British actor Kenneth Colley, best known for his role as Admiral Piett in the original “Star Wars” trilogy, died Monday, June 30, at age 87 after contracting COVID-19 and developing pneumonia. The veteran character actor passed away peacefully at his home in Ashford, Kent, with friends at his bedside.
Colley’s agent Julian Owen confirmed the death in a statement, explaining that the actor had been admitted to the hospital after injuring his arm in a fall. While hospitalized, he quickly contracted COVID-19, which developed into pneumonia. Owen described his client as “one of our finest character actors with a career spanning 60 years.”
Colley portrayed Admiral Piett, the commander of Darth Vader’s flagship Star Dreadnought Executor, in “The Empire Strikes Back” (1980) and “Return of the Jedi” (1983). His character served as first officer under Admiral Kendal Ozzel before assuming command of the ship after Ozzel’s death at Vader’s hands. According to Owen’s statement, Colley’s participation in the beloved franchise led him to be invited to conventions and official fan events worldwide, where he remained one of the most beloved actors from the original trilogy.
Born in Manchester on December 7, 1937, Colley began his professional acting career in 1961. He performed with prestigious theater companies including London’s Old Vic, The Royal Court Theatre, and the Royal Shakespeare Company. His television appearances in the 1960s included episodes of “The Avengers,” “Coronation Street,” and “Emergency-Ward 10,” along with film roles in “How I Won the War” (1967) and “Oh! What a Lovely War” (1968).
The actor enjoyed a fruitful collaboration with director Ken Russell, appearing in seven of his films. These included “The Music Lovers” (1971), where he played dramatist Modest Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and other Russell productions such as “The Devils” (1971), “The Boy Friend” (1971), “Mahler” (1974), “Lisztomania” (1975), “The Rainbow” (1989), and “Prisoner of Honor” (1991).
Colley also maintained a significant association with Monty Python members, working with director Terry Gilliam in “Jabberwocky” (1977) and with Michael Palin and Terry Jones on a 1977 episode of the BBC’s “Ripping Yarns.” His most notable role with the comedy troupe was playing Jesus in “Monty Python’s Life of Brian” (1979).
The actor’s extensive filmography included roles in Clint Eastwood’s “Firefox” (1982), where he played a Soviet colonel, and the 1985 NBC telefilm “Wallenberg: A Hero’s Story,” in which he portrayed Adolf Eichmann. He also appeared in the 1988-89 ABC miniseries “War and Remembrance” as a Nazi officer and had a recurring role as a crime boss on the BBC’s “Peaky Blinders” in 2016.
Throughout his career, Colley appeared in over 150 onscreen roles between 1961 and 2024. His television work included appearances in the long-running British series “EastEnders,” “Misfits,” and various other productions. He also directed the 2007 horror film “Greetings,” starring Kirsty Cox, Henry Dunn, and Ben Shockley.
Colley reprised his “Star Wars” role decades later, voicing Admiral Piett in the 2012 animated telefilm “Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out.” According to reports, his character wasn’t originally planned for “Return of the Jedi,” but George Lucas decided to include him after Lucasfilm received significant fan mail about the character.
Despite his numerous film and television roles, Owen revealed that Colley’s favorite part was playing Estragon in the stage production of Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot” at the Cockpit Theatre in London in 2014. The actor had a stutter that reportedly disappeared whenever he was performing on stage or in front of a camera.
Colley’s final film role was in the 2024 movie “Dan Hawk Psychic Detective,” and he lent his voice to a short film called “I Am Tree” in 2023. According to his agent, the actor enjoyed gardening, collecting art, and had a passion for fast cars outside of his professional work.
Monty Python comedian Michael Palin, who worked with Colley in “Life of Brian,” told The Independent that Colley was always dependable and convincing, describing him as a very special actor and a very good man. Colley’s death represents the loss of a versatile performer whose career spanned six decades across theater, film, and television.
