Actor Clive Revill, known in part for his work onStar Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, has passed away.
PerThe Hollywood Reporter, Revill died on March 11 while at a care facility in Sherman Oaks, California. According to his daughter, Kate Revill, her father died following a battle with dementia. He was 94 years old.
Revill is known toStar Wars fans for his role in the original cut of 1980'sStar Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back. After he worked with director Irvin Kerschner on 1966'sA Fine Madness, Revill was called upon to record some dialogue to be used for the voice of the emperor, in which the character is presented as a holographic projection. In the next movie,Return of the Jedi, Ian McDiarmid took over the role of the emperor, and in the 2004 DVD release ofThe Empire Strikes Back, McDiarmid's version was used to replace the original with Revill's voice.
As Revill said in a 2015 interview withThe Spectrum, "I got a call from the director, Irvin Kershner, who I’d worked with onA Fine Madness. He needed a voice for the emperor who would be only appearing as a holographic image. So I tried it several times and found it worked best with no emotion whatsoever.”
Though he was replaced in subsequent releases of the film, Revill said of the fan support he would get, “They come up to me and I tell them to get close and shut their eyes. Then I say (in the Emperor’s haunting voice) 'There is a great disturbance in the Force.' People turn white and one nearly fainted!”
The actor is also appreciated by DC fans as the original voice of Alfred Pennyworth inBatman: The Animated Series. Revill voiced Alfred in the popular animated show's first three episodes, titled "On Leather Wings," "Christmas with the Joker," and "Nothing to Fear." Efrem Zimbalist Jr. took over the role of Alfred after that point.
Revill was born on April 18, 1930, in Wellington, New Zealand. His foray into acting came after he met revered actor Laurence Olivier, who recommended he travel to his Old Vic Theatre School in England to study the craft. Revill did so, and by 1952, he had made his Broadway debut inMr. Pickwick. He became a veteran nof the Royal Shakespeare Company and later earned Tony nominations for his roles in the musicalsHirma la Douce andOliver!.
For his work inAvanti!, he was nomianted for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor. The actor also appeared in a variety of other films, includingKaleidoscope,The Double Man,The Shoes of the Fisherman,A Severed Head,The Great Houdini,The Transformers: The Movie,Zorro, The Gay Blade,The Frog Prince,Return to Neverland,Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas,Tom and Jerry: Robin Hood and His Merry Mouse, andThe Queen of Spain.
His TV credits includeMurder, She Wrote,Columbo,Alvin and the Chipmunks,Dragon's Lair,The Twilight Zone,The Transformers,Magnum PI,DuckTales,Star Trek: The Next Generation,The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest,Murphy Brown,Johnny Bravo,Godzilla: The Series,Pinky and the Brain,Lois & Clark,All Grown Up!, andSecret Mountain Fort Awesome.
Additionally, Revill voiced otherStar Wars characters in various video games. The actor also provided the voice of Doctor Doom in the 2006 gameMarvel: Ultimate Alliance. Other video game voice roles included games made forThe Jungle Book,The Hobbit, andPirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.
Among Revill's survivors are his daughter, Kate, and his granddaughter, Kayla.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
