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Kenneth Colley

Kenneth Colley

Actor · Born 1937-12-07 · Manchester, England, UK

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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…

Movies & TV Shows

  1. The Empire Strikes Back (1980) — Admiral Piett
  2. Return of the Jedi (1983) — Admiral Piett
  3. Peaky Blinders (2013) — Vicente Changretta
  4. Life of Brian (1979) — Jesus
  5. Misfits (2009) — Old Rudy
  6. Firefox (1982) — Colonel Kontarsky
  7. Agatha Christie's Poirot (1989) — Mathew Davenheim
  8. The Devils (1971) — Legrand
  9. Midsomer Murders (1997) — Lloyd Kirby
  10. Jabberwocky (1977) — 1st Fanatic
  11. Brassed Off (1996) — Greasley
  12. I Hired a Contract Killer (1990) — The Killer
  13. Performance. (1970) — Tony Farrell
  14. Relic Hunter (1999) — Professor Lamenza
  15. Vera (2011) — Ronald Devreux
  16. The Institute (2025) — Gate Guard #5
  17. La Vie de Bohème (1992) — Street Sweeper
  18. The Avengers (1961)
  19. Inspector Morse (1987) — DCI Patrick Dawson
  20. Juggernaut (1974) — Detective Brown
  21. LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out (2012) — Admiral Piett (voice)
  22. Foyle's War (2002) — Brian Jones
  23. Casualty (1986) — Paddy
  24. New Tricks (2004)
  25. The Scarlet and the Black (1983) — Capt. Hirsch
  26. The Blood Beast Terror (1968) — James
  27. The Music Lovers (1971) — Modeste Tchaikovsky
  28. The Whistle Blower (1986) — Bill Pickett
  29. Mahler (1974) — Krenek
  30. Les Misérables (1978) — Police Prefect
  31. The Boy Friend (1971) — King in fantasy sequence (uncredited)
  32. Hitler: The Last Ten Days (1973) — Boldt
  33. How I Won the War (1967) — 2nd Replacement
  34. Lisztomania (1975) — Frederic Chopin
  35. War and Remembrance (1988) — Paul Blobel
  36. The Rainbow (1989) — Mr. Brunt
  37. Heartbeat (1992) — Clive Harris
  38. Minder (1979) — Ron
  39. The Sweeney (1975) — Noah Riley
  40. The Plot to Kill Hitler (1990) — Wilhelm Keitel

Directed

  1. Greetings (2007) — Director