Actor
Kenneth Colley
December 7, 1937 · 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 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.
Notable work
8.4The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
as Admiral Piett
7.9Return of the Jedi (1983)
as Admiral Piett
8.5Peaky Blinders (2013)
as Vicente Changretta
7.8Life of Brian (1979)
as Jesus
7.6Misfits (2009)
as Old Rudy
6.1Firefox (1982)
as Colonel Kontarsky
8.2Agatha Christie's Poirot (1989)
as Mathew Davenheim
7.4The Devils (1971)
as Legrand
7.5Midsomer Murders (1997)
as Lloyd Kirby
6Jabberwocky (1977)
as 1st Fanatic
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