Kenneth Colley
Acting • Born 1937-12-07 – Died 2025-06-30
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 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.
Filmography
115 credits
Life of Brian
Movie • 1979
Jesus
The Empire Strikes Back
Movie • 1980
Admiral Piett
Firefox
Movie • 1982
Colonel Kontarsky
I Hired a Contract Killer
Movie • 1990
The Killer
Brassed Off
Movie • 1996
Greasley
The Scarlet and the Black
Movie • 1983
Capt. Hirsch
Les Misérables
Movie • 1978
Police Prefect
A Master of the Marionettes
Movie • 1989
Inspector Tennyson
The Blood Beast Terror
Movie • 1968
James
The Jokers
Movie • 1967
De Winter
Solomon & Sheba
Movie • 1995
Nathan
Hold Back the Night
Movie • 1999
Uncle Bob
Return to Waterloo
Movie • 1984
The Traveller
Kremlin Farewell
Movie • 1990
Sergej
Lisztomania
Movie • 1975
Frederic Chopin
The Music Lovers
Movie • 1971
Modeste Tchaikovsky
Robert Rylands' Last Journey
Movie • 1996
Archdale
Unnatural Causes
Movie • 1993
Inspector Gerry Reckless
The Rainbow
Movie • 1989
Mr. Brunt
Scar Tissue
Movie • 2013
Weaver
Jabberwocky
Movie • 1977
1st Fanatic
The Plot to Kill Hitler
Movie • 1990
Wilhelm Keitel
LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out
Movie • 2012
Admiral Piett (voice)
Return of the Jedi
Movie • 1983
Admiral Piett
Casanova
Movie • 1987
Le Duc
The Boy Friend
Movie • 1971
King in fantasy sequence (uncredited)
A Summer Story
Movie • 1988
Jim
Who Pays?
Movie • 1968
Corbett
Like Father Like Son
Movie • 2005
Rawsthorne
Giro City
Movie • 1982
Martin
Dance of the Seven Veils
Movie • 1970
Flame
Movie • 1975
Tony Devlin
The Testing of Eric Olthwaite
Movie • 1977
Robber
The Danedyke Mystery
Movie • 1979
The Major
Juggernaut
Movie • 1974
Detective Brown
The Triple Echo
Movie • 1972
Provo Corporal
Three Clear Sundays
Movie • 1965
Nick
The Whistle Blower
Movie • 1986
Bill Pickett
Performance
Movie • 1970
Tony Farrell
Mahler
Movie • 1974
Krenek
Shadow Run
Movie • 1998
Larcombe
I Remember Nelson
Movie • 1982
Vice-Adm. Horatio Viscount Nelson
The Devils
Movie • 1971
Legrand
Seventy Deadly Pills
Movie • 1963
Covent Garden porter
How I Won the War
Movie • 1967
2nd Replacement
Hitler: The Last Ten Days
Movie • 1973
Boldt
La Vie de Bohème
Movie • 1992
Street Sweeper
Greetings
Movie • 2007
Ken
The Last Island
Movie • 1990
Nick
Prisoner of Honor
Movie • 1991
Capt. Dreyfus
Measure for Measure
Movie • 1979
Duke Vincentio
The Secret Life of Arnold Bax
Movie • 1992
John Ireland
One Bummer News Day
Movie • 1978
Frank Benyon
Come the Revolution
Movie • 1977
Bruce Tetley
Three Days in Szczecin
Movie • 1976
Edmund Bałuka
Cause of Death
Movie • 1968
Dr. Emil Justin
The Chester Mystery Plays
Movie • 1976
Midsomer Murders
TV • 1997
Lloyd Kirby
Wycliffe
TV • 1994
Sam Peploe
The Last Train
TV • 1999
The Avengers
TV • 1961
The Sweeney
TV • 1975
Noah Riley
Heartbeat
TV • 1992
Clive Harris
Relic Hunter
TV • 1999
Professor Lamenza
Inspector Morse
TV • 1987
DCI Patrick Dawson
The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes
TV • 1971
Farrish
No Hiding Place
TV • 1959
New Tricks
TV • 2004
Play for Today
TV • 1970
Bruce Tetley
Pennies from Heaven
TV • 1978
The Accordion Man
Fall of Eagles
TV • 1974
Father Gapon
The Expert
TV • 1968
Foreman
The Expert
TV • 1968
Munt
Judge Dee
TV • 1969
Crown Court
TV • 1972
Stanley Meredith
Foyle's War
TV • 2002
Brian Jones
Dear Mother... ...Love Albert
TV • 1969
John Silver's Return to Treasure Island
TV • 1986
Ben Gunn
The Kenny Everett Television Show
TV • 1982
Self
Peak Practice
TV • 1993
Stan Jordan
The Royal
TV • 2003
Bernard Hussey
Minder
TV • 1979
Ron
Casualty
TV • 1986
Paddy
Ripping Yarns
TV • 1976
Robber
Vera
TV • 2011
Ronald Devreux
Casualty
TV • 1986
Clifford Watkins
Casualty
TV • 1986
Arthur Cobb
The Queen
TV • 2009
Agatha Christie's Poirot
TV • 1989
Mathew Davenheim
Mussolini: The Untold Story
TV • 1985
King Vittorio Emmanuele
The Wednesday Play
TV • 1964
Bethold Florenberg
I Remember Nelson
TV • 1982
ice-Adm. Horatio Viscount Nelson
Peter and Paul
TV • 1981
Theodotus
Between the Lines
TV • 1992
Chief Supt. Tattersall
Misfits
TV • 2009
Old Rudy
Play for Today
TV • 1970
Frank Benyon
The Mrs Bradley Mysteries
TV • 1998
Archie Burlington
The Modern World: Ten Great Writers
TV • 1988
Chief Inspector Heat
Peaky Blinders
TV • 2013
Vicente Changretta
Wallenberg: A Hero's Story
TV • 1985
Adolf Eichmann
The Protectors
TV • 1972
Devlin
Omnibus
TV • 1967
Hitler
Thirty-Minute Theatre
TV • 1965
Paddy
Always and Everyone
TV • 1999
Joseph
BBC Play of the Month
TV • 1965
Yolinichev
Dickens of London
TV • 1976
Robert Seymour
Target
TV • 1977
Jessal
The Love School
TV • 1975
Edward Burne-Jones
Black and Blue
TV • 1973
Schultz
The Institute
TV • 2025
Gate Guard #5
It's Dark Outside
TV • 1964
Hammond
The Informer
TV • 1966
Slater
Churchill's People
TV • 1974
Ancient Beau
The Wednesday Play
TV • 1964
Jock
Redcap
TV • 1964
Private Bolt