Michael Pennington

Michael Pennington

Acting

June 7, 1943 — May 10, 2026Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK

Michael Vivian Fyfe Pennington (June 7, 1943 - May 10, 2026) was a British director and actor who, together with director Michael Bogdanov, founded the English Shakespeare Company. Although primarily a stage actor, he is best known to wider audiences for his role as Moff Jerjerrod, commanding officer of the Death Star in the film Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi and as Michael Foot in The Iron Lady, opposite Meryl Streep.

Known for

Return of the Jedi

Return of the Jedi

1983

The Iron Lady

The Iron Lady

2011

Raised by Wolves

Raised by Wolves

2020

Fragile

Fragile

2005

Endeavour

Endeavour

2013

Father Brown

Father Brown

2013

Lewis

Lewis

2007

State of Play

State of Play

2003

Silent Witness

Silent Witness

1996

The Escape Artist

The Escape Artist

2013

Acting72

Dans les secrets des films Star Wars

Dans les secrets des films Star Wars

2022

Narrator ( Voice)

Manik da: The Mystique of Pather Panchali

Manik da: The Mystique of Pather Panchali

2021

Narrator (voice)

Raised by Wolves

Raised by Wolves

2020

The Trust Voice (voice)

1945: The Savage Peace

1945: The Savage Peace

2015

Narrator (voice)

Secrets of the Universe: Great Scientists in Their Own Words

Secrets of the Universe: Great Scientists in Their Own Words

2014

Narrator (Voice)

RSC Live: Richard II

RSC Live: Richard II

2013

John of Gaunt

The Escape Artist

The Escape Artist

2013

Judge

Endeavour

Endeavour

2013

Professor Donald Bagley

Father Brown

Father Brown

2013

Bishop Reynard

The Iron Lady

The Iron Lady

2011

Michael Foot

The Lost World of Communism

The Lost World of Communism

2009

Airborne: The RAF at 90

Airborne: The RAF at 90

2008

Narrator - (Voice)

Florence Nightingale

Florence Nightingale

2008

Wen

Lewis

Lewis

2007

Dr. Melville

Fragile

Fragile

2005

Marcus

Empire Warriors

Empire Warriors

2004

Narrator

Colosseum - Rome's Arena of Death

Colosseum - Rome's Arena of Death

2003

Narrator (UK version) (voice)

State of Play

State of Play

2003

Richard Siegler

The Dinosaur Hunters

The Dinosaur Hunters

2002

William Buckland

Pyramid

Pyramid

2002

Narrator (voice)

Dr Terrible's House of Horrible

Dr Terrible's House of Horrible

2001

Priest

Waking the Dead

Waking the Dead

2001

Prof Alan Macintosh

Cracker: White Ghost

Cracker: White Ghost

1996

Commander Gordon Ellison

Dalziel and Pascoe

Dalziel and Pascoe

1996

Hartley Culpepper

Silent Witness

Silent Witness

1996

Dennis Morgan

The Last Bolshevik

The Last Bolshevik

1994

Self (voice: English version)

Degas and Pissario Fall Out

Degas and Pissario Fall Out

1994

Degas

Between the Lines

Between the Lines

1992

Richard II

Richard II

1991

Richard II

Henry IV: Part 1

Henry IV: Part 1

1991

Prince Henry of Wales

Henry IV: Part 2

Henry IV: Part 2

1991

Henry Prince of Wales

Henry V

Henry V

1991

King Henry V

Henry VI: House of York

Henry VI: House of York

1991

Jack Cade

Henry VI: House of Lancaster

Henry VI: House of Lancaster

1991

Earl of Suffolk

Richard III

Richard III

1991

Duke of Buckingham

Summer's Lease

Summer's Lease

1989

Hugh Pargeter

The Return of Sherlock Holmes

The Return of Sherlock Holmes

1987

Sherlock Holmes

Theban Plays: Oedipus the King

Theban Plays: Oedipus the King

1986

Oedipus Rex

The Marlowe Inquest

The Marlowe Inquest

1986

Thomas Kyd

ScreenPlay

ScreenPlay

1986

Thomas Kyd

Forbidden Passion: The Oscar Wilde Movie

Forbidden Passion: The Oscar Wilde Movie

1985

The Mayor of Montemilone

The Mayor of Montemilone

1984

Narrator

Italians

Italians

1984

Narrator

Freud

Freud

1984

Carl Jung

Playing Shakespeare

Playing Shakespeare

1984

Waving to a Train

Waving to a Train

1984

Richard

Cymbeline

Cymbeline

1983

Posthumus

Return of the Jedi

Return of the Jedi

1983

Moff Jerjerrod

Outside Edge

Outside Edge

1982

Bob

A Last Visitor for Mr. Hugh Peter

A Last Visitor for Mr. Hugh Peter

1981

John Lilburne

Danton's Death

Danton's Death

1978

Saint-Just

Mr and Mrs Bureaucrat

Mr and Mrs Bureaucrat

1978

E1A

BBC2 Play of the Week

BBC2 Play of the Week

1977

E1A

It's Only Rock 'n' Roll

It's Only Rock 'n' Roll

1977

Don Harris

The Witches of Pendle

The Witches of Pendle

1976

Minister

Playhouse

Playhouse

1974

John Lilburne

No Exit

1972

Ian Strawson

The Dolly Scene

The Dolly Scene

1970

Tom

Mad Jack

Mad Jack

1970

Hamlet

Hamlet

1969

Laertes

W. Somerset Maugham

W. Somerset Maugham

1969

Hans

The Tycoon

1968

Peter Bell

ITV Playhouse

ITV Playhouse

1967

Lancelot Wishart

Callan

Callan

1967

BBC Play of the Month

BBC Play of the Month

1965

St Just / Alexei Turbin

Thirty-Minute Theatre

Thirty-Minute Theatre

1965

Martin

Public Eye

Public Eye

1965

John Sheldon

The Wednesday Play

The Wednesday Play

1964

Geoffrey Cromlech

Theatre 625

Theatre 625

1964

Wulfnoth / Alexander

Drama 61-67

1961

First youth

No Hiding Place

No Hiding Place

1959

Armchair Theatre

Armchair Theatre

1956

Adrian / Tom