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Kenneth Colley
Actor

Kenneth Colley

7 Dec 1937Born
30 Jun 2025Died
87Age at death
119Credits

Biography

Kenneth Colley (7 December 1937 — 30 June 2025) was an English actor. A long-time character actor, he came to wider prominence through his role as Admiral Piett in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.

Colley was born in Manchester. He played Jesus (very briefly indeed) in Life of Brian (1979), having also appeared in the earlier Python-related production Ripping Yarns episode "The Testing of Eric Olthwaite" alongside Michael Palin.

Read the full biography

As a Shakespearean actor, he played the Duke of Vienna in the BBC Television Shakespeare production of Measure for Measure (also 1979).

Colley also held an important role in the Clint Eastwood film Firefox, as a Soviet Colonel tasked with the protection of the Firefox and its secrets. Colley portrayed SS-Standartenführer Paul Blobel in the World War II drama War and Remembrance. His character was charged with hiding the evidence of the Holocaust, and putting dead victims through "Economic Processing".

According to comments Terry Gilliam (who directed him in Jabberwocky and co-starred with him in Life of Brian) made in the DVD audio commentaries for both films, Colley is a terrible stutterer in real life. When he had a role in a film, however, he could recite the lines perfectly. Stuttering is a character trait, however, in his role as the "Accordion Man" in the BBC television drama Pennies from Heaven (1978). He has also recently starred in BBC's HolbyBlue as a drunk and violent father, grandfather and father-in-law.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Kenneth Colley, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known for

Filmography

The 80 most recent of 119 credits.

  1. 2025The InstituteSeries: Gate Guard #5 (1 episode)
  2. 2025Dan Hawk Psychic DetectiveFilm: Thaddeus Moncrief
  3. 2013Scar TissueFilm: Weaver
  4. 2013Peaky BlindersSeries: Vicente Changretta (2 episodes)
  5. 2012LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes OutFilm: Admiral Piett (voice)
  6. 2011VeraSeries: Ronald Devreux (1 episode)
  7. 2009The QueenSeries (5 episodes)
  8. 2009MisfitsSeries: Old Rudy (1 episode)
  9. 2007GreetingsFilm: Ken, Director, Writer
  10. 2005Like Father Like SonFilm: Rawsthorne
  11. 2004New TricksSeries (1 episode)
  12. 2003The RoyalSeries: Bernard Hussey (1 episode)
  13. 2002Foyle's WarSeries: Brian Jones (1 episode)
  14. 1999Relic HunterSeries: Professor Lamenza (1 episode)
  15. 1999Hold Back the NightFilm: Uncle Bob
  16. 1999Always and EveryoneSeries: Joseph (1 episode)
  17. 1999The Last TrainSeries (1 episode)
  18. 1998The Mrs Bradley MysteriesSeries: Archie Burlington (1 episode)
  19. 1998Shadow RunFilm: Larcombe
  20. 1997Midsomer MurdersSeries: Lloyd Kirby (1 episode)
  21. 1996Brassed OffFilm: Greasley
  22. 1996Robert Rylands' Last JourneyFilm: Archdale
  23. 1995Solomon & ShebaFilm: Nathan
  24. 1994WycliffeSeries: Sam Peploe (1 episode)
  25. 1994Moving StorySeries: Ken Uttley (14 episodes)
  26. 1993Peak PracticeSeries: Stan Jordan (1 episode)
  27. 1993Unnatural CausesFilm: Inspector Gerry Reckless
  28. 1992The Secret Life of Arnold BaxFilm: John Ireland
  29. 1992Between the LinesSeries: Chief Supt. Tattersall (1 episode)
  30. 1992HeartbeatSeries: Clive Harris (1 episode)
  31. 1992La Vie de BohèmeFilm: Street Sweeper
  32. 1991Prisoner of HonorFilm: Capt. Dreyfus
  33. 1990The Last IslandFilm: Nick
  34. 1990I Hired a Contract KillerFilm: The Killer
  35. 1990Kremlin FarewellFilm: Sergej
  36. 1990The Plot to Kill HitlerFilm: Wilhelm Keitel
  37. 1989The RainbowFilm: Mr. Brunt
  38. 1989A Master of the MarionettesFilm: Inspector Tennyson
  39. 1989Agatha Christie's PoirotSeries: Mathew Davenheim (1 episode)
  40. 1988War and RemembranceSeries: Paul Blobel (2 episodes)
  41. 1988A Summer StoryFilm: Jim
  42. 1988The Play on OneSeries: DI Tennyson (1 episode)
  43. 1988The Modern World: Ten Great WritersSeries: Chief Inspector Heat (1 episode)
  44. 1987CasanovaFilm: Le Duc
  45. 1987Inspector MorseSeries: DCI Patrick Dawson (1 episode)
  46. 1986The Whistle BlowerFilm: Bill Pickett
  47. 1986CasualtySeries: Paddy, Clifford Watkins, Arthur Cobb (1 episode)
  48. 1986John Silver's Return to Treasure IslandSeries: Ben Gunn (10 episodes)
  49. 1985Mussolini: The Untold StorySeries: King Vittorio Emmanuele (4 episodes)
  50. 1985Function RoomSeries (1 episode)
  51. 1985Wallenberg: A Hero's StorySeries: Adolf Eichmann (2 episodes)
  52. 1985Screen TwoSeries: Sergej (1 episode)
  53. 1984Return to WaterlooFilm: The Traveller
  54. 1983Return of the JediFilm: Admiral Piett
  55. 1983The Scarlet and the BlackFilm: Capt. Hirsch
  56. 1982Giro CityFilm: Martin
  57. 1982FirefoxFilm: Colonel Kontarsky
  58. 1982I Remember NelsonSeries: ice-Adm. Horatio Viscount Nelson (4 episodes)
  59. 1981Peter and PaulSeries: Theodotus (2 episodes)
  60. 1980The Empire Strikes BackFilm: Admiral Piett
  61. 1979MinderSeries: Ron (1 episode)
  62. 1979Life of BrianFilm: Jesus
  63. 1979The Danedyke MysteryFilm: The Major
  64. 1979Measure for MeasureFilm: Duke Vincentio
  65. 1978Les MisérablesFilm: Police Prefect
  66. 1978One Bummer News DayFilm: Frank Benyon
  67. 1978The BBC Television ShakespeareSeries: Duke Vincentio (1 episode)
  68. 1978Pennies from HeavenSeries: The Accordion Man (6 episodes)
  69. 1977Come the RevolutionFilm: Bruce Tetley
  70. 1977The Testing of Eric OlthwaiteFilm: Robber
  71. 1977TargetSeries: Jessal (1 episode)
  72. 1977JabberwockyFilm: 1st Fanatic
  73. 1976Dickens of LondonSeries: Robert Seymour (1 episode)
  74. 1976Three Days in SzczecinFilm: Edmund Bałuka
  75. 1976The Chester Mystery PlaysFilm
  76. 1976Ripping YarnsSeries: Robber (1 episode)
  77. 1975LisztomaniaFilm: Frederic Chopin
  78. 1975FlameFilm: Tony Devlin
  79. 1975The Love SchoolSeries: Edward Burne-Jones (3 episodes)
  80. 1975The SweeneySeries: Noah Riley (1 episode)

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.