Given his backstory, he would have had to maintain that facade on Naboo for decades as he rose up the ranks in government. Lucas could have made it easier on himself had he just not gone there and left the Emperor’s appearance in ROTJ be a shocking surprise as it once was in 1983. Or just have Palpatine’s appearance begin to subtly change in ROTS after Anakin saves him, hinting at the corruption of his body in the years to come.

I do like the idea of a Sith lord feeding off the pain and suffering of others. That idea has been around a long time in horror fiction.