Kenneth Colley, the Star Wars actor best known for portraying Admiral Piett in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, has passed away at the age of 87. The actor contracted COVID-19, which later developed into pneumonia.
In the Star Wars saga, Colley's Admiral Piett served as the Imperial officer in command of Darth Vader's flagship. He returned to this iconic role in the 2012 animated special Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out. Colley was also acclaimed for his portrayal of Jesus in Monty Python's Life of Brian.
As reported by the BBC, he died peacefully at his home in Kent, UK, on Monday, following a battle with COVID-19 and subsequent pneumonia.
His agent, Julian Owen, released a statement saying, "Ken Colley was one of Britain's most distinguished character actors, with a career that spanned six decades. He consistently performed on stage, in film, and on television, taking on a wide range of roles—from playing Jesus in Monty Python's Life of Brian to portraying sinister and eccentric characters in Ken Russell's films, as well as the Duke of Vienna in the BBC's production of Shakespeare's Measure for Measure."
Colley had been hospitalized after a fall that injured his arm, but he soon contracted COVID-19, which escalated into pneumonia, his agent added.
According to the Daily Mail, Colley’s character Piett was initially not slated to appear in Return of the Jedi. However, Star Wars creator George Lucas later included him after Lucasfilm received significant fan mail about the role.
Colley also recalled that he secured his part in The Empire Strikes Back because director Irvin Kershner was searching for "someone who could intimidate even Hitler"—and Colley fit the description perfectly.
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