Star Wars actor Kenneth Colley has died at the age of 87 in England.
Best known for his role as Admiral Piett in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Colley passed away on Monday, June 30, at his home in Ashford, Kent, surrounded by loved ones. According to reports, he had recently been hospitalized after a fall injured his arm and later contracted COVID, which developed into pneumonia.
“Ken Colley was one of our finest character actors with a career spanning 60 years,” his agent Julian Owen told the BBC.
Born on December 7, 1937, in Manchester, Colley’s early work included British TV classics like The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes, Special Branch, The Sweeney, and Pennies from Heaven. His diverse talents also shone through in roles such as Jesus in Monty Python’s Life of Brian, and a range of eccentric characters in films by Ken Russell. He also played the Duke of Vienna in Measure for Measure for the BBC.
Colley entered the Star Wars galaxy in 1980 as Imperial officer Admiral Piett, a fan-favorite character he portrayed in two of the original trilogy films. He later reprised the role in 2012’s animated special Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out.
“Ken’s participation in Star Wars led him to being invited to conventions and official fan events all over the world where he remains one of the best loved actors from the original trilogy,” Owen shared.
Off-screen, Colley enjoyed gardening, collecting art, and had a known love for fast cars.
