Latest news with #KennethColley
News.com.au
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Iconic Star Wars actor dead at 87 after Covid battle
Star Wars actor Kenneth Colley has died at the age 87. Colley, who played Admiral Piett in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, passed away peacefully on Monday at his home in Ashford, Kent, his agent Julian Owen confirmed to The Post. 'Ken Colley was one of our finest character actors with a career spanning 60 years,' Owen said in a statement to The Post. Owen confirmed that Colley was admitted to the hospital with an injured arm after a fall. The British actor quickly contracted COVID which developed into pneumonia. Colley had friends by his side when he died, Owen said. '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,' Owen's 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.' Colley was born on December 7, 1937 in Manchester, Lancashire. Early in his career, he appeared in episodes of The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes, Special Branch, The Sweeney and Pennies from Heaven. In 1980, Colley joined the Star Wars franchise with his portrayal as one of Darth Vader's Imperial officers in The Empire Strikes Back. He reprised the role in 1983's Return of the Jedi. Both films starred Hollywood legends Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Billy Dee Williams and the late Carrie Fisher. Nearly 30 years later, Colley voiced Admiral Piett in the 2012 animated TV film Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out. Colley was also widely known for his roles in multiple Ken Russell movies and for playing Jesus in 1979's Monty Python's Life of Brian. Other movies Colley appeared in included Firefox, War and Remembrance, Measure for Measure, Return to Waterloo, The Whistle Blower, The Plot to Kill Hitler and The Rainbow. He also directed the 2007 horror movie Greetings starring Kirsty Cox, Henry Dunn and Ben Shockley.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Star Wars' actor Kenneth Colley dies at 87
Kenneth Colley, a British actor known for playing Admiral Piett in the original 'Star Wars' trilogy, has died at age 87. Colley died at his home in England on Monday, according to a statement shared by his agent, Julian Owens. Before his death, Colley been admitted to a hospital for an arm injury he suffered in a fall, but he quickly contracted COVID-19 that eventually developed into pneumonia. Throughout his 64-year career, Colley worked continuously in film, television and on the stage, playing a wide variety of characters from Jesus in 'Monty Python's Life of Brian' to the Duke of Vienna in Shakespeare's 'Measure for Measure' for the BBC. In 'The Empire Strikes Back' and 'Return of the Jedi' he played Admiral Piett, an imperial officer in command of Darth Vader's flagship Executor. He reprised the role in 2012's animated 'Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out.' His role in the popular franchise earned him a legion of sci-fi fans across generations. Colley also appeared in films such as Clint Eastwood's 'Firefox' and British TV shows like 'Coronation Street,' 'EastEnders' and 'Return to Treasure Island.' More recently, he appeared in two episodes of 'Peaky Blinders.' Owens remembered Colley as always remaining humble despite being one of the 'finest character actors with a career spanning 60 years.' 'Ken loved attending conventions and meeting the fans,' Owens said. 'He traveled all over the world yet could never quite grasp why everyone wanted his autograph.' Colley was proceeded in death by his wife, Mary, to whom he'd been married for more than 60 years.
UPI
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- UPI
'Star Wars' actor Kenneth Colley dies at 87
Actor Kenneth Colley, known for his roles in the "Star Wars" films, has died at the age of 87. Image courtesy of UPI July 3 (UPI) -- Kenneth Colley, an actor best known for his roles in the Star Wars films and Monty Python's The Life of Brian, has died after contracting COVID-19 and developing pneumonia. He was 87. Colley's agent, Julian Owen, announced in a statement that the actor died Monday at his home in Ashford, Kent. Colley had recently contracted COVID-19 and developed pneumonia. The actor portrayed Admiral Piett in the Star Wars films The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. He also played Jesus in Monty Python's The Life of Brian. Colley reprised his role as Admiral Piett in the 2012 animated short film Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out. "Ken loved attending conventions and meeting the fans," Owen said. "He traveled all over the world, yet could never quite grasp why everyone wanted his autograph. He was a very humble man with an incredibly dry wit."
Gizmodo
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
Admiral Piett Gave the Empire Its Human Face
In the original Star Wars trilogy, only one Imperial officer had the cunning and savvy to survive more than one film. That's Admiral Piett, played by actor Kenneth Colley. Colley passed away this week at the age of 87, and as a tribute to the fantastic actor, we thought we'd pay tribute to his most iconic role. The whole point of the Empire is faceless brutality. Stormtroopers all dress alike. Darth Vader has a mask. Only a select few see the Emperor, and even he's disfigured with an expansive hood. There is no real humanity to it. You only get a little from the Imperial officers, and of all the officers, it's Admiral Piett who is the most memorable. Part of that is because, as we said, he survives two films, but also it's because of the layered, brilliant performance Colley gives in each of his crucial scenes. We first meet Piett in The Empire Strikes Back. He's a captain, working alongside Darth Vader and Admiral Ozzel. It's Piett that alerts Ozzel, then Vader, about a mysterious ping from a probe droid in the Hoth system. The Hoth system shouldn't have pinged back, but he has this feeling. It's immediate proof of his natural instincts because, of course, he's right. That's where the Rebels are. Ozzel, however, isn't pleased to be shown up by his captain—and, well, that wouldn't be the last time. Ozzel then makes a fatal mistake when he lets the Imperial fleet exit hyperspace too close to the Hoth system, so Vader kills him and promotes Piett to admiral. Piett takes the promotion with some surprise and grace, fully realizing officers like himself are disposable to someone as evil as Vader. And yet even in those few, short moments, while you know every single thing Piett stands for and believes in is awful, you feel kind of happy for him. You shouldn't, but you do. Watching these scenes back, you almost forget just how crucial Piett is in this film. He's in almost every single big Empire moment. Case in point, we next see Piett in Vader's chambers, where he—and the audience—first see the hints of his past as Anakin Skywalker. He's taken aback by the revelation but remains incredibly professional and doesn't say a word. He's loyal, but he's also human. That's why, even though he knows going into an asteroid field to chase the Millennium Falcon is a bad idea, he does it anyway, because it's what Lord Vader commands him to do. None of these scenes would be as memorable without Colley's performance as Piett making them so. Another example is when he alerts Vader to the fact the Emperor is trying to make contact in the asteroid field. He enters the space by almost skipping, anxious and excited to deliver the message. But then, he becomes visibly scared mentioning the Emperor to Vader. At this point, we haven't seen the Emperor, but we have witnessed Piett's reaction to him, and we already are fearful. But there's also disdain there. Maybe Piett's most famous line is his next one, 'Bounty hunters, we don't need their scum.' Vader has brought in several bounty hunters—such as soon-to-be icons Boba Fett, Bossk, and Zuckuss, to name a few—to help find the Falcon, but before we see them, we know how everyone feels about them thanks to the perfect, dismissive tone of Piett. However, we also learn so much about the Empire because of him too. When Piett and his ship lose the Millennium Falcon again, Vader gives him a final warning, just like he did to Ozzel. The gulp Piett gives, knowing that he is dead if he fails Vader again, is both pathetic and relatable. It's simply a beautiful, subtle moment. Piett is in more of The Empire Strikes Back than you imagine and makes a very big impression. That's partially why George Lucas brought him back for Return of the Jedi, making Imperial on-screen history as the only one to ever return. It's a smaller role this time around, but one that features an incredibly crucial moment. It's Admiral Piett who makes the, basically, Empire-ending decision to clear Tydirium, which housed Han Solo, Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, and others, to the forest moon of Endor. He doesn't make the ultimate decision, of course; that was Vader, but he was right there at the center of the moment the Empire, at least in this iteration, began its fall. And his ability to delegate such a moment showed why he was still around when so many of his colleagues were not. Finally, after almost bragging to his crew about special plans he got from the Emperor himself, Piett meets his end when a Rebel A-Wing crashes into his Star Destroyer during the battle of Endor. However, it's impossible to ignore that he has had so much longevity. So much impact. So much charisma. Admiral Piett was the face of the Empire. Maybe he wasn't a Sith lord, but he stood beside Sith lords and held his own till the end. Did he deserve his fate in the films? Of course. The Empire was trash. But actor Kenneth Colley gave him a humanity that helped make maybe the greatest trilogy ever that great. Now gone, he will forever be remembered as one of the most memorable, crucial, and nuanced supporting Star Wars characters in history. He'll last forever. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Daily Mail
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Star Wars actor Kenneth Colley dies aged 87
Published: | Updated: Star Wars actor Kenneth Colley has died at the age of 87 after contracting Covid and developing pneumonia . The English film and television actor is best known for starring in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi as Admiral Piett, an imperial officer in command of Darth Vader's flagship. His agent of 10 years, Julian Owen issued a statement which said that he died 'peacefully' on Monday, June 30, in Ashford, Kent. After injuring his arm after a fall, he was taken to hospital where he caught Covid, which developed into pneumonia. The statement from his agent 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. 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.' In later years, he reprised his role of Admiral Piett when he voiced the character in the 2012 animated Lego production, Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out. According to Colley, the character of Piett was not originally slated to appear in Return of the Jedi, but George Lucas added him because Lucasfilm had received 'a lot of fan mail' about the character. Colley said he got the original Empire role when he impressed director Irvin Kershner. He said Kershner told him he was 'looking for someone that would frighten Hitler' - and then added after their meeting: 'Yes, I think you're it'. He once said he grew to like the actor he worked with most, David Prowse, who wore Darth Vader's suit in the original films. The actor explained: 'I couldn't afford to like him too much, or else it would come into the scene. But underneath that rubber suit is a real nice guy.' He also had parts in international productions, including Clint Eastwood's Firefox and the Second World War series War and Remembrance. The statement added: '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. '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.' Fans have paid tribute to Colley on social media, with one writing: 'You are immortalised 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.' He is also known for playing Jesus in Monty Python's Life of Brian alongside English actors' John Cleese, Graham Chapman and Michael Palin. In recent years, he had stints on Holby City to Peaky Blinders, and appeared on two episodes of a Doctor Who special. One of his early appearances on British television was as Noah Riley in the 1970s police drama The Sweeney. He even had a go a directing with Greetings a 2007 horror film starring Kirsty Cox, Henry Dunn and Ben Shockley.
