Kenneth Colley
Acting
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.
TV Shows(55)
The Institute
Gate Guard #5
2025
Peaky Blinders
Vicente Changretta
2013
Vera
Ronald Devreux
2011
The Queen
2009
Misfits
Old Rudy
2009
New Tricks
2004
The Royal
Bernard Hussey
2003
Foyle's War
Brian Jones
2002
Relic Hunter
Professor Lamenza
1999
Always and Everyone
Joseph
1999
The Last Train
1999
The Mrs Bradley Mysteries
Archie Burlington
1998
Midsomer Murders
Lloyd Kirby
1997
Wycliffe
Sam Peploe
1994
Peak Practice
Stan Jordan
1993
Between the Lines
Chief Supt. Tattersall
1992
Heartbeat
Clive Harris
1992
Agatha Christie's Poirot
Mathew Davenheim
1989
War and Remembrance
Paul Blobel
1988
The Modern World: Ten Great Writers
Chief Inspector Heat
1988
Inspector Morse
DCI Patrick Dawson
1987
Casualty
Paddy
1986
John Silver's Return to Treasure Island
Ben Gunn
1986
Mussolini: The Untold Story
King Vittorio Emmanuele
1985
Wallenberg: A Hero's Story
Adolf Eichmann
1985
I Remember Nelson
ice-Adm. Horatio Viscount Nelson
1982
The Kenny Everett Television Show
Self
1982
Peter and Paul
Theodotus
1981
Minder
Ron
1979
Pennies from Heaven
The Accordion Man
1978
Target
Jessal
1977
Dickens of London
Robert Seymour
1976
Ripping Yarns
Robber
1976
The Love School
Edward Burne-Jones
1975
The Sweeney
Noah Riley
1975
Churchill's People
Ancient Beau
1974
Fall of Eagles
Father Gapon
1974
Black and Blue
Schultz
1973
Crown Court
Stanley Meredith
1972
The Protectors
Devlin
1972
The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes
Farrish
1971
Play for Today
Bruce Tetley
1970
Dear Mother... ...Love Albert
1969
Judge Dee
1969
The Expert
Foreman
1968
Omnibus
Hitler
1967
The Informer
Slater
1966
BBC Play of the Month
Yolinichev
1965
Thirty-Minute Theatre
Paddy
1965
Redcap
Private Bolt
1964
The Wednesday Play
Bethold Florenberg
1964
It's Dark Outside
Hammond
1964
The Avengers
1961
No Hiding Place
1959
Armchair Theatre
Jimmy
1956
Movies(57)
Scar Tissue
Weaver
2013
LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out
Admiral Piett (voice)
2012
Greetings
Ken
2007
Like Father Like Son
Rawsthorne
2005
Hold Back the Night
Uncle Bob
1999
Shadow Run
Larcombe
1998
Brassed Off
Greasley
1996
Robert Rylands' Last Journey
Archdale
1996
Solomon & Sheba
Nathan
1995
Unnatural Causes
Inspector Gerry Reckless
1993
The Secret Life of Arnold Bax
John Ireland
1992
La Vie de Bohème
Street Sweeper
1992
Prisoner of Honor
Capt. Dreyfus
1991
The Last Island
Nick
1990
I Hired a Contract Killer
The Killer
1990
Kremlin Farewell
Sergej
1990
The Plot to Kill Hitler
Wilhelm Keitel
1990
The Rainbow
Mr. Brunt
1989
A Master of the Marionettes
Inspector Tennyson
1989
A Summer Story
Jim
1988
Casanova
Le Duc
1987
The Whistle Blower
Bill Pickett
1986
Return to Waterloo
The Traveller
1984
Return of the Jedi
Admiral Piett
1983
The Scarlet and the Black
Capt. Hirsch
1983
Giro City
Martin
1982
Firefox
Colonel Kontarsky
1982
I Remember Nelson
Vice-Adm. Horatio Viscount Nelson
1982
The Empire Strikes Back
Admiral Piett
1980
Life of Brian
Jesus
1979
The Danedyke Mystery
The Major
1979
Measure for Measure
Duke Vincentio
1979
Les Misérables
Police Prefect
1978
One Bummer News Day
Frank Benyon
1978
Come the Revolution
Bruce Tetley
1977
The Testing of Eric Olthwaite
Robber
1977
Jabberwocky
1st Fanatic
1977
Three Days in Szczecin
Edmund Bałuka
1976
The Chester Mystery Plays
1976
Lisztomania
Frederic Chopin
1975
Flame
Tony Devlin
1975
Juggernaut
Detective Brown
1974
Mahler
Krenek
1974
Hitler: The Last Ten Days
Boldt
1973
The Triple Echo
Provo Corporal
1972
The Boy Friend
King in fantasy sequence (uncredited)
1971
The Devils
Legrand
1971
The Music Lovers
Modeste Tchaikovsky
1971
Performance
Tony Farrell
1970
Dance of the Seven Veils
1970
Cause of Death
Dr. Emil Justin
1968
The Blood Beast Terror
James
1968
Who Pays?
Corbett
1968
How I Won the War
2nd Replacement
1967
The Jokers
De Winter
1967
Three Clear Sundays
Nick
1965
Seventy Deadly Pills
Covent Garden porter
1963