Star Wars actor Kenneth Colley, best known for portraying Admiral Piett in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, has passed away at age 87 following complications from COVID-19 and pneumonia.
Colley's iconic character Admiral Piett served as the commanding officer of Darth Vader's flagship. He later reprised the role in the 2012 animated special Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out. Beyond Star Wars, Colley delivered a memorable performance as Jesus in Monty Python's Life of Brian.
The BBC reports Colley passed away peacefully at his Kent home on Monday after battling COVID-related pneumonia.
In an official statement, his agent Julian Owen remarked: "Kenneth Colley stood among Britain's most accomplished character actors with a remarkable 60-year career. His diverse roles ranged from portraying Jesus in Monty Python's Life of Brian to complex characters in Ken Russell's films and the Duke of Vienna in the BBC's Measure for Measure."
According to Owen, Colley had been hospitalized following a fall that injured his arm before contracting COVID-19, which rapidly progressed to pneumonia.
The Daily Mail reports that Colley's Star Wars character wasn't originally slated to appear in Return of the Jedi. However, fan demand grew so strong that George Lucas personally reinstated the character, responding to what Lucasfilm described as "significant fan correspondence" about Admiral Piett.
Colley previously recounted how he landed the Empire Strikes Back role, explaining that director Irvin Kershner specifically sought "someone who could intimidate Hitler himself" - a quality the actor perfectly embodied.
