Kenneth Colley dead: Star Wars actor dies 'after contracting Covid and pneumonia'

Kenneth Colley has died aged 87 after contracting Covid. The Star Wars actor is best known for playing Admiral Piett, an imperial official in command of Darth Vader's flagship in the hit movie franchise.

He appeared in both The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Colley's agent shared the sad news as they revealed the actor died "peacefully" at his home in Ashford, Kent on Monday 30 June.

The statement said: "He had been admitted after a fall with an injured arm, however he quickly contracted Covid which developed into pneumonia. He passed away peacefully with friends at his bedside.

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"Ken Colley was one of our finest character actors with a career spanning 60 years. Ken continually worked on stage, film and television playing a vast array of characters, from Jesus in Monty Python's Life of Brian to evil and eccentric characters in Ken Russell films, and the Duke of Vienna in Shakespeare's Measure for Measure for the BBC."

Colley even reprised his iconic Admiral Piett role in 2012 for the Lego take on the series, Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out. Throughout his career, he had parts in Clint Eastwood's Firefox and the Second World War series War and Remembrance.

"Ken's favourite part was playing Estragon in the stage production of Beckett's classic Waiting for Godot at the Cockpit Theatre in London in 2014," the statement continued.

"Ken's participation in Star Wars led him to being invited to conventions and official fan events all over the World where he remains one of the best loved actors from the original trilogy.

"Ken loved his garden, art collecting and had a passion for fast cars." Colley's illustrious career saw him play Jesus in Monty Python's Life of Brian alongside John Cleese, Graham Chapman and Michael Palin.

In recent years, he appeared in everything from Holby City to Peaky Blinders, plus two episodes of a Doctor Who special. Colley was born on 7 December 1937 in Manchester.

One of his first TV appearances was as Noah Riley in The Sweeney. He made his directorial debut in 2007 for Greetings, a horror film starring Kirsty Cox, Henry Dunn and Ben Shockley.

In one of his later jobs, Colley recorded a number of short narrations for Phenomenal Cat's album Pop Wasteland in 2017. Colley enjoyed living in Kent and according to actor and director Terry Gilliam, he had a stammer in real life.

When he was acting in films, Colley was able to recite lines perfectly. Stuttering was a character trait for his role as the Accordian Man in BBC TV drama Pennies from Heaven.

Fans have paid tribute to Colley following his death as one said: "You are immortalized in a galaxy far, far away, and in the hearts of Star Wars fans everywhere. May the Force Be With You."

Another added: "Sad to hear about Kenneth Colley's passing. Covid and pneumonia are still taking a toll. RIP to the Admiral Piett actor." Someone else commented: "Awwww He will always be remembered RIP."

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