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Time of India
2 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Kenneth Colley, the Star Wars actor, dies aged 87 from Covid‑19–related pneumonia
Image credits: X Kenneth Colley , the steely-eyed British actor best known for his role as Admiral Piett in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, has died. He was 87. With his gaunt features and quiet authority, Colley stood out in a galaxy packed with larger-than-life characters—earning a rare return for a second film as Darth Vader's highest-ranking officer. His agent, Julian Owen, confirmed that Colley died on June 30 at a hospital in Ashford, England, from complications of pneumonia after contracting COVID-19. He had injured his arm in a fall and became ill while hospitalized, an all-too-familiar trajectory during the pandemic years, when hospital-acquired infections sharply increased pneumonia risk, particularly among the elderly. Coronavirus and Pneumonia Image credits: X While many people who contract COVID-19 only feel symptoms similar to a rough seasonal bug, there are others for whom the virus takes a sharper turn. In some cases, the symptoms can spread into the lungs and trigger pneumonia across both. COVID-related pneumonia has proven to be especially aggressive and, at times, fatal. Pneumonia: Risks, symptoms, and what it is Image credits: X Pneumonia itself isn't new. It's an infection of the lungs where the tiniest air sacs, known as alveoli, become inflamed. In severe cases, these sacs flood with fluid or pus, cutting off oxygen and making every breath feel like a struggle. People often report exhaustion, chest discomfort, fever, and a cough that doesn't let up. Treatments range from over-the-counter fever reducers to hospital care with oxygen or, in the worst scenarios, ventilators. Though pneumonia can follow colds or flu, it's not limited to viruses. Bacteria, fungi, or any other invading organism can be behind it. But what sets COVID-19 pneumonia apart is how quickly it can escalate. Preliminary signs of COVID-19 include: fever, a dry cough, shortness of breath, Fatigue, chills, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, belly pain, loss of smell or taste, sore throat, runny nose, pinkeye, and skin rashes. If your COVID-19 infection begins to develop into pneumonia, the symptoms can also include rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, rapid breathing, dizziness, and heavy sweating. People who are most at risk are older people, above the age of 65 in general, and even more so if past 85. Further, people who are already dealing with chronic diseases like asthma, heart disease, and liver disease are also at risk due to weak metabolism and immunity.
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Kenneth Colley, 87, ‘Star Wars' actor with a commanding presence, dies
Advertisement In a 2014 interview, he recalled that when he walked into an office to meet Irvin Kershner, the director of 'The Empire Strikes Back,' Kershner told him he was looking for 'someone that would frighten Adolf Hitler.' Colley, with his gaunt face and steely eyes, fit the bill. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Admiral Piett is appointed top commander of the Imperial fleet after his superior is killed by Darth Vader (whose physical presence is played by David Prowse) for his poor judgment. Mr. Colley often said that he saw Admiral Piett as a shrewd operator who followed orders for the sake of survival in Darth Vader's world. In his interpretation of the character, he reinforced the severity and tension felt in the camp as the Rebel alliance evades capture. Advertisement The film grossed more than $200 million in its original release, according to the site Box Office Mojo, with Admiral Piett emerging as an unexpected crowd pleaser. As Mr. Colley liked to recall, the creator of Star Wars, George Lucas, asked him to come back for 'Return of the Jedi' (1983) after he received a flood of fan letters curious about Admiral Piett's backstory. Although the character wasn't included in the original script, Lucas wrote him into new scenes while on set. In the finished film, Admiral Piett leads the Imperial fleet until he is shot down by a Rebel fighter at the Battle of Endor. Mr. Colley relished the popularity of his role and appeared at conventions and fan events in the subsequent decades. He continued to interpret a wide assortment of roles, including an impudent left-wing journalist in a 1987 stage adaptation of John Hale's spy novel 'The Whistle Blower' (1984), but he mostly played villains, which, he told the magazine Star Wars Insider in 1987, was 'fine by me.' 'If you can burrow in deep and find some life there,' he said, 'that makes it interesting — you want to know more about this uniform.' Kenneth Colley was born Dec. 7, 1937, in Manchester, England. He began acting at the Bromley Repertory Company, where he worked as an assistant stage manager, according to The Guardian, and joined The Living Theater in Leicester in the early 1960s. He also trained with the Royal Shakespeare Company and with Laurence Olivier's National Theater Company. In the 1960s, he played bit roles in various TV series and televised theater productions, including 'ITV Play of the Week'; the anthology drama series 'Thirty-Minute Theater,' taking on the parts of Charles I and Hitler; and 'BBC Play of the Month.' He played a stammering accordion player in 'Pennies from Heaven' (1978), a major in 'The Danedyke Mystery' (1979) and Jesus in the film 'Monty Python's Life of Brian' (1979). Advertisement Mr. Colley married Mary Dunne in 1962. She died in 2018. Information on his survivors was not immediately available. His other notable performances include the Duke of Vienna in 'Measure for Measure,' a 1979 BBC Shakespeare production; Adolf Eichmann in 'Wallenberg' (1985); and a cranky recluse in a Nancy Meckler 2000 revival of Brecht's 1939 play 'Mother Courage and Her Children,' a role he 'brilliantly played for one scene only,' as Sheridan Morley wrote in The International Herald Tribune. In a hot streak during the 1980s, he acted in Clint Eastwood's 'Firefox' (1982); 'Giro City' (1982), as the titular vice admiral in the British miniseries 'I Remember Nelson' (1982); and alongside Gregory Peck in the TV movie 'The Scarlet and the Black' (1983). 'In one year, I worked with Clint Eastwood, Gregory Peck, and David Prowse,' he recalled in 1987. 'I got a crick in my neck from always looking up toward the stars!' This article originally appeared in
Buzz Feed
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Most Memorable Movie Deaths That Left Us Shook
Movies indeed move us, and nothing hits harder than the death of a beloved character. On the always alive subreddit r/AskReddit, Reddit user u/CubicleJoe0822 asked: What movie death is seared into your memory forever? Here are just some of the answers at your own risk of trauma and tears: "That one Ewok that didn't get up in Return of the Jedi." "Doesn't show the actual death, but the scene in Titanic when the ship is sinking and the mother tucks her children into bed knowing they will drown...f*cked me up for life. I was like nine or ten." "The little shoe that gets dipped in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" "Macaulay Culkin in My Girl." "The sweet alien in Galaxy Quest." "Spock dying in massive radiation contamination in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan." "Littlefoot's mom in The Land Before Time." "American History X. I was way too young to watch that curb-stomping scene." "Mufasa in The Lion King. That scene hit like a truck as a kid and honestly still does." "Private Mellish getting stabbed by the German soldier in Saving Private Ryan." "'I'm tired, boss.' The Green Mile." "The dog in I Am Legend." "Not only am I scarred still by Artax dying in the swamp of sadness, but I carelessly showed my young daughter The NeverEnding Story, so now she's scarred too. Thus turns the cycle of trauma." "The AC unit in Brave Little Toaster. That movie was a psychological horror, not a children's movie, and I'm tired of pretending otherwise." "The death scene in Blade Runner that features the character Roy Batty (portrayed by Rutger Hauer) delivering the iconic 'Tears in Rain' monologue just before his death." "Wash in Serenity. I relate to his wife, Zoe, going on a crazy kill spree. I'd do the same." "To the Gen X guys out there, Neil's death by suicide in Dead Poets Society. Hearing the dad's 'Oh my son!' when discovering his body haunts me so many years later." "I know he lives ultimately, but the Iron Giant." "Old Yeller." "The grandma in Dante's Peak." "Boromir in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. 'I would have followed you, my brother. My captain. My King.'" "Bambi's mom in Bambi." "'Brooks was here.' Shawshank Redemption." "In Guardians of the Galaxy 3, the death of the hybrid animals. So f*cking cruel." "Yondu in Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2." "The little girl from The Bridge to Terabithia! F*ck that movie forever." "Marley from Marley and Me. Could go for most dog deaths on screen, they're always the worst." "Leon in The Professional." "Shelby from Steel Magnolias." "T-800 in Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Thumbs up into the molten steel." "The longneck dino at the end of the dock watching them leave while the entire island goes up into flames in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom." "Debra Winger in Terms of Endearment. Her goodbye to her kids and the way Shirley McLain reacts is painful to watch." "Up." "That chick in the tanning bed in Final Destination 3." "I know it wasn't really a 'permanent death' but Spider-Man when Thanos snaps in Avengers: Infinity War…'I'm scared, I don't want to disappear.' I have a kiddo about Spider-Man's age in that movie, and I lost it in the theater." And lastly, and perhaps the most devastating inanimate object death in cinema history, "Wilson in Cast Away." What movie death scarred you for life? Comment below and tell us why!
New York Post
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Darth Vader's lightsaber from original Star Wars trilogy to be auctioned off — expected to rake in up to $3 million
May the force — and fortunes — be with you. The lightsaber used by Darth Vader during the latter two films of the original 'Star Wars' trilogy will be auctioned off alongside a slew of other memorabilia from the franchise and is expected to rake in millions, according to a report. The hilt of the primary dueling lightsaber used by masked villian during 'The Empire Strikes Back' and 'Return of the Jedi' will go on the market at Los Angeles' Propstore in September and is predicted to sell for anywhere between $1 million and $3 million. Advertisement 3 The lightsaber used by Darth Vader during the final two installments of the original trilogy will be auctioned off. Propstore The prop hilt is believed to be the first of its kind to go on the market, as no other lightsabers from the original trilogy ever went to private buyers. They were instead cycled through museums, with Luke Skywalker's lightsabe from 'The Empire Strikes Back' residing with Ripley's Believe It or Not. 'Surviving genuine lightsaber props from the original trilogy of films are exceedingly rare, and Propstore is honored to present this historic artifact in our September sale. It is a grail-level piece, worthy of the finest collections in the world,' Propstore COO Brandon Alinger told The Hollywood Reporter. Advertisement Starting in August, the prop will have its own press circuit from London to New York before finally parking in Beverly Hills, where it'll be sold to the highest bidder. The auction coincidies with the 45th anniversary of 'The Empire Strikes Back.' 3 The prop is expected to sell for $1 million to $3 million. ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection The same tour will feature other famed props from acclaimed classics, including the bullwhip and belt worn by Harrison Ford in 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade' and a hero close-up neuralyzer, or pen-like object that wipes minds, from 'Men in Black.' Advertisement Propstore features a long lineup of other relics from classic franchises, including more from 'Star Wars' like gifts given to crew members after the films wrapped and a replica of the lightsaber used by Qui-Gon Jinn, the Jedi Master played by Liam Neeson, in the prequels. 3 The lightsaber will be brought to New York in August on a press circuit. AP Darth Vader's dueling lightsaber was held on-screen by the late David Prowse, the physical actor for the Sith Lord, and stunt double Bob Anderson. The fallen Jedi was voiced by the legendary James Earl Jones. Advertisement In 2022, the gun used by Han Solo, played by Ford, in 'A New Hope' sold for $1 million. It is only one of three surviving models from the trilogy. In June 2024, a toy figurine of bounty hunter Boba Fett from the 1970s sold for a staggering $525,000.
San Francisco Chronicle
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Darth Vader's original ‘Star Wars' lightsaber heads to auction
' Star Wars ' fans have a rare chance to own one of Darth Vader's original lightsabers. All they would need is a little help from the Force and, of course, millions of dollars. For the first time, a hero lightsaber from the original 'Star Wars' trilogy is headed for auction. Movie memorabilia auction house Propstore is set to sell the prop used on-screen by actor David Prowse — who provided the physical presence for the villain voiced by James Earl Jones — and stunt double Bob Anderson in both ' The Empire Strikes Back ' (1980) and ' Return of the Jedi ' (1983). The auction is scheduled to take place in Los Angeles this September. In 2022, Propstore sold a 22-inch long model miniature X-wing fighter from the original ' Star Wars ' (1977) for more than $2.3 million. This lightsaber is expected to go as high as $3 million. 'Surviving genuine lightsaber props from the original trilogy of films are exceedingly rare,' Propstore COO Brandon Alinger said in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter, which broke the news Tuesday, July 15. 'It is a grail-level piece, worthy of the finest collections in the world.' The exact date of the auction has not yet been disclosed, but interested parties can sign up for updates at In August, the lightsaber will travel to London, New York and Beverly Hills on a media tour. Other items on the tour include a bullwhip and belt worn by Harrison Ford in 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade' (1989), a hero close-up neuralyzer from 'Men in Black' (1997) and Sauron's helmet for 'The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring' (2001).
