Kenneth Colley

Kenneth Colley

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. 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.

Acting

2025

The Institute

Gate Guard #5

2013

Peaky Blinders

Vicente Changretta

2013

2012

2011

Vera

Ronald Devreux

2009

The Queen

Unknown

2009

Misfits

Old Rudy

2005

2004

New Tricks

Unknown

2003

The Royal

Bernard Hussey

2002

Foyle's War

Brian Jones

1999

Relic Hunter

Professor Lamenza

1999

1999

1998

The Mrs Bradley Mysteries

Archie Burlington

1998

Shadow Run

Larcombe

1997

Midsomer Murders

Lloyd Kirby

1996

Brassed Off

Greasley

1996

1994

Wycliffe

Sam Peploe

1993

Peak Practice

Stan Jordan

1993

Unnatural Causes

Inspector Gerry Reckless

1992

Between the Lines

Chief Supt. Tattersall

1992

Heartbeat

Clive Harris

1992

La Vie de Bohème

Street Sweeper

1991

Prisoner of Honor

Capt. Dreyfus

1990

1989

The Rainbow

Mr. Brunt

1989

Agatha Christie's Poirot

Mathew Davenheim

1988

1987

Casanova

Le Duc

1987

Inspector Morse

DCI Patrick Dawson

1986

The Whistle Blower

Bill Pickett

1986

Casualty

Clifford Watkins

1986

Casualty

Arthur Cobb

1986

1985

Mussolini: The Untold Story

King Vittorio Emmanuele

1985

1984

Return to Waterloo

The Traveller

1983

Return of the Jedi

Admiral Piett

1983

1982

Firefox

Colonel Kontarsky

1982

I Remember Nelson

ice-Adm. Horatio Viscount Nelson

1982

1980

1979

1979

1978

Les Misérables

Police Prefect

1978

Pennies from Heaven

The Accordion Man

1978

Hazell

Unknown

1977

Target

Jessal

1977

Jabberwocky

1st Fanatic

1976

Dickens of London

Robert Seymour

1976

1976

1975

Lisztomania

Frederic Chopin

1975

Flame

Tony Devlin

1975

The Love School

Edward Burne-Jones

1975

The Sweeney

Noah Riley

1974

Churchill's People

Ancient Beau

1974

Juggernaut

Detective Brown

1974

Mahler

Krenek

1973

1973

1972

The Triple Echo

Provo Corporal

1972

Crown Court

Stanley Meredith

1972

1971

The Boy Friend

King in fantasy sequence (uncredited)

1971

1971

The Devils

Legrand

1971

The Music Lovers

Modeste Tchaikovsky

1970

Play for Today

Frank Benyon

1970

Play for Today

Bruce Tetley

1970

Performance

Tony Farrell

1969

1968

1968

The Expert

Foreman

1968

1967

How I Won the War

2nd Replacement

1967

Omnibus

Hitler

1967

The Jokers

De Winter

1966

1965

1965

1964

The Wednesday Play

Bethold Florenberg

1964

1961

1959

Infos

Full Name
Kenneth Colley
Gender
Male
Date of Birth
12/7/1937
Date of Death
6/30/2025
Also Known As

Kenneth Cooley

Ken Colley