'Darth Vader,' 'Emperor Palpatine' visit patients Utah children's hospital

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) – Two of the most iconic villains [alright, alright, THE MOST iconic villains] from the Star Wars universe are softies after all.

Actors Ian McDiarmid (Senator/Emperor Palpatine) and Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader) stopped by Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City Thursday morning to visit with some star-struck patients.

The pair is in Utah for FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention this weekend.

Children and their parents were all smiles as both actors spent time with several children one-on-one, asking the kiddos questions, answering their questions, signing autographs and taking pictures.

One child was excited to tell Christensen that they both had the same last name, spelled the same way.

The two chatted it up about their shared Danish ancestry, to which Christensen said he's kind of "a mutt" with Danish, Swedish and Italian blood.

Children and their families lined up for the meet-and-greet in the hospital's Ronald McDonald Room.

Actor John Rhys-Davies of Lord of the Rings and Indiana Jones fame also greeted children but showed up later than McDiarmid and Christensen.