Star Wars, Transformers and Batman legend Clive Revill died at at a care facility in Los Angeles the age of 94 after a long battle with dementia. His daughter confirmed he news to the Hollywood Reporter. The veteran performer died on March 11 just weeks before his 95th birthday. His stage and screen career spanned over six decades. However one of his most famous roles was as the voice of the villainous Emperor Palpatine Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980).

He admitted the role had made him a favourite amongst fans of the sci-fi franchise. “They come up to me, and I tell them to get close and shut their eyes,” he said in a 2015 interview with The Spectrum. “Then I say [in the emperor’s haunting voice], ‘There is a great disturbance in the Force.’ People turn white, and one nearly fainted!”

His links to Star Wars continued as he voiced several characters in Star Wars video games over the years. He also grew his fandom thanks to his work voicing Alfred the butler on Batman: The Animated Series in 1992. He further lent his voice talents to the character of Kickback in Transformers: The Movie in 1986.

News of his death devastated fans who took to social media to pay tribute. Writing on X one 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 TESB. May he RIP. And may the Force be with him always."

"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 added.

A third chimed in: "Clive Revill was an underrated actor and voice actor, but 94 is a good run." Antoehr added: "RIP Clive Revill, the voice of the Emperor in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK but also brilliant as the hotel manager in Billy Wilder's AVANTI!"

Born on 18 April 1930 in Wellington, New Zealand he originally trained to be an accountant in New Zealand, but decided to change career path in 1950 after making his stage debut as Sebastian in Twelfth Night. He moved to London in that same year and studied acting there at the Old Vic Theatre.

He initally struggled as he recalled in a 2017 interview with the Dallas Observer. “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. I had a marvelous talk with a woman who was in charge of movement in school and she took me aside and said, ‘You’ve got to go back to within yourself and find the truth within yourself, and if you can find that truth, never, never, never lose it because it’s more than a ring on a finger. It’s the absolute, innermost line within your life and your spirit,'” he said.

He would go on to be nominated for Tony Award twice for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for Irma La Douce and Best Actor in a Musical for Oliver! He was also nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Billy Wilder's 1972 movie Avanti!.

Alongside his stage and movie work he made numerous TV appearances throughout his almost seven decade career. He famously appeared on Peter Falk’s last episode of the original Columbo series in 1978 and sguested on Maude, Hart to Hart, Dynasty, Remington Steele, Murder, She Wrote and Babylon 5 to Magnum, P.I., Newhart, MacGyver, Dear John, The Fall Guy and Star Trek: The Next Generation to name just a few.