Babylon 5.
His last role was in the 2016 film The Queen of Spain, alongside Penélope Cruz.
Actor David Pressman paid tribute on Twitter, sharing a video of Revill and writing: “He was always so lovely to me and told the best stories.”
Another fan remembered him as “unforgettable in The New Avengers”.
Clive Revill portrayed Trakis in the Season 1 episode ‘Born to the Purple.’ RIP https://t.co/HDIS09EqX1 pic.twitter.com/m7nLhBaOa7
— Babylon 5 News (@B5News) March 27, 2025
Revill was married twice, with both marriages ending in divorce.
He is survived by his daughter Kate, from his second marriage to film producer Suzi Schor-Revill, and his granddaughter Kayla.