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Kenneth Colley

Kenneth Colley

Known For Acting
Birthday Dec 07, 1937
Died Jun 30, 2025 (87)
Birthplace Manchester, England, UK
Popularity 0.4 (history)
Updated Aug 09, 2025
Entry Date Apr 13, 2024
Links TMDb IMDb
Biography

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 Jes ... us (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.

Known For

Headshots

Profile
Profile
Filmography

Dan Hawk Psychic Detective

Dan Hawk Psychic Detective

2024

as Thaddeus Moncrief

Scar Tissue

Scar Tissue

2013

as Weaver

LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out

LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out

2012

as Admiral Piett (voice)

Like Father Like Son

Like Father Like Son

2005

as Rawsthorne

Hold Back the Night

Hold Back the Night

1999

as Uncle Bob

Shadow Run

Shadow Run

1998

as Larcombe

Brassed Off

Brassed Off

1996

as Greasley

Solomon & Sheba

Solomon & Sheba

1995

as Nathan

Unnatural Causes

Unnatural Causes

1993

as Inspector Gerry Reckless

The Secret Life of Arnold Bax

The Secret Life of Arnold Bax

1992

as John Ireland

Prisoner of Honor

Prisoner of Honor

1991

as Capt. Dreyfus

Kremlin Farewell

Kremlin Farewell

1990

as Sergej

I Hired a Contract Killer

I Hired a Contract Killer

1990

as The Killer

The Last Island

The Last Island

1990

as Nick

The Plot to Kill Hitler

The Plot to Kill Hitler

1990

as Wilhelm Keitel

The Rainbow

The Rainbow

1989

as Mr. Brunt

A Summer Story

A Summer Story

1988

as Jim

Casanova

Casanova

1987

as Le Duc

The Whistle Blower

The Whistle Blower

1986

as Bill Pickett

Wallenberg: A Hero's Story

Wallenberg: A Hero's Story

1985

as Adolph Eichmann

Return to Waterloo

Return to Waterloo

1984

as The Traveller

The Scarlet and the Black

The Scarlet and the Black

1983

as Capt. Hirsch

Return of the Jedi

Return of the Jedi

1983

as Admiral Piett

I Remember Nelson

I Remember Nelson

1982

as Vice-Adm. Horatio Viscount Nelson

Giro City

Giro City

1982

as Martin

Firefox

Firefox

1982

as Colonel Kontarsky

The Empire Strikes Back

The Empire Strikes Back

1980

as Admiral Piett

Measure for Measure

Measure for Measure

1979

as Duke Vincentio

Life of Brian

Life of Brian

1979

as Jesus

One Bummer News Day

One Bummer News Day

1978

as Frank Benyon

Les Misérables

Les Misérables

1978

as Police Prefect

Come the Revolution

Come the Revolution

1977

as Bruce Tetley

Jabberwocky

Jabberwocky

1977

as 1st Fanatic

Flame

Flame

1975

as Tony Devlin

Lisztomania

Lisztomania

1975

as Frederic Chopin

Mahler

Mahler

1974

as Krenek

Juggernaut

Juggernaut

1974

as Detective Brown

The Triple Echo

The Triple Echo

1972

as Provo Corporal

The Music Lovers

The Music Lovers

1971

as Modeste Tchaikovsky

The Devils

The Devils

1971

as Legrand

The Boy Friend

The Boy Friend

1971

as King in fantasy sequence (uncredited)

Performance

Performance

1970

as Tony Farrell (as Ken Colley)

Who Pays?

Who Pays?

1968

as Corbett

The Blood Beast Terror

The Blood Beast Terror

1968

as James

How I Won the War

How I Won the War

1967

as 2nd Replacement

The Jokers

The Jokers

1967

as De Winter

Three Clear Sundays

Three Clear Sundays

1965

as Nick

Seventy Deadly Pills

Seventy Deadly Pills

1963

as Covent Garden porter

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Organization Category Movie
Television Credits

John Silver's Return to Treasure Island

as Ben Gunn

Episodes: 10

First Aired: Apr 05, 1986

Pennies from Heaven

as The Accordion Man

Episodes: 6

First Aired: Mar 07, 1978

The Love School

as Edward Burne-Jones

Episodes: 6

First Aired: Jan 22, 1975

Mussolini: The Untold Story

as King Vittorio Emmanuele

Episodes: 4

First Aired: Nov 24, 1985

I Remember Nelson

as ice-Adm. Horatio Viscount Nelson

Episodes: 4

First Aired: Apr 07, 1982

The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes

as Farrish

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Sep 20, 1971

Crown Court

as Stanley Meredith

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Oct 11, 1972

Peter and Paul

as Theodotus

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Apr 12, 1981

Peaky Blinders

as Vicente Changretta

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Sep 12, 2013

Wallenberg: A Hero's Story

as Adolf Eichmann

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Apr 08, 1985

Midsomer Murders

as Lloyd Kirby

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Mar 23, 1997

Wycliffe

as Sam Peploe

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jul 24, 1994

The Sweeney

as Noah Riley

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 02, 1975

Heartbeat

as Clive Harris

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Apr 10, 1992

Relic Hunter

as Professor Lamenza

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 25, 1999

Inspector Morse

as DCI Patrick Dawson

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 06, 1987

Play for Today

as Bruce Tetley

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 15, 1970

Fall of Eagles

as Father Gapon

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Mar 15, 1974

The Expert

as Foreman

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jul 05, 1968

The Expert

as Munt

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jul 05, 1968

Peak Practice

as Stan Jordan

Episodes: 1

First Aired: May 10, 1993

The Royal

as Bernard Hussey

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 19, 2003

Minder

as Ron

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 29, 1979

Casualty

as Paddy

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 06, 1986

Ripping Yarns

as Robber

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 07, 1976

Vera

as Ronald Devreux

Episodes: 1

First Aired: May 01, 2011

Casualty

as Clifford Watkins

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 06, 1986

Casualty

as Arthur Cobb

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 06, 1986

Agatha Christie's Poirot

as Mathew Davenheim

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 08, 1989

The Wednesday Play

as Bethold Florenberg

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 30, 1964

Between the Lines

as Chief Supt. Tattersall

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 04, 1992

Misfits

as Old Rudy

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Nov 12, 2009

Play for Today

as Frank Benyon

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 15, 1970

The Mrs Bradley Mysteries

as Archie Burlington

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Aug 31, 1998

The Modern World: Ten Great Writers

as Chief Inspector Heat

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 10, 1988

A for Andromeda

as Dead Body (uncredited)

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 03, 1961

The Protectors

as Devlin

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 29, 1972

Omnibus

as Hitler

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 13, 1967

Thirty-Minute Theatre

as Paddy

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 07, 1965

The Queen

Episodes: 5

First Aired: Nov 29, 2009

The Last Train

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Apr 07, 1999

The Avengers

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 07, 1961

Hazell

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 16, 1978

No Hiding Place

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 16, 1959

New Tricks

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 01, 2004

Judge Dee

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Apr 08, 1969

The BBC Television Shakespeare

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Dec 03, 1978

Foyle's War

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 27, 2002

Dear Mother... ...Love Albert

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 15, 1969

The Kenny Everett Television Show

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Feb 25, 1982

Popularity Metrics

Popularity History


Year Month Avg Max Min
2024 6 8 11 5
2024 7 16 28 7
2024 8 12 39 5
2024 9 8 14 3
2024 10 6 16 3
2024 11 5 10 2
2024 12 6 11 3
2025 1 9 14 3
2025 2 4 9 1
2025 3 3 7 1
2025 4 1 1 1
2025 5 2 2 1
2025 6 1 1 1
2025 7 2 4 0
2025 8 2 11 0
2025 9 0 0 0
2025 10 0 1 0

Trending Rank


Year Month Avg Rank Max Rank
2025 7 227 227

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