Another Legend Lost: 'Star Wars' and 'Batman' Acting Icon Dead Aged 94 After Stellar Six-Decade Movie Career
Clive Revill delivered the iconic line, 'There is a great disturbance in the Force.'
March 27 2025, Published 10:55 a.m. ET
Star Wars and Batman acting icon Clive Revill has died at the age of 94.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the Hollywood legend passed away just weeks before his 95th birthday following a battle with dementia.
Revill's daughter Kate shared the heartbreaking news and revealed her father died in a care facility.
Revill's daughter Kate shared the heartbreaking news with The Hollywood Reporter and revealed her father died in a care facility in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, on March 11.
The two-time Tony nominee is known for playing the voice of the Emperor in the very popular franchise film Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back.
During his career, he also went on to voice other characters in the Star Wars video games like Dodonna in Star Wars: X-Wing, an imperial officer in Star Wars: X-Wing vs.TIE Fighter, and three additional roles in Star Wars: The Old Republic.
He also took on roles in cartoons, such as 1992’s Batman: The Animated Series.
Revill was born in Wellington, New Zealand, on April 18, 1930.
He first started a career in accounting, but he "abruptly" changed his path and got started in showbiz.
After tossing aside financial documents for scripts, he ended up snagging two Tony Award nominations in the early 60s.
His first nomination was for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his character of Bob-Le-Hotu in Irma La Douce.
Two years later, he was nominated for Best Actor for his performance in the musical Oliver!.
Revill also earned a Golden Globe nomination for his role in the film Avanti! in 1972.
Revill then dipped his toes into roles on the small screen and appeared in the 1957 television show The Adventures of Robin Hood and movies like Kaleidoscope and Fathom.
Despite having a successful career that lasted for six decades, he admitted in a 2015 interview his role as the voice of the villainous Emperor led him to becoming a fan favorite all over the world.
He said regarding the fans: "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!"
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The performer was twice divorced and had one daughter, Kate, during his second marriage to film producer Suzi Schor-Revill.
Following the news of his death, fans of the late icon took to social media to share tributes.
One wrote: "Sad to read that Clive Revill has died. An extraordinary career, an early Babylon 5 villain, but to me unforgettable in The New Avengers – Dead Men Are Dangerous, a great, heartbreaking episode where he superbly embodies two of the series’ most distinctive recurring themes."
Another said: "I was lucky to meet him at Star Wars Celebration in 2015. He was such a gentleman. He shared some behind-the-scenes bits about filming The Empire Strikes Back. May he RIP. And may the Force be with him always."
A third added: "Clive Revill was an underrated actor and voice actor, but 94 is a good run."
