‘Star Wars’ Actor Dies: Kenneth Colley Was 87

Star Wars actor Kenneth Colley has died after being hospitalized for a fall. He was 87.

Colley, who played Admiral Piett in Star Wars franchise films The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, passed away peacefully Monday at his home in Ashford, Kent, his agent, Julian Owen, told the BBC.

Colley had been previously been admitted to the hospital for an injured arm after a fall, but he quickly contracted COVID, which turned into pneumonia. The British actor died with his friends by his side, according to Owen.

“Ken Colley was one of our finest character actors with a career spanning 60 years,” Owen said in a statement to the outlet. “Ken continually worked on stage, film and television playing a vast array of characters, from Jesus in Monty Python’s Life of Brian to evil and eccentric characters in Ken Russell films, and the Duke of Vienna in Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure for the BBC.”

“Ken’s participation in Star Wars led him to being invited to conventions and official fan events all over the World,” the statement continued, “where he remains one of the best loved actors from the original trilogy.”

Colley, who was born on Dec. 7, 1937 in Manchester, Lancashire, appeared in episodes of The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes, Special Branch, The Sweeney and Pennies From Heaven early on in his career.

Colley joined the Star Wars universe in 1980 with his role as one of Darth Vader’s Imperial officers, Admiral Piett, in The Empire Strikes Back — a role he would reprise in 1983’s Return of the Jedi.

Almost three decades later, Colley returned to his Star Wars character as he voiced Admiral Piett in the 2012 animated TV film Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out.

Outside of the Star Wars universe, Colley played Jesus in 1979’s Monty Python’s Life of Brian and also appeared in the films Firefox, War and Remembrance, Measure for Measure, Return to Waterloo, The Whistle Blower, The Plot to Kill Hitler and The Rainbow. His final work was as Thaddeus Moncrief in 2024’s Dan Hawk Psychic Detective.

Colley also stepped behind the camera as the director of the 2007 horror film Greetings, which starred Kirsty Cox, Henry Dunn and Ben Shockley.

Outside of the world of acting, Owen told the BBC that Colley “also loved his garden, art collecting and had a passion for fast cars.”