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.
Known for
Acting118
tvThe Institute
2025
Gate Guard #5
movieScar Tissue
2013
Weaver
tvPeaky Blinders
2013
Vicente Changretta
movieLEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out
2012
Admiral Piett (voice)
tvVera
2011
Ronald Devreux
tvMisfits
2009
Old Rudy
movieLike Father Like Son
2005
Rawsthorne
tvThe Royal
2003
Bernard Hussey
tvFoyle's War
2002
Brian Jones
tvRelic Hunter
1999
Professor Lamenza
tvThe Mrs Bradley Mysteries
1998
Archie Burlington
movieShadow Run
1998
Larcombe
tvMidsomer Murders
1997
Lloyd Kirby
movieBrassed Off
1996
Greasley
movieSolomon & Sheba
1995
Nathan
tvWycliffe
1994
Sam Peploe
tvPeak Practice
1993
Stan Jordan
movieUnnatural Causes
1993
Inspector Gerry Reckless
movieThe Secret Life of Arnold Bax
1992
John Ireland
tvBetween the Lines
1992
Chief Supt. Tattersall
tvHeartbeat
1992
Clive Harris
movieLa Vie de Bohème
1992
Street Sweeper
moviePrisoner of Honor
1991
Capt. Dreyfus
movieI Hired a Contract Killer
1990
The Killer
movieThe Plot to Kill Hitler
1990
Wilhelm Keitel
movieThe Rainbow
1989
Mr. Brunt
movieA Master of the Marionettes
1989
Inspector Tennyson
tvAgatha Christie's Poirot
1989
Mathew Davenheim
tvWar and Remembrance
1988
Paul Blobel
tvThe Play on One
1988
DI Tennyson
tvThe Modern World: Ten Great Writers
1988
Chief Inspector Heat
movieCasanova
1987
Le Duc
tvInspector Morse
1987
DCI Patrick Dawson
movieThe Whistle Blower
1986
Bill Pickett
tvCasualty
1986
Paddy / Clifford Watkins / Arthur Cobb
tvMussolini: The Untold Story
1985
King Vittorio Emmanuele
tvWallenberg: A Hero's Story
1985
Adolf Eichmann
tvScreen Two
1985
Sergej
movieReturn to Waterloo
1984
The Traveller
movieReturn of the Jedi
1983
Admiral Piett
movieThe Scarlet and the Black
1983
Capt. Hirsch
movieGiro City
1982
Martin
movieFirefox
1982
Colonel Kontarsky
movieI Remember Nelson
1982
Vice-Adm. Horatio Viscount Nelson
I Remember Nelson
1982
ice-Adm. Horatio Viscount Nelson
tvPeter and Paul
1981
Theodotus
movieThe Empire Strikes Back
1980
Admiral Piett
tvMinder
1979
Ron
movieThe Danedyke Mystery
1979
The Major
movieMeasure for Measure
1979
Duke Vincentio
movieLes Misérables
1978
Police Prefect
movieOne Bummer News Day
1978
Frank Benyon
tvThe BBC Television Shakespeare
1978
Duke Vincentio
tvPennies from Heaven
1978
The Accordion Man
movieCome the Revolution
1977
Bruce Tetley
tvTarget
1977
Jessal
movieJabberwocky
1977
1st Fanatic
tvDickens of London
1976
Robert Seymour
tvRipping Yarns
1976
Robber
movieLisztomania
1975
Frederic Chopin
movieFlame
1975
Tony Devlin
tvThe Love School
1975
Edward Burne-Jones
tvThe Sweeney
1975
Noah Riley
tvChurchill's People
1974
Ancient Beau
movieJuggernaut
1974
Detective Brown
movieMahler
1974
Krenek
tvFall of Eagles
1974
Father Gapon
movieThe Triple Echo
1972
Provo Corporal
tvCrown Court
1972
Stanley Meredith
tvThe Protectors
1972
Devlin
tvNew Scotland Yard
1972
Peter Elliot
movieThe Boy Friend
1971
King in fantasy sequence (uncredited)
movieThe Devils
1971
Legrand
movieThe Music Lovers
1971
Modeste Tchaikovsky
tvPlay for Today
1970
Bruce Tetley / Frank Benyon
moviePerformance.
1970
Tony Farrell
Cause of Death
1968
Dr. Emil Justin
tvThe Expert
1968
Foreman / Munt
Who Pays?
1968
Corbett
City '68
1967
Corbett
movieHow I Won the War
1967
2nd Replacement
tvOmnibus
1967
Hitler
movieThe Jokers
1967
De Winter
tvThe Informer
1966
Slater
Macbeth
1966
Macbeth's servant
tvBBC Play of the Month
1965
Yolinichev
tvThirty-Minute Theatre
1965
Paddy / Dr. Emil Justin / Adolf Hitler / Charles I
tvRedcap
1964
Private Bolt
tvThe Wednesday Play
1964
Bethold Florenberg
tvIt's Dark Outside
1964
Hammond
movieSeventy Deadly Pills
1963
Covent Garden porter
Directing1
movieGreetings
2007
Director
Production1
movieGreetings
2007
Producer
Writing1
movieGreetings
2007
Writer