Tim Curry Voiced One Of Star Wars' Greatest Villains In A Beloved TV Series
While the chilling demon clown Pennywise in the 1990 "IT" miniseries on ABC and the mysterious Dr. Frank-N-Furter in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" are his most famous roles, Tim Curry also voiced one of the greatest "Star Wars" villains — Chancellor Palpatine, aka Darth Sidious, in Cartoon Network's "Star Wars: The Clone Wars."
Ian McDiarmid plays Palpatine in live action, but Curry was one of the actors who voiced him in the 2008 animated show in which Anakin Skywalker (Matt Lanter) trains Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein) while they both fight on behalf of the Galactic Republic.
Curry voiced Palpatine in Seasons 5 and 6, replacing Ian Abercrombie who died in 2012. Curry's ability to use his voice with both charm and terror was perfect for the secretive villain.
Dave Filoni said Tim Curry could handle both sides of Sidious
Recasting Chancellor Palpatine was no easy task after Ian Abercrombie's performance. Showrunner Dave Filoni told the Huffington Post that the producers did an "extensive" search to find the right star because they weren't interested in someone who would just recreate Ian McDiarmid's performance.
"We needed someone to deliver a performance that could stand alongside what Ian McDiarmid and Ian Abercrombie created," he explained. "I think fans will find that [Curry] delivers the eloquence needed for the Chancellor. His growling, evil, Sidious voice is a delight, because Tim can definitely tap into the dark side when needed. We are fortunate to have him."
That dual performance is especially prominent in the Season 5 finale when Ahsoka Tano wrongly stands trial for committing treason and is accused of bombing the Jedi temple. Curry balances Palpatine's kindly, performative mask with subtlety vicious lines like "Is this yet another Separatist scheme? Another way to rip the Jedi, and subsequently all of us ... apart."
Tim Curry passed away in August of 2026.