logo
Star Wars actor Kenneth Colley dies aged 87

Star Wars actor Kenneth Colley dies aged 87

Daily Mail​8 hours ago
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.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Wimbledon 2025 - Emma Raducanu v Aryna Sabalenka on TV, iPlayer, Radio, Sounds and BBC Sport
Wimbledon 2025 - Emma Raducanu v Aryna Sabalenka on TV, iPlayer, Radio, Sounds and BBC Sport

BBC News

time27 minutes ago

  • BBC News

Wimbledon 2025 - Emma Raducanu v Aryna Sabalenka on TV, iPlayer, Radio, Sounds and BBC Sport

Great Britain's Emma Raducanu takes on 2024 Wimbledon champion Aryna Sabalenka on Day 5 at Wimbledon. Here's how to keep up with all the action... Watch on TV and iPlayer Emma Raducan and Aryna Sabalenka's showdown is scheduled for Centre Court in the afternoon meaning you'll be able to watch on iPlayer and BBC One or BBC Two depending on timings. Follow across the BBC BBC Sport's digital coverage of Wimbledon offers fans unparalleled access to the championship wherever they are. New this year, BBC iPlayer features highlights of selected matches, alongside bespoke video analysis of key games and players across the BBC Sport website, app, and social media platforms. The BBC Sport website and app also delivers live in-play clips, match highlights, and a curated selection of the tournament's funniest moments, all available in a vertical video player. Fans can tune into the live Wimbledon Extra channel on BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and app, and via the red button. Plus, every match is available to stream on iPlayer, bringing viewers even closer to the action. Daily live text commentaries on the BBC Sport website and app capture the best of the day's play, with reports on standout matches and major moments throughout the tournament. For those who don't want to miss a beat, BBC Sport's social media channels are packed with top highlights, player interviews, in-depth storytelling, and exclusive behind-the-scenes content. Follow for More

Heads of State (2025) Ending Explained – Do Sam & Derringer save the day?
Heads of State (2025) Ending Explained – Do Sam & Derringer save the day?

The Review Geek

timean hour ago

  • The Review Geek

Heads of State (2025) Ending Explained – Do Sam & Derringer save the day?

Heads of State Plot Summary Head of State is an Amazon Prime action film starring Idris Elba, John Cena, and Priyanka Chopra. The film follows the U.S. President Will Derringer (John Cena), as he embarks on his first trip to the UK to meet the British Prime Minister Sam Clarke (Idris Elba). These two don't exactly see eye to eye, and things blow up in public during a press conference. Meanwhile in Spain, a covert mission led by Clarke's ex, Noel, goes awry. The mission to capture a wanted terrorist, Gradov, leaves Noel presumed dead, and the media hounds the two leaders for answers. The rivalry between the two at the press conference makes things worse, causing their advisors to scramble to salvage the situation. To change the narrative, their advisors suggest that the beefing leaders fly together to the NATO meeting in Trieste on Air Force One. What happens during the flight? After putting up a united front, the two leaders embark on their journey. During the flight, Derringer and Sam continue to bicker over their differences. It turns out Sam doesn't respect Derringer because he was a renowned action star who ran for president and won. On the other hand, Derringer is hurt that Sam subtly endorsed his rival during the campaign season. As they bicker over drinks, Gradov's inside man launches an attack on the plane. He also sends the plane's location to his colleagues. His colleagues launch an air attack, bringing the plane down. Thankfully, thanks to the bodyguard, Derringer and Sam survive. However, everyone assumes they died along with the others in the crash. What happens after the crash? Derringer and Sam land in Belarus (enemy territory) near the border of Poland. As the world mourns the two leaders, Derringer and Sam bicker over their next options as they make their way to the safe house in Poland. Derringer wants to make contact with his team, but Sam fears it is too risky, given the recent breach. He believes there has to be a spy in their midst. They decide to hot-wire a car, but that puts them in more danger than they anticipated. An epic fight scene ensues with some Belarusian men before an old lady offers them help. She sneaks them across the border and delivers them safely to the safe house. Unfortunately, Gradov used the change of guard in the American government to infiltrate Echelon, a secret surveillance programme. This leads Gradov right to the safe house after the programme intercepts footage of Derringer and Sam arriving at the safe house in Warsaw. Gradov sends his men after them. What happens at the safe house? At the safe house, Sam and Derringer meet the station agent, Marty Comer. Marty is elated to meet his hero, Derringer, even under these circumstances. Before they can come up with a playbook, Gradov's men attack them. Comer sacrifices his life to give the two a chance to escape. They are about to be cornered when Noel miraculously appears and saves the day. Apparently, a bulletproof vest saved her life, and she has been low-key investigating Gradov, which led her to Sam and Derringer. In Trieste, a diplomatic crisis unfolds as sensitive documents are leaked from the Echelon servers, testing the limits of diplomatic relations. The documents expose covert missions amongst NATO nations against each other. Gradov is using Echelon to tear NATO apart, but the Vice President, currently the acting President, is working to save NATO. Why is Gradov after the US and the UK? According to Noel, Gradov used to be a weapons developer working along with his son. His son was a genius scientist with incredible breakthroughs. He was on the brink of making the first nuclear reactor incapable of melting down when he was killed during a mission. The UK and the US took his technology and claimed it as their own. In fact, the press conference was to launch the technology. Gradov is after revenge and won't stop at anything to kill the men who killed his son. Now, Noel, Sam, and Derringer have to figure out who helped Gradov before reaching out to their teams. Derringer thinks the spy is Sam's right-hand man, Quincy. Simultaneously, Noel has to get them to Trieste, currently the safest place on the planet. Does the trio make it to Trieste? The three of them make it on a train and start their journey to Spain. During the ride, Noel and Sam try to get closure from their past relationship. It turns out they were in the army together, but Sam gave it up to run for office. Noel wasn't ready to do so, and they broke up. However, they still have feelings for each other, and Derringer encourages Sam to pursue Noel again. Unfortunately, the Echelon servers pick up on their location. Gradov sends two men after them. Luckily, one of the men is Arthur. Arthur is Gradov's IT specialist. Before he dies, he gives the trio a clue to find the spy. He sends them to a secret, secure location and gives them a prompt that will allow them to run a programme and check Gradov's communications. The trio jumps out of the train and makes it to the secret location. Once again, Gradov finds them. This time, he personally comes after them. The trio manages to get into the programme and discover the identity of the spy. In a surprising turn of events, the spy turns out to be Bradshaw, Derringer's chief of staff. Unfortunately, Gradov launches a missile at the building while Sam is inside. Derringer and Noel assume Sam is dead and make their way to Trieste. They need to make it in time to save NATO from falling apart. After getting to the Port of Trieste, Derringer calls the acting President, Kirk, and fills her in on the situation. He orders her to send the presidential car, the Beast, to pick them up. Do they save NATO? In another twist, it is revealed that Kirk was the true mastermind behind everything. She used Bradshaw as a cover and had her men ready to take out Gradov. Unfortunately for her, Gradov, Sam, and Derringer all make it to Trieste as the NATO meetings start. Gradov's men come after Sam and Noel with a renewed vengeance. A wild car chase ensues as Gradov tries to take them out. Sam arrives in a fire truck and tries to intervene. The chase continues, and Sam is forced to jump into the Beast and take over the wheel. Thanks to his mad driving skills and the art of dodging bullets and missiles, they barely make it to the meeting. Just as the countries start voting to pull out of NATO, Sam and Derringer arrive and give a passionate speech on unity. Before they can vote, Gradov and his men infiltrate the building and open fire. An intense fight scene ensues as they each take down their multiple attackers. Gradov is about to escape, but Sam and Derringer work as a team to take him down. They manage to kill Gradov when his plane explodes after a crash. How does Heads of State end? Two months after the whole ordeal, the media reports that the NATO alliance remains strong. The film ends with Sam flirting with Noel over texts since she is away on a mission. In the meantime, he takes Derringer for lunch, and they bicker over which country between the two has better food condiments. We also get a sweet surprise that Comer also made it out of the safe house alive.

Grace Pervades review — Ralph Fiennes is magnetic
Grace Pervades review — Ralph Fiennes is magnetic

Times

timean hour ago

  • Times

Grace Pervades review — Ralph Fiennes is magnetic

A great contemporary actor plays a great late-Victorian actor manager. Does the notion of Grace Pervades, a new play by David Hare starring Ralph Fiennes as Henry Irving, sound like theatre eating itself? It is a bit, though Fiennes is too magnetic and Hare's script too stacked with bon mots and insights ever to be less than interesting. Irving ran the Lyceum Theatre in London from 1878 to 1902, plying a proudly old-fashioned programme of great plays featuring great roles for Henry Irving. And Grace Pervades starts Fiennes's own season of actor-managing, directing As You Like It in August here before starring with his ex Francesca Annis in a new play, Small Hotel, in October. The play's best moments revolve around Irving's relationship, largely professional, with his leading lady, Ellen Terry. In fact you can't help but wish all of its moments were about them and there was less time spent on her theatrical offspring, Edward Gordon Craig and Edith Craig. Partly that's because Fiennes, donning a series of ever-whitening wigs, is sincere, caustic, reserved, repressed, vain, generous — whatever the moment requires — and you wish for as much as you can get of him. Miranda Raison, as Ellen Terry, is engagingly elegant but the character feels like a foil to Irving MARC BRENNER Fiennes shows Irving the actor-micromanager, fastidiously controlling except when it comes to Terry. She can do whatever she likes. Miranda Raison lends Terry an engagingly elegant lightness but struggles, I think, to inhabit fully a character who feels like a foil to the more tunnel-visioned Irving, much though she pulls him up on his foibles. • David Hare interview: 'I have been heartily kicked by the BBC' Time that might have fleshed out this pair more is instead spent following the influential yet seemingly impossible Edward and the crusading Edith, who produces huge numbers of plays while living in a menage a trois in Kent. Every exchange has something going for it, but you wonder what all these character studies and theatrical theories are supposed to add up to. Still, a large cast rises to the challenges of a production, by Jeremy Herrin, played out on a huge area with visible wings and proscenium arch upstage (design by Bob Crowley). Jordan Metcalfe gives Edward a prim perfectionism that makes it easier to buy into this self-proclaimed genius as a great postulator than a great libertine. Bohemian Edith is played with name-making aplomb in her professional theatre debut by Ruby Ashbourne Serkis. (Suitably enough, in a play about theatrical dynasties, she is the child of two successful actors, Lorraine Ashbourne and Andy Serkis.) The cast rises to the challenge of the production MARC BRENNER Do we ever quite know what the story of these differently driven, devotedly theatrical types is supposed to make us feel? Not really. And it's one of those plays that changes time and place often enough that characters spend too much time reminding each other who they are and what they are about. But take it on its own slightly rambling terms and Grace Pervades has far too many ideas in its head ever to be dull.★★★☆☆ 150mins Bath Theatre Royal, to Jul 19, Follow @timesculture to read the latest reviews

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store