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Kenneth Colley

Kenneth Colley

ActorDirectorProducerWriter Dec 7 (died age 87) Manchester, England, UK 1956–2025 (69 year career)
6.2 avg rating

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. As a Shak…

Known For

The Empire Strikes Back
Film

The Empire Strikes Back

Admiral Piett
Return of the Jedi
Film

Return of the Jedi

Admiral Piett
Life of Brian
Film

Life of Brian

Jesus
The Devils
Film

The Devils

Legrand
Brassed Off
Film

Brassed Off

Greasley
Firefox
Film

Firefox

Colonel Kontarsky
La Vie de Bohème
Film

La Vie de Bohème

Street Sweeper
I Hired a Contract Killer
Film

I Hired a Contract Killer

The Killer

Filmography

Acting (110)

·

Movies (56)

Scar Tissue

Scar Tissue

2013

as Weaver

5.2
LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out

LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out

2012

as Admiral Piett (voice)

6.4
Greetings

Greetings

2007

as Ken

1.0
Like Father Like Son

Like Father Like Son

2005

as Rawsthorne

6.2
Hold Back the Night

Hold Back the Night

1999

as Uncle Bob

4.7
Shadow Run

Shadow Run

1998

as Larcombe

3.8
Brassed Off

Brassed Off

1996

as Greasley

7.0
Robert Rylands' Last Journey

Robert Rylands' Last Journey

1996

as Archdale

6.1
Solomon & Sheba

Solomon & Sheba

1995

as Nathan

6.2
Unnatural Causes

Unnatural Causes

1993

as Inspector Gerry Reckless

6.5
The Secret Life of Arnold Bax

The Secret Life of Arnold Bax

1992

as John Ireland

6.0
La Vie de Bohème

La Vie de Bohème

1992

as Street Sweeper

7.5
Prisoner of Honor

Prisoner of Honor

1991

as Capt. Dreyfus

6.2
The Last Island

The Last Island

1990

as Nick

5.7
I Hired a Contract Killer

I Hired a Contract Killer

1990

as The Killer

6.8
The Plot to Kill Hitler

The Plot to Kill Hitler

1990

as Wilhelm Keitel

6.0
Kremlin Farewell

Kremlin Farewell

1990

as Sergej

A Master of the Marionettes

A Master of the Marionettes

1989

as Inspector Tennyson

The Rainbow

The Rainbow

1989

as Mr. Brunt

5.5
A Summer Story

A Summer Story

1988

as Jim

6.0
Casanova

Casanova

1987

as Le Duc

3.9
The Whistle Blower

The Whistle Blower

1986

as Bill Pickett

5.8
Return to Waterloo

Return to Waterloo

1984

as The Traveller

6.7
Return of the Jedi

Return of the Jedi

1983

as Admiral Piett

7.9
The Scarlet and the Black

The Scarlet and the Black

1983

as Capt. Hirsch

7.0
Firefox

Firefox

1982

as Colonel Kontarsky

6.0
Giro City

Giro City

1982

as Martin

5.0
I Remember Nelson

I Remember Nelson

1982

as Vice-Adm. Horatio Viscount Nelson

The Empire Strikes Back

The Empire Strikes Back

1980

as Admiral Piett

8.4
Life of Brian

Life of Brian

1979

as Jesus

7.8
The Danedyke Mystery

The Danedyke Mystery

1979

as The Major

Measure for Measure

Measure for Measure

1979

as Duke Vincentio

5.2
Les Misérables

Les Misérables

1978

as Police Prefect

7.1
One Bummer News Day

One Bummer News Day

1978

as Frank Benyon

Jabberwocky

Jabberwocky

1977

as 1st Fanatic

6.0
Come the Revolution

Come the Revolution

1977

as Bruce Tetley

The Testing of Eric Olthwaite

The Testing of Eric Olthwaite

1977

as Robber

7.0
Three Days in Szczecin

Three Days in Szczecin

1976

as Edmund Bałuka

The Chester Mystery Plays

The Chester Mystery Plays

1976
Lisztomania

Lisztomania

1975

as Frederic Chopin

5.9
Flame

Flame

1975

as Tony Devlin

7.1
Juggernaut

Juggernaut

1974

as Detective Brown

6.2
Mahler

Mahler

1974

as Krenek

6.7
Hitler: The Last Ten Days

Hitler: The Last Ten Days

1973

as Boldt

6.1
The Triple Echo

The Triple Echo

1972

as Provo Corporal

5.6
The Devils

The Devils

1971

as Legrand

7.5
The Music Lovers

The Music Lovers

1971

as Modeste Tchaikovsky

6.5
The Boy Friend

The Boy Friend

1971

as King in fantasy sequence (uncredited)

6.5
Dance of the Seven Veils

Dance of the Seven Veils

1970
8.0
Performance

Performance

1970

as Tony Farrell

6.8
Who Pays?

Who Pays?

1968

as Corbett

The Blood Beast Terror

The Blood Beast Terror

1968

as James

5.5
The Jokers

The Jokers

1967

as De Winter

6.0
How I Won the War

How I Won the War

1967

as 2nd Replacement

5.5
Three Clear Sundays

Three Clear Sundays

1965

as Nick

5.0
Seventy Deadly Pills

Seventy Deadly Pills

1963

as Covent Garden porter

6.0

Television (54)

The Institute

The Institute

2025

as Gate Guard #5

7.6
Peaky Blinders

Peaky Blinders

2013

as Vicente Changretta

8.5
Vera

Vera

2011

as Ronald Devreux

7.5
Misfits

Misfits

2009

as Old Rudy

7.6
The Queen

The Queen

2009
7.0
New Tricks

New Tricks

2004
7.3
The Royal

The Royal

2003

as Bernard Hussey

7.6
Foyle's War

Foyle's War

2002

as Brian Jones

7.8
Relic Hunter

Relic Hunter

1999

as Professor Lamenza

6.7
Always and Everyone

Always and Everyone

1999

as Joseph

9.0
The Last Train

The Last Train

1999
7.2
The Mrs Bradley Mysteries

The Mrs Bradley Mysteries

1998

as Archie Burlington

6.9
Midsomer Murders

Midsomer Murders

1997

as Lloyd Kirby

7.5
Wycliffe

Wycliffe

1994

as Sam Peploe

6.0
Peak Practice

Peak Practice

1993

as Stan Jordan

6.1
Heartbeat

Heartbeat

1992

as Clive Harris

7.1
Between the Lines

Between the Lines

1992

as Chief Supt. Tattersall

5.2
Agatha Christie's Poirot

Agatha Christie's Poirot

1989

as Mathew Davenheim

8.2
The Modern World: Ten Great Writers

The Modern World: Ten Great Writers

1988

as Chief Inspector Heat

Inspector Morse

Inspector Morse

1987

as DCI Patrick Dawson

7.9
Casualty

Casualty

1986

as Paddy

6.2
John Silver's Return to Treasure Island

John Silver's Return to Treasure Island

1986

as Ben Gunn

8.3
Wallenberg: A Hero's Story

Wallenberg: A Hero's Story

1985

as Adolf Eichmann

6.0
Mussolini: The Untold Story

Mussolini: The Untold Story

1985

as King Vittorio Emmanuele

4.8
The Kenny Everett Television Show

The Kenny Everett Television Show

1982

as Self

7.0
I Remember Nelson

I Remember Nelson

1982

as ice-Adm. Horatio Viscount Nelson

3.3
Peter and Paul

Peter and Paul

1981

as Theodotus

7.0
Minder

Minder

1979

as Ron

6.8
Pennies from Heaven

Pennies from Heaven

1978

as The Accordion Man

7.7
Target

Target

1977

as Jessal

6.3
Ripping Yarns

Ripping Yarns

1976

as Robber

7.5
Dickens of London

Dickens of London

1976

as Robert Seymour

6.5
The Sweeney

The Sweeney

1975

as Noah Riley

7.9
The Love School

The Love School

1975

as Edward Burne-Jones

Churchill's People

Churchill's People

1974

as Ancient Beau

1.0
Fall of Eagles

Fall of Eagles

1974

as Father Gapon

6.9
Black and Blue

Black and Blue

1973

as Schultz

6.0
Crown Court

Crown Court

1972

as Stanley Meredith

5.4
The Protectors

The Protectors

1972

as Devlin

5.8
The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes

The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes

1971

as Farrish

7.4
Play for Today

Play for Today

1970

as Bruce Tetley

6.3
Judge Dee

Judge Dee

1969
5.0
Dear Mother... ...Love Albert

Dear Mother... ...Love Albert

1969
5.5
The Expert

The Expert

1968

as Foreman

10.0
Omnibus

Omnibus

1967

as Hitler

7.2
The Informer

The Informer

1966

as Slater

BBC Play of the Month

BBC Play of the Month

1965

as Yolinichev

5.0
Thirty-Minute Theatre

Thirty-Minute Theatre

1965

as Paddy

3.4
The Wednesday Play

The Wednesday Play

1964

as Bethold Florenberg

4.5
Redcap

Redcap

1964

as Private Bolt

6.0
It's Dark Outside

It's Dark Outside

1964

as Hammond

The Avengers

The Avengers

1961
7.7
No Hiding Place

No Hiding Place

1959
3.7
Armchair Theatre

Armchair Theatre

1956

as Jimmy

5.8