Person
Kenneth Colley
Manchester, England, UK
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 Episo…
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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
Movies and shows, newest first
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2025
The Institute
TV show Gate Guard #5
-
2025
Dan Hawk Psychic Detective
Movie Thaddeus Moncrief
-
2013
Peaky Blinders
TV show Vicente Changretta
-
2013
Scar Tissue
Movie Weaver
-
2012
LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out
Movie Admiral Piett (voice)
-
2011
Vera
TV show Ronald Devreux
-
2009
The Queen
TV show
-
2009
Misfits
TV show Old Rudy
-
2007
Greetings
Movie Ken
-
2005
Like Father Like Son
Movie Rawsthorne
-
2004
New Tricks
TV show
-
2003
The Royal
TV show Bernard Hussey
-
2002
Foyle's War
TV show Brian Jones
-
1999
Relic Hunter
TV show Professor Lamenza
-
1999
Hold Back the Night
Movie Uncle Bob
-
1999
Always and Everyone
TV show Joseph
More credits
-
1999
The Last Train
TV show
-
1998
The Mrs Bradley Mysteries
TV show Archie Burlington
-
1998
Shadow Run
Movie Larcombe
-
1997
Midsomer Murders
TV show Lloyd Kirby
-
1996
Brassed Off
Movie Greasley
-
1996
Robert Rylands' Last Journey
Movie Archdale
-
1995
Solomon & Sheba
Movie Nathan
-
1994
Wycliffe
TV show Sam Peploe
-
1994
Moving Story
TV show Ken Uttley
-
1993
Peak Practice
TV show Stan Jordan
-
1993
Unnatural Causes
Movie Inspector Gerry Reckless
-
1992
The Secret Life of Arnold Bax
Movie John Ireland
-
1992
Between the Lines
TV show Chief Supt. Tattersall
-
1992
Heartbeat
TV show Clive Harris
-
1992
La Vie de Bohème
Movie Street Sweeper
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1991
Prisoner of Honor
Movie Capt. Dreyfus
-
1990
The Last Island
Movie Nick
-
1990
I Hired a Contract Killer
Movie The Killer
-
1990
Kremlin Farewell
Movie Sergej
-
1990
The Plot to Kill Hitler
Movie Wilhelm Keitel
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1989
The Rainbow
Movie Mr. Brunt
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1989
A Master of the Marionettes
Movie Inspector Tennyson
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1989
Agatha Christie's Poirot
TV show Mathew Davenheim
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1988
War and Remembrance
TV show Paul Blobel
