Known For
Acting
Known Credits
125
Gender
Male
Birthday
December 7, 1937 (88 years old)
Place of Birth
Manchester, England, UK
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.
| 2025 | The Instituteas Gate Guard #5 | |
| 2013 | Scar Tissueas Weaver | |
| 2013 | Peaky Blindersas Vicente Changretta | |
| 2012 | LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Outas Admiral Piett (voice) | |
| 2011 | Veraas Ronald Devreux | |
| 2009 | The Queenas | |
| 2009 | Misfitsas Old Rudy | |
| 2007 | Greetingsas Ken | |
| 2005 | Like Father Like Sonas Rawsthorne | |
| 2004 | New Tricksas | |
| 2003 | The Royalas Bernard Hussey | |
| 2002 | Foyle's Waras Brian Jones | |
| 1999 | Relic Hunteras Professor Lamenza | |
| 1999 | Hold Back the Nightas Uncle Bob | |
| 1999 | Always and Everyoneas Joseph | |
| 1999 | The Last Trainas | |
| 1998 | The Mrs Bradley Mysteriesas Archie Burlington | |
| 1998 | Shadow Runas Larcombe | |
| 1997 | Midsomer Murdersas Lloyd Kirby | |
| 1996 | Brassed Offas Greasley | |
| 1996 | Robert Rylands' Last Journeyas Archdale | |
| 1995 | Solomon & Shebaas Nathan | |
| 1994 | Wycliffeas Sam Peploe | |
| 1993 | Peak Practiceas Stan Jordan | |
| 1993 | Unnatural Causesas Inspector Gerry Reckless | |
| 1992 | The Secret Life of Arnold Baxas John Ireland | |
| 1992 | Between the Linesas Chief Supt. Tattersall | |
| 1992 | Heartbeatas Clive Harris | |
| 1992 | La Vie de Bohèmeas Street Sweeper | |
| 1991 | Prisoner of Honoras Capt. Dreyfus | |
| 1990 | The Last Islandas Nick | |
| 1990 | I Hired a Contract Killeras The Killer | |
| 1990 | Kremlin Farewellas Sergej | |
| 1990 | The Plot to Kill Hitleras Wilhelm Keitel | |
| 1989 | The Rainbowas Mr. Brunt | |
| 1989 | A Master of the Marionettesas Inspector Tennyson | |
| 1989 | Agatha Christie's Poirotas Mathew Davenheim | |
| 1988 | War and Remembranceas Paul Blobel | |
| 1988 | A Summer Storyas Jim | |
| 1988 | The Play on Oneas DI Tennyson | |
| 1988 | The Modern World: Ten Great Writersas Chief Inspector Heat | |
| 1987 | Casanovaas Le Duc | |
| 1987 | Inspector Morseas DCI Patrick Dawson | |
| 1986 | The Whistle Bloweras Bill Pickett | |
| 1986 | Casualtyas Arthur Cobb | |
| 1986 | Casualtyas Clifford Watkins | |
| 1986 | Casualtyas Paddy | |
| 1986 | John Silver's Return to Treasure Islandas Ben Gunn | |
| 1985 | Mussolini: The Untold Storyas King Vittorio Emmanuele | |
| 1985 | Wallenberg: A Hero's Storyas Adolf Eichmann | |
| 1985 | Screen Twoas Sergej | |
| 1984 | Return to Waterlooas The Traveller | |
| 1983 | Return of the Jedias Admiral Piett | |
| 1983 | The Scarlet and the Blackas Capt. Hirsch | |
| 1982 | Giro Cityas Martin | |
| 1982 | Firefoxas Colonel Kontarsky | |
| 1982 | I Remember Nelsonas Vice-Adm. Horatio Viscount Nelson | |
| 1982 | I Remember Nelsonas ice-Adm. Horatio Viscount Nelson | |
| 1982 | The Kenny Everett Television Showas Self | |
| 1981 | Peter and Paulas Theodotus | |
| 1980 | The Empire Strikes Backas Admiral Piett | |
| 1979 | Minderas Ron | |
| 1979 | Life of Brianas Jesus | |
| 1979 | The Danedyke Mysteryas The Major | |
| 1979 | Measure for Measureas Duke Vincentio | |
| 1978 | Les Misérablesas Police Prefect | |
| 1978 | One Bummer News Dayas Frank Benyon | |
| 1978 | The BBC Television Shakespeareas Duke Vincentio | |
| 1978 | Pennies from Heavenas The Accordion Man | |
| 1977 | Come the Revolutionas Bruce Tetley | |
| 1977 | The Testing of Eric Olthwaiteas Robber | |
| 1977 | Targetas Jessal | |
| 1977 | Jabberwockyas 1st Fanatic | |
| 1976 | Dickens of Londonas Robert Seymour | |
| 1976 | Three Days in Szczecinas Edmund Bałuka | |
| 1976 | The Chester Mystery Playsas | |
| 1976 | Ripping Yarnsas Robber | |
| 1975 | Lisztomaniaas Frederic Chopin | |
| 1975 | Flameas Tony Devlin | |
| 1975 | The Love Schoolas Edward Burne-Jones | |
| 1975 | The Sweeneyas Noah Riley | |
| 1974 | Churchill's Peopleas Ancient Beau | |
| 1974 | Juggernautas Detective Brown | |
| 1974 | Mahleras Krenek | |
| 1974 | Fall of Eaglesas Father Gapon | |
| 1973 | Black and Blueas Schultz | |
| 1973 | Hitler: The Last Ten Daysas Boldt | |
| 1972 | The Triple Echoas Provo Corporal | |
| 1972 | Crown Courtas Stanley Meredith | |
| 1972 | The Protectorsas Devlin | |
| 1972 | New Scotland Yardas Peter Elliot | |
| 1971 | The Boy Friendas King in fantasy sequence (uncredited) | |
| 1971 | The Rivals of Sherlock Holmesas Farrish | |
| 1971 | The Devilsas Legrand | |
| 1971 | The Music Loversas Modeste Tchaikovsky | |
| 1970 | Play for Todayas Bruce Tetley | |
| 1970 | Play for Todayas Frank Benyon | |
| 1970 | Performance.as Tony Farrell | |
| 1970 | Dance of the Seven Veilsas | |
| 1969 | Dear Mother... ...Love Albertas | |
| 1969 | Judge Deeas | |
| 1968 | Cause of Deathas Dr. Emil Justin | |
| 1968 | The Expertas Foreman | |
| 1968 | The Expertas Munt | |
| 1968 | The Blood Beast Terroras James | |
| 1968 | Who Pays?as Corbett | |
| 1967 | City '68as Corbett | |
| 1967 | How I Won the Waras 2nd Replacement | |
| 1967 | Omnibusas Hitler | |
| 1967 | The Jokersas De Winter | |
| 1966 | The Informeras Slater | |
| 1966 | Macbethas Macbeth's servant | |
| 1965 | BBC Play of the Monthas Yolinichev | |
| 1965 | Thirty-Minute Theatreas Adolf Hitler | |
| 1965 | Thirty-Minute Theatreas Charles I | |
| 1965 | Thirty-Minute Theatreas Dr. Emil Justin | |
| 1965 | Thirty-Minute Theatreas Paddy | |
| 1965 | Three Clear Sundaysas Nick | |
| 1964 | Redcapas Private Bolt | |
| 1964 | The Wednesday Playas Bethold Florenberg | |
| 1964 | It's Dark Outsideas Hammond | |
| 1963 | Seventy Deadly Pillsas Covent Garden porter | |
| 1961 | The Avengersas | |
| 1959 | No Hiding Placeas | |
| 1956 | Armchair Theatreas Jimmy |
| 2007 | Greetings...Director | |
| 2007 | Greetings...Writer | |
| 2007 | Greetings...Producer |