Topics
Beloved ‘Star Wars’ Actor Passes Away & Tributes Pour In
Fans of the “Star Wars” series are in mourning as the news broke on July 3rd that Kenneth Colley had passed away. The 87-year-old actor appeared in the original “Star Wars” series, playing Admiral Piett. Kenneth Colley is also known for his roles in “Monty Python” and several other notable films.
According to Deadline, Kenneth Colley passed away in his home on June 30, which is in Kent, England. This came after he tested positive for COVID and also developed pneumonia. Kenneth’s agent, Julian Owen, announced his death.
The agent said, “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.”
Tributes Are Pouring In For the Beloved ‘Star Wars’ Actor
Kenneth Colley is regarded as an international treasure due to his numerous roles throughout his extensive career. As a result, many fans have taken to social media to pay tribute to the beloved “Star Wars” actor.
The fan account Star Wars Holocron posted about Kenneth’s passing, concluding the statement with, “May the Force be with you, always.” A fan commented and highlighted Admiral Piett’s importance to the series, saying, “Rip Kenneth Colley. Piett was the one Empire officer who was spared from Darth Vader’s force chokes.”
Another fan on the X platform, who posts under the name Veers Watch, remarked, “Oh man, rest in peace to Kenneth Colley- a phenomenal presence in ESB and ROTJ who shares in some classic scenes with Veers, he’s gonna be sorely missed.”
Finally, Thomas Murch from X said, “It probably says a lot about me that, even when I was young, one of my favourite things about Star Wars was watching Piett rise reluctantly through the ranks of the Empire. Rest in peace, Kenneth Colley. I’ll be intensifying my forward firepower every day, in your memory.”
Kenneth Colley Left Behind A Lasting Legacy
Kenneth Colley was born in 1937 in Manchester, United Kingdom. According to IMDb, he has 159 credits related to his time on both the big and small screens. Notably, Kenneth was also a theatre actor. His first television role came in 1961 when he appeared in an episode of “A for Andromeda.”
Kenneth Colley made several television appearances throughout the 1960s and 1970s. However, he was then cast in “Monty Python’s Life of Brian” in 1979. The following year came his role in “Star Wars: Episode V- The Empire Strikes Back.” He was later in “Star Wars: Episode V1- Return of the Jedi.”
Kenneth’s last credited role came in 2024 for “Dan Hawk Psychic Detective.”
