Acting
Kenneth Colley
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.
Filmography
Dan Hawk Psychic Detective
Film · 2025
The Institute
Series · 2025
Scar Tissue
Film · 2013
Peaky Blinders
Series · 2013
LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out
Film · 2012
Vera
Series · 2011
The Queen
Series · 2009
Misfits
Series · 2009
Greetings
Film · 2007
Like Father Like Son
Film · 2005
New Tricks
Series · 2004
The Royal
Series · 2003
Foyle's War
Series · 2002
Hold Back the Night
Film · 1999
The Last Train
Series · 1999
Relic Hunter
Series · 1999
Always and Everyone
Series · 1999
Shadow Run
Film · 1998
The Mrs Bradley Mysteries
Series · 1998
Midsomer Murders
Series · 1997
Brassed Off
Film · 1996
Robert Rylands' Last Journey
Film · 1996
Solomon & Sheba
Film · 1995
Wycliffe
Series · 1994
Moving Story
Series · 1994
Unnatural Causes
Film · 1993
Peak Practice
Series · 1993
La Vie de Bohème
Film · 1992
The Secret Life of Arnold Bax
Film · 1992
Heartbeat
Series · 1992
Between the Lines
Series · 1992
Prisoner of Honor
Film · 1991
I Hired a Contract Killer
Film · 1990
Kremlin Farewell
Film · 1990
The Plot to Kill Hitler
Film · 1990
The Last Island
Film · 1990
A Master of the Marionettes
Film · 1989
The Rainbow
Film · 1989
Agatha Christie's Poirot
Series · 1989
A Summer Story
Film · 1988
The Modern World: Ten Great Writers
Series · 1988
War and Remembrance
Series · 1988
The Play on One
Series · 1988
Casanova
Film · 1987
Inspector Morse
Series · 1987
The Whistle Blower
Film · 1986
John Silver's Return to Treasure Island
Series · 1986
Casualty
Series · 1986
Casualty
Series · 1986
Casualty
Series · 1986
Mussolini: The Untold Story
Series · 1985
Wallenberg: A Hero's Story
Series · 1985
Screen Two
Series · 1985
Function Room
Series · 1985
Return to Waterloo
Film · 1984
The Scarlet and the Black
Film · 1983
Return of the Jedi
Film · 1983
Firefox
Film · 1982
Giro City
Film · 1982
The Kenny Everett Television Show
Series · 1982
I Remember Nelson
Series · 1982
Peter and Paul
Series · 1981
The Empire Strikes Back
Film · 1980
Life of Brian
Film · 1979
The Danedyke Mystery
Film · 1979
Measure for Measure
Film · 1979
Minder
Series · 1979
Les Misérables
Film · 1978
One Bummer News Day
Film · 1978
Pennies from Heaven
Series · 1978
The BBC Television Shakespeare
Series · 1978
Jabberwocky
Film · 1977
The Testing of Eric Olthwaite
Film · 1977
Come the Revolution
Film · 1977
Target
Series · 1977
Three Days in Szczecin
Film · 1976
The Chester Mystery Plays
Film · 1976
Ripping Yarns
Series · 1976
Dickens of London
Series · 1976
Lisztomania
Film · 1975
Flame
Film · 1975
The Sweeney
Series · 1975
The Love School
Series · 1975
Juggernaut
Film · 1974
Mahler
Film · 1974
Fall of Eagles
Series · 1974
Churchill's People
Series · 1974
Hitler: The Last Ten Days
Film · 1973
Black and Blue
Series · 1973
The Triple Echo
Film · 1972
Crown Court
Series · 1972
The Protectors
Series · 1972
New Scotland Yard
Series · 1972
The Music Lovers
Film · 1971
The Boy Friend
Film · 1971
The Devils
Film · 1971
The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes
Series · 1971
Dance of the Seven Veils
Film · 1970
Performance.
Film · 1970
Play for Today
Series · 1970
Play for Today
Series · 1970
Judge Dee
Series · 1969
Dear Mother... ...Love Albert
Series · 1969
The Blood Beast Terror
Film · 1968
Who Pays?
Film · 1968
Cause of Death
Film · 1968
The Expert
Series · 1968
The Expert
Series · 1968
The Jokers
Film · 1967
How I Won the War
Film · 1967
Omnibus
Series · 1967
City '68
Series · 1967
Macbeth
Film · 1966
The Informer
Series · 1966
Three Clear Sundays
Film · 1965
Thirty-Minute Theatre
Series · 1965
BBC Play of the Month
Series · 1965
Thirty-Minute Theatre
Series · 1965
Thirty-Minute Theatre
Series · 1965
Thirty-Minute Theatre
Series · 1965
The Wednesday Play
Series · 1964
It's Dark Outside
Series · 1964
Redcap
Series · 1964
Seventy Deadly Pills
Film · 1963
The Avengers
Series · 1961
No Hiding Place
Series · 1959
Armchair Theatre
Series · 1956