Kenneth Colley

Kenneth Colley

Acting
Born 1937-12-07 - Died 2025-06-30Manchester, England, UK

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.

Movies (58)

The Empire Strikes Back
8.4

The Empire Strikes Back

1980Movie8.4
Return of the Jedi
7.9

Return of the Jedi

1983Movie7.9
Life of Brian
7.8

Life of Brian

1979Movie7.8
The Devils
7.5

The Devils

1971Movie7.5
Firefox
6.1

Firefox

1982Movie6.1
Jabberwocky
6.0

Jabberwocky

1977Movie6.0
Three Days in Szczecin

Three Days in Szczecin

1976Movie
Brassed Off
7.0

Brassed Off

1996Movie7.0
Les Misérables
7.1

Les Misérables

1978Movie7.1
Juggernaut
6.3

Juggernaut

1974Movie6.3
The Boy Friend
6.5

The Boy Friend

1971Movie6.5
The Scarlet and the Black
7.0

The Scarlet and the Black

1983Movie7.0
Mahler
6.8

Mahler

1974Movie6.8
The Whistle Blower
5.8

The Whistle Blower

1986Movie5.8
The Music Lovers
6.5

The Music Lovers

1971Movie6.5
Greetings
1.0

Greetings

2007Movie1.0
Performance.
6.8

Performance.

1970Movie6.8
Lisztomania
5.8

Lisztomania

1975Movie5.8
Casanova
4.1

Casanova

1987Movie4.1
I Hired a Contract Killer
6.9

I Hired a Contract Killer

1990Movie6.9
La Vie de Bohème
7.5

La Vie de Bohème

1992Movie7.5
A Master of the Marionettes

A Master of the Marionettes

1989Movie
The Plot to Kill Hitler
6.2

The Plot to Kill Hitler

1990Movie6.2
Hitler: The Last Ten Days
6.2

Hitler: The Last Ten Days

1973Movie6.2
Macbeth

Macbeth

1966Movie
LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out
6.5

LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out

2012Movie6.5
Flame
7.3

Flame

1975Movie7.3
Scar Tissue
5.2

Scar Tissue

2013Movie5.2
Cause of Death

Cause of Death

1968Movie
The Jokers
6.2

The Jokers

1967Movie6.2
The Rainbow
5.7

The Rainbow

1989Movie5.7
The Triple Echo
5.8

The Triple Echo

1972Movie5.8
The Last Island
5.9

The Last Island

1990Movie5.9
Prisoner of Honor
6.1

Prisoner of Honor

1991Movie6.1
The Blood Beast Terror
5.5

The Blood Beast Terror

1968Movie5.5
A Summer Story
6.1

A Summer Story

1988Movie6.1
Solomon & Sheba
7.0

Solomon & Sheba

1995Movie7.0
Giro City
5.6

Giro City

1982Movie5.6
The Chester Mystery Plays

The Chester Mystery Plays

1976Movie
How I Won the War
5.6

How I Won the War

1967Movie5.6
Like Father Like Son
6.4

Like Father Like Son

2005Movie6.4
Shadow Run
4.2

Shadow Run

1998Movie4.2
Unnatural Causes
6.8

Unnatural Causes

1993Movie6.8
The Testing of Eric Olthwaite
8.5

The Testing of Eric Olthwaite

1977Movie8.5
Dan Hawk Psychic Detective

Dan Hawk Psychic Detective

2025Movie
Measure for Measure
5.9

Measure for Measure

1979Movie5.9
Hold Back the Night
5.0

Hold Back the Night

1999Movie5.0
Return to Waterloo
6.8

Return to Waterloo

1984Movie6.8
Robert Rylands' Last Journey
6.3

Robert Rylands' Last Journey

1996Movie6.3
Three Clear Sundays
6.0

Three Clear Sundays

1965Movie6.0
Who Pays?

Who Pays?

1968Movie
The Danedyke Mystery

The Danedyke Mystery

1979Movie
Come the Revolution
10.0

Come the Revolution

1977Movie10.0
The Secret Life of Arnold Bax
6.3

The Secret Life of Arnold Bax

1992Movie6.3
Seventy Deadly Pills
7.5

Seventy Deadly Pills

1963Movie7.5
Dance of the Seven Veils
8.3

Dance of the Seven Veils

1970Movie8.3
One Bummer News Day

One Bummer News Day

1978Movie
Kremlin Farewell
8.0

Kremlin Farewell

1990Movie8.0

TV Shows (61)

Midsomer Murders
7.5

Midsomer Murders

1997Series7.5
Play for Today
6.6

Play for Today

1970Series6.6
Peaky Blinders
8.5

Peaky Blinders

2013Series8.5
The Avengers
7.8

The Avengers

1961Series7.8
Agatha Christie's Poirot
8.2

Agatha Christie's Poirot

1989Series8.2
Casualty
6.2

Casualty

1986Series6.2
BBC Play of the Month
5.2

BBC Play of the Month

1965Series5.2
Vera
7.4

Vera

2011Series7.4
Screen Two
7.1

Screen Two

1985Series7.1
Crown Court
5.7

Crown Court

1972Series5.7
Peak Practice
6.5

Peak Practice

1993Series6.5
Omnibus
7.2

Omnibus

1967Series7.2
Relic Hunter
6.8

Relic Hunter

1999Series6.8
Minder
7.1

Minder

1979Series7.1
The Wednesday Play
5.2

The Wednesday Play

1964Series5.2
New Tricks
7.3

New Tricks

2004Series7.3
Heartbeat
7.2

Heartbeat

1992Series7.2
Foyle's War
7.9

Foyle's War

2002Series7.9
Inspector Morse
7.9

Inspector Morse

1987Series7.9
Misfits
7.6

Misfits

2009Series7.6
Thirty-Minute Theatre
4.3

Thirty-Minute Theatre

1965Series4.3
No Hiding Place
4.8

No Hiding Place

1959Series4.8
Between the Lines
5.5

Between the Lines

1992Series5.5
The Sweeney
8.1

The Sweeney

1975Series8.1
Wycliffe
6.8

Wycliffe

1994Series6.8
The Institute
7.6

The Institute

2025Series7.6
Churchill's People
5.0

Churchill's People

1974Series5.0
The Protectors
6.1

The Protectors

1972Series6.1
War and Remembrance
7.9

War and Remembrance

1988Series7.9
The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes
7.5

The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes

1971Series7.5
The Play on One
6.0

The Play on One

1988Series6.0
City '68

City '68

1967Series
The Expert
9.0

The Expert

1968Series9.0
New Scotland Yard
6.3

New Scotland Yard

1972Series6.3
Redcap
8.0

Redcap

1964Series8.0
The BBC Television Shakespeare
6.0

The BBC Television Shakespeare

1978Series6.0
Fall of Eagles
7.0

Fall of Eagles

1974Series7.0
Always and Everyone
9.5

Always and Everyone

1999Series9.5
Target
7.0

Target

1977Series7.0
Ripping Yarns
7.7

Ripping Yarns

1976Series7.7
Dickens of London
7.3

Dickens of London

1976Series7.3
The Kenny Everett Television Show
7.3

The Kenny Everett Television Show

1982Series7.3
Pennies from Heaven
7.6

Pennies from Heaven

1978Series7.6
John Silver's Return to Treasure Island
8.8

John Silver's Return to Treasure Island

1986Series8.8
Function Room

Function Room

1985Series
Dear Mother... ...Love Albert
5.5

Dear Mother... ...Love Albert

1969Series5.5
The Modern World: Ten Great Writers
8.0

The Modern World: Ten Great Writers

1988Series8.0
The Queen
7.0

The Queen

2009Series7.0
Black and Blue
6.5

Black and Blue

1973Series6.5
The Informer

The Informer

1966Series
The Last Train
7.3

The Last Train

1999Series7.3
Mussolini: The Untold Story
5.3

Mussolini: The Untold Story

1985Series5.3
Peter and Paul
7.2

Peter and Paul

1981Series7.2
It's Dark Outside

It's Dark Outside

1964Series
The Mrs Bradley Mysteries
7.3

The Mrs Bradley Mysteries

1998Series7.3
The Love School

The Love School

1975Series
Armchair Theatre
6.0

Armchair Theatre

1956Series6.0
Wallenberg: A Hero's Story
6.4

Wallenberg: A Hero's Story

1985Series6.4
I Remember Nelson
4.6

I Remember Nelson

1982Series4.6
Judge Dee
5.0

Judge Dee

1969Series5.0
The Royal
7.8

The Royal

2003Series7.8