Star Wars icon Kenneth Colley has died aged 87.
The late actor – who is best known for playing Admiral Piett in George Lucas’ sci-fi franchise – “peacefully” passed away on Monday (30.06.25) in Ashford, Kent, after contracting Covid and pneumonia, his agent Julian Owen has confirmed.
In a statement, Owen said: “He had been admitted after a fall with an injured arm, however he quickly contracted Covid which developed into pneumonia. He passed away peacefully with friends at his bedside.
“Ken Colley was one of our finest character actors with a career spanning 60 years.
“Ken continually worked on stage, film and television playing a vast array of characters, from Jesus in Monty Python’s Life of Brian to evil and eccentric characters in Ken Russell films, and the Duke of Vienna in Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure for the BBC.”
Colley appeared in 1980’s Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back as Admiral Piett, the commander of Darth Vader’s flagship, The Executor, and reprised the role for the 1983 sequel Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi.
The actor also voiced Piett in the LEGO animation LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out in 2012.
The statement continued: “Ken’s favourite part was playing Estragon in the stage production of Beckett’s classic Waiting for Godot at the Cockpit Theatre in London in 2014.
“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.
“Ken loved his garden, art collecting and had a passion for fast cars.”
Colley was born on 7 December 1937 in Manchester, and started his acting career in 1961 at the Leicester repertory theatre as a stagehand and ensemble player.
Colley soon joined esteemed companies like the Old Vic in London, the Royal Court, and the Royal Shakespeare Company.
The actor’s early TV work included a minor role in The Avengers in 1963, and appearances in series such as The Sweeney, and The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes.
Colley’s first movie role came in 1964, where he portrayed a Covent Garden Porter in the drama Seventy Deadly Pills.
Colley would later appear in Monty Python’s Life of Brian with John Cleese and Michael Palin, in which he portrayed Jesus Christ.
He also worked with Clint Eastwood on the 1982 film Firefox, in which he portrayed Colonel Kontarsky.
In his later years, Colley featured in shows like Holby City and a two-part Doctor Who special.
Colley’s final on-screen role came in 2016, where he played Vincente Changretta in Series 3 of the BBC TV drama Peaky Blinders.
Star Wars icon Kenneth Colley has died aged 87.
The late actor – who is best known for playing Admiral Piett in George Lucas’ sci-fi franchise – “peacefully” passed away on Monday (30.06.25) in Ashford, Kent, after contracting Covid and pneumonia, his agent Julian Owen has confirmed.
In a statement, Owen said: “He had been admitted after a fall with an injured arm, however he quickly contracted Covid which developed into pneumonia. He passed away peacefully with friends at his bedside.
“Ken Colley was one of our finest character actors with a career spanning 60 years.
“Ken continually worked on stage, film and television playing a vast array of characters, from Jesus in Monty Python’s Life of Brian to evil and eccentric characters in Ken Russell films, and the Duke of Vienna in Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure for the BBC.”
Colley appeared in 1980’s Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back as Admiral Piett, the commander of Darth Vader’s flagship, The Executor, and reprised the role for the 1983 sequel Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi.
The actor also voiced Piett in the LEGO animation LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out in 2012.
The statement continued: “Ken’s favourite part was playing Estragon in the stage production of Beckett’s classic Waiting for Godot at the Cockpit Theatre in London in 2014.
“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.
“Ken loved his garden, art collecting and had a passion for fast cars.”
Colley was born on 7 December 1937 in Manchester, and started his acting career in 1961 at the Leicester repertory theatre as a stagehand and ensemble player.
Colley soon joined esteemed companies like the Old Vic in London, the Royal Court, and the Royal Shakespeare Company.
The actor’s early TV work included a minor role in The Avengers in 1963, and appearances in series such as The Sweeney, and The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes.
Colley’s first movie role came in 1964, where he portrayed a Covent Garden Porter in the drama Seventy Deadly Pills.
Colley would later appear in Monty Python’s Life of Brian with John Cleese and Michael Palin, in which he portrayed Jesus Christ.
He also worked with Clint Eastwood on the 1982 film Firefox, in which he portrayed Colonel Kontarsky.
In his later years, Colley featured in shows like Holby City and a two-part Doctor Who special.
Colley’s final on-screen role came in 2016, where he played Vincente Changretta in Series 3 of the BBC TV drama Peaky Blinders.
