Person Biography:
Kenneth Colley, a renowned character actor from Manchester, gained a cult following for his iconic role as Admiral Piett in the Star Wars franchise. With a career spanning over six decades, Colley's journey to stardom began in repertory theatre, where he started as a general dogsbody, gopher, and assistant.
Born into a world of theatre, Colley's drama school was the street, where he honed his craft alongside notable actors like Tony Hopkins, John Gielgud, Colin Blakely, and Glenda Jackson. He began his professional career in Leicester in 1961, later joining the Old Vic, The Royal Court Theatre, and the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Colley's Shakespearean repertoire includes the histrionic Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing and the softly spoken Duke Vincentio in Measure for Measure. His early screen appearances included a corpse in A for Andromeda (1961) and small roles in popular TV shows like Z Cars (1962) and The Baron (1966).
Colley's association with director Ken Russell began in the 1970s, with notable roles in The Music Lovers (1971),Lisztomania (1975),and Prisoner of Honor (1991). He also appeared in Monty Python's Jabberwocky (1977) and Life of Brian (1979).
Throughout his career, Colley has played numerous historical figures, including Charles I, King Vittorio Emmanuele, and Admiral Horatio Nelson. He has also portrayed senior Nazi figures, such as Adolf Hitler, Wilhelm Keitel, and Adolf Eichmann.
In addition to his film and television work, Colley has written and directed the ultra-low-budget horror film Greetings (2007). He was married to his wife since 1962 and resided in the market town of Hythe in Kent. Kenneth Colley passed away on June 30, 2025, at the age of 87.
