Kenneth Colley, the British actor who brought steely-eyed, quiet authority to Admiral Piett in the Star Wars series, has died at 87. Colley died at home in Kent, England, on June 30 after developing pneumonia after being hospitalised for an arm injury. His agent, Julian Owen, said that Colley had contracted COVID-19 and was with close friends at the time of his death.
Colley’s understated screen presence and subtle gravitas brought a distinctive nuance to Admiral Piett, the sole Imperial officer to survive long enough to appear in both The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. When his role was originally developed as a one-shot, Colley’s performance resonated with audiences and with filmmakers.
Director Irvin Kershner was said to be searching for an actor who could “scare Hitler,” and discovered in Colley an actor who could carry menace without sacrificing depth. Thanks to fan demand, George Lucas reprised the character for the final installment of the trilogy—a move which solidified Colley’s place in Star Wars history and made him a familiar face at conventions for many decades.
Looking back at his tenure in the franchise, Colley once stated that being a part of Star Wars “may outlive me”—something which is now given particular significance.
But Colley’s legacy is wider than the bridge of Darth Vader’s spaceship. His acting range was impressive. He played Jesus Christ with genuine poise amid the mayhem of Monty Python’s Life of Brian, gave memorable performances in several of director Ken Russell’s movies, and performed in roles as diverse as Tchaikovsky’s brother in The Music Lovers, Frédéric Chopin in Lisztomania, and Adolf Hitler in Dance of the Seven Veils.
Born in Manchester on December 7, 1937, Colley did not initially pursue a career in acting. He worked as a bus conductor, warehouseman, and commercial art assistant before, at the age of 23, following his dreams to the stage. Initially employed as an assistant stage manager, it was not too long before he started acting himself, eventually becoming one of Britain’s finest character actors.
His television work consisted of a variety of guest appearances in The Avengers, Coronation Street, Peaky Blinders, and many BBC dramas. He also made major screen appearances, such as a Soviet colonel pitted against Clint Eastwood in Firefox, and historical notable figures, Admiral Nelson and Napoleon Bonaparte.
One of his favorite stage roles was late in life, as Estragon in Waiting for Godot at London’s Cockpit Theatre in 2014. Though he stuttered throughout his life, miraculously disappearing when he acted, Colley brought a suave, authoritative presence to every role he played.
Tributes have come in from across the acting world. Michael Palin, who worked with Colley on Life of Brian, described him as “always dependable, always convincing and great to work with,” adding, “we’ve lost a very special actor and a very good man.” His agent, Julian Owen, remembered him as “one of our finest character actors,” noting Colley’s ability to disappear into any role and his continued popularity with audiences worldwide.
Behind the camera, Colley had interests in gardening, high-performance cars, and painting. His Star Wars performance made him a favorite fan icon, if so, in secret from the public’s view, to visit fan conventions throughout the globe where he was not only identified as Admiral Piett, but also as being kind and generous towards fans.
Kenneth’s influence—whether as a quiet leader on the bridge of a Star Destroyer or as a dedicated actor on stage—will be felt for decades to come.