Kenneth Colley
Kenneth Cooley | Ken Colley
About the person
Career:
Acting
Date of birth:1937-12-07
Place of birth:Manchester, England, UK
Gender:Male
Popularity:1
Date of death2025-06-30
87Biography
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).
Filmography
Rating by year
- The InstituteGate Guard #52025-07-137.6157
- Scar TissueWeaver2013-09-125.28
- Peaky BlindersVicente Changretta2013-09-128.511,167
- LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes OutAdmiral Piett (voice)2012-09-266.4108
- VeraRonald Devreux2011-05-017.4174
- The Queen2009-11-297.02
- MisfitsOld Rudy2009-11-127.61,024
- GreetingsKen2007-10-231.02
- Like Father Like SonRawsthorne2005-01-246.412
- New Tricks2004-01-017.364
- The RoyalBernard Hussey2003-01-197.810
- Foyle's WarBrian Jones2002-10-277.9108
- Relic HunterProfessor Lamenza1999-09-256.7174
- Hold Back the NightUncle Bob1999-06-105.011
- Always and EveryoneJoseph1999-06-079.52
- The Last Train1999-04-077.417
- The Mrs Bradley MysteriesArchie Burlington1998-08-317.311
- Shadow RunLarcombe1998-01-014.212
- Midsomer MurdersLloyd Kirby1997-03-237.5357
- Brassed OffGreasley1996-11-017.0297
- Robert Rylands' Last JourneyArchdale1996-10-186.39
- Solomon & ShebaNathan1995-02-267.010
- WycliffeSam Peploe1994-07-246.85
- Peak PracticeStan Jordan1993-05-106.510
- Unnatural CausesInspector Gerry Reckless1993-01-026.84
- The Secret Life of Arnold BaxJohn Ireland1992-11-226.33
- Between the LinesChief Supt. Tattersall1992-09-045.513
- HeartbeatClive Harris1992-04-107.233
- La Vie de BohèmeStreet Sweeper1992-02-277.5149
- Prisoner of HonorCapt. Dreyfus1991-11-026.315
- The Last IslandNick1990-11-165.97
- I Hired a Contract KillerThe Killer1990-10-126.8226
- Kremlin FarewellSergej1990-04-018.01
- The Plot to Kill HitlerWilhelm Keitel1990-01-306.226
- The RainbowMr. Brunt1989-05-055.636
- A Master of the MarionettesInspector Tennyson1989-04-180.00
- Agatha Christie's PoirotMathew Davenheim1989-01-088.2552
- War and RemembrancePaul Blobel1988-11-137.937
- A Summer StoryJim1988-08-116.122
- The Play on OneDI Tennyson1988-01-196.03
- The Modern World: Ten Great WritersChief Inspector Heat1988-01-108.01
- CasanovaLe Duc1987-03-014.112
- Inspector MorseDCI Patrick Dawson1987-01-067.9142
- The Whistle BlowerBill Pickett1986-11-215.947
- John Silver's Return to Treasure IslandBen Gunn1986-04-058.84
- Mussolini: The Untold StoryKing Vittorio Emmanuele1985-11-245.311
- Wallenberg: A Hero's StoryAdolf Eichmann1985-04-086.49
- Screen TwoSergej1985-01-067.17
- Return to WaterlooThe Traveller1984-11-016.824
- Return of the JediAdmiral Piett1983-05-257.917,001
- The Scarlet and the BlackCapt. Hirsch1983-02-027.063
- Giro CityMartin1982-11-015.65
- FirefoxColonel Kontarsky1982-06-186.1623
- I Remember NelsonVice-Adm. Horatio Viscount Nelson1982-04-140.00
- I Remember Nelsonice-Adm. Horatio Viscount Nelson1982-04-074.65
- The Kenny Everett Television ShowSelf1982-02-257.312
- Peter and PaulTheodotus1981-04-127.26
- The Empire Strikes BackAdmiral Piett1980-05-208.418,496
- MinderRon1979-10-297.229
- Life of BrianJesus1979-08-177.84,952
- The Danedyke MysteryThe Major1979-06-030.00
- Measure for MeasureDuke Vincentio1979-02-185.97
- Les MisérablesPolice Prefect1978-12-277.242
- One Bummer News DayFrank Benyon1978-12-120.00
- The BBC Television ShakespeareDuke Vincentio1978-12-036.06
- Pennies from HeavenThe Accordion Man1978-03-077.616
- Come the RevolutionBruce Tetley1977-10-2510.01
- The Testing of Eric OlthwaiteRobber1977-09-228.52
- TargetJessal1977-09-097.04
- Jabberwocky1st Fanatic1977-03-286.0321
- Dickens of LondonRobert Seymour1976-09-287.33
- Three Days in SzczecinEdmund Bałuka1976-09-210.00
- The Chester Mystery Plays1976-04-180.00
- Ripping YarnsRobber1976-01-077.724
- LisztomaniaFrederic Chopin1975-10-105.838
- FlameTony Devlin1975-02-137.314
- The Love SchoolEdward Burne-Jones1975-01-220.00
- The SweeneyNoah Riley1975-01-028.027
- Churchill's PeopleAncient Beau1974-12-305.02
- JuggernautDetective Brown1974-09-256.2139
- MahlerKrenek1974-04-046.847
- Fall of EaglesFather Gapon1974-03-157.010
- Black and BlueSchultz1973-08-146.52
- Hitler: The Last Ten DaysBoldt1973-04-196.239
- The Triple EchoProvo Corporal1972-11-165.824
- Crown CourtStanley Meredith1972-10-115.76
- The ProtectorsDevlin1972-09-296.114
- New Scotland YardPeter Elliot1972-04-226.33
- The Boy FriendKing in fantasy sequence (uncredited)1971-12-166.539
- The Rivals of Sherlock HolmesFarrish1971-09-207.511
- The DevilsLegrand1971-07-167.4436
- The Music LoversModeste Tchaikovsky1971-02-126.556
- Play for TodayBruce Tetley1970-10-156.610
- Play for TodayFrank Benyon1970-10-156.610
- Performance.Tony Farrell1970-08-036.8202
- Dance of the Seven Veils1970-02-158.33
- Cause of DeathDr. Emil Justin1968-11-110.00
- The ExpertForeman1968-07-059.02
- The ExpertMunt1968-07-059.02
- The Blood Beast TerrorJames1968-02-015.562
- Who Pays?Corbett1968-01-190.00
- How I Won the War2nd Replacement1967-10-185.638
- OmnibusHitler1967-10-137.29
- The JokersDe Winter1967-05-156.318
- The InformerSlater1966-08-030.00
- MacbethMacbeth's servant1966-01-010.00
- BBC Play of the MonthYolinichev1965-10-195.38
- Thirty-Minute TheatrePaddy1965-10-074.28
- Thirty-Minute TheatreDr. Emil Justin1965-10-074.28
- Thirty-Minute TheatreAdolf Hitler1965-10-074.28
- Thirty-Minute TheatreCharles I1965-10-074.28
- Three Clear SundaysNick1965-04-075.73
- RedcapPrivate Bolt1964-10-178.02
- The Wednesday PlayBethold Florenberg1964-09-305.25
- It's Dark OutsideHammond1964-01-030.00
- Seventy Deadly PillsCovent Garden porter1963-01-017.52
- The Avengers1961-01-077.8150
- No Hiding Place1959-09-164.84
- Armchair TheatreJimmy1956-07-086.06