Kenneth Colley (born 7 December 1937) is an English actor. A long-time character actor, he came to wider prominence through his role as Admiral Piett in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.Unlike the other ill-fated officers who appeared alongside him in The Empire Strikes Back, Colley was the only actor to play an Imperial officer in more than one Star Wars film. Colley reprised his role as Piett in the Cartoon Network animated special Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out in September 2012.Colley was born in Manchester, Lancashire. He played Jesus (very briefly indeed) in The Life of Brian, having also appeared in the earlier Monty Python-related production Ripping Yarns episode "The Testing of Eric Olthwaite" alongside Michael Palin. As a Shakespearean actor he played the Duke of Vienna in the BBC Television Shakespeare production of Measure for Measure in 1979.Colley also held an important role in the Clint Eastwood film Firefox, where he played a Soviet Colonel tasked with the protection of the Firefox and its secrets.Colley went on to play SS-Standartenführer Paul Blobel in the World War II drama War and Remembrance. His character was charged with hiding the evidence of the Holocaust, and putting dead victims through "Economic Processing".He has directed one film to date: Greetings, a 2007 horror film starring Kirsty Cox, Henry Dunn and Ben Shockley. He also directed a short film entitled Alligator (featuring fellow Star Wars alum Richard LeParmentier) in the same year. He has also recently starred in BBC's HolbyBlue as a drunk and violent father, grandfather and father-in-law.According to comments which Terry Gilliam (who directed him in Jabberwocky and co-starred with him in Life of Brian) made in the DVD audio commentaries for both films, Colley is a terrible stammerer in real life. When he had a role in a film, however, he could recite the lines perfectly. Stuttering is a character trait, however, in his role as the "Accordion Man" in the 1978 BBC television drama, Pennies from Heaven.He currently lives in Hythe in Kent.
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|
| A Summer Story | 1988 | Jim (as Ken Colley) |
| Ten Great Writers of the Modern World | 1988 | TV Mini-Series documentary | Chief Inspector Heat |
| Casanova | 1987 | TV Movie | Le Duc |
| The Whistle Blower | 1986 | Bill Pickett |
| The Kenny Everett Television Show | 1986 | TV Series |
| Return to Treasure Island | 1986 | TV Mini-Series | Ben Gunn |
| Mussolini: The Untold Story | 1985 | TV Mini-Series | King Vittorio Emmanuele |
| Wallenberg: A Hero's Story | 1985 | TV Movie | Adolf Eichmann |
| Function Room | 1985 | TV Mini-Series |
| Return to Waterloo | 1984 | The Traveller |
| Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi | 1983 | Admiral Piett |
| The Scarlet and the Black | 1983 | TV Movie | Capt. Hirsch (as Ken Colley) |
| Giro City | 1982 | Martin |
| Firefox | 1982 | Colonel Kontarsky |
| I Remember Nelson | 1982 | TV Series | Vice-Adm. Horatio Viscount Nelson |
| Peter and Paul | 1981 | TV Movie | Theodotus |
| Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back | 1980 | Admiral Piett |
| Life of Brian | 1979 | Jesus |
| The Danedyke Mystery | 1979 | TV Series | The Major |
| Measure for Measure | 1979 | TV Movie | Duke Vincentio |
| Les Miserables | 1978 | TV Movie | Police Prefect |
| Play for Today | 1977-1978 | TV Series | Frank Benyon / Bruce Tetley |
| Pennies from Heaven | 1978 | TV Mini-Series | The Accordion Man
Accordion Man |
| Hazell | 1978 | TV Series | The Porter |
| Ripping Yarns | 1977 | TV Series | Robber |
| Target | 1977 | TV Series | Jessal |
| Jabberwocky | 1977 | 1st Fanatic |
| Dickens of London | 1976 | TV Mini-Series | Robert Seymour |
| Crown Court | 1972-1976 | TV Series | James Armstong / Victor Snead / Stanley Meredith |
| Three Days in Szczecin | 1976 | TV Movie | Edmund Baluka |
| BBC Play of the Month | 1966-1976 | TV Series | Yolinichev |
| Lisztomania | 1975 | Frederic Chopin (as Ken Colley) |
| The Sweeney | 1975 | TV Series | Noah Riley |
| Churchill's People | 1975 | TV Series | Ancient beau |
| The Love School | 1975 | TV Series | Edward Burne-Jones
Edward Burne Jones |
| Flame | 1975 | Tony Devlin |
| Juggernaut | 1974 | Detective Brown |
| Z Cars | 1964-1974 | TV Series | Lennie Bowles / Rosser / Fenton |
| The Nine Tailors | 1974 | TV Mini-Series | Potty Peake |
| Special Branch | 1974 | TV Series | Oliver |
| Mahler | 1974 | Krenek (as Ken Colley) |
| Fall of Eagles | 1974 | TV Mini-Series | Father Gapon |
| The Protectors | 1973 | TV Series | Devlin |
| Arthur of the Britons | 1973 | TV Series | Erig |
| Black and Blue | 1973 | TV Series | Schultz |
| Jack the Ripper | 1973 | TV Mini-Series |
| Hitler: The Last Ten Days | 1973 | Boldt (uncredited) |
| The Triple Echo | 1972 | Provo Corporal (as Ken Colley) |
| The Visitors | 1972 | TV Mini-Series | Agent |
| Dear Mother... ...Love Albert | 1972 | TV Series | Jimmy |
| New Scotland Yard | 1972 | TV Series | Peter Elliot |
| A Family at War | 1972 | TV Series | Sergeant Jago |
| The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes | 1971 | TV Series | Farrish |
| The Devils | 1971 | Legrand |
| The Music Lovers | 1970 | Modeste Tchaikovsky |
| Performance | 1970 | Tony Farrell (as Ken Colley) |
| Thirty-Minute Theatre | 1967-1970 | TV Series | Charles I
Adolf Hitler
Dr. Emil Justin
... |
| Omnibus | 1970 | TV Series documentary | Hitler |
| The Wednesday Play | 1965-1969 | TV Series | Jock / Bethold Florenberg / Nick |
| The Expert | 1968-1969 | TV Series | Munt / Foreman |
| Judge Dee | 1969 | TV Series | Kun Shan |
| Look and Read | 1968 | TV Series | Mr. Moon |
| City '68 | 1968 | TV Series | Corbett |
| The Blood Beast Terror | 1968 | James |
| The Informer | 1967 | TV Series | Slater |
| How I Won the War | 1967 | 2nd Replacement |
| Hobson's Choice | 1967 | TV Series | Will Mossop |
| The Jokers | 1967 | De Winter (chauffeur) |
| The Baron | 1966 | TV Series | Dinny Brand |
| Softly Softly | 1966 | TV Series | Robins |
| Armchair Theatre | 1966 | TV Series |
| Emergency-Ward 10 | 1964-1966 | TV Series | Arthur Pastor / Ed |
| No Hiding Place | 1965 | TV Series | Sidney Runtle |
| The Good Soldier Schweik | 1965 | TV Movie | Patient |
| R3 | 1965 | TV Series | George Barratt |
| Thorndyke | 1964 | TV Series | Ellis |
| Redcap | 1964 | TV Series | Private Bolt |
| ITV Play of the Week | 1963-1964 | TV Series | Colin / Private Leetham |
| It's Dark Outside | 1964 | TV Series | Hammond |
| Seventy Deadly Pills | 1964 | Covent Garden porter |
| The Avengers | 1963 | TV Series | Young Man |
| Maupassant | 1963 | TV Series |
| Ghost Squad | 1963 | TV Series | Bank Teller |
| The Plane Makers | 1963 | TV Series | Jack Moss |
| A for Andromeda | 1961 | TV Series | Dead Body |
| The Man Who Wished | Short pre-production | The Old Man |
| Mum | 2016 | Short | Graham |
| Holby City | 2005-2016 | TV Series | Dudley Drake / Vaughn Chewer / Don Lawson |
| Peaky Blinders | 2016 | TV Series | Vicente Changretta |
| Star Wars: Force of Evil | 2015 | Short | Jaxan Tosh |
| Misfits | 2013 | TV Series | Old Rudy 2 |
| Scar Tissue | 2013 | Weaver |
| Vera | 2013 | TV Series | Ronald Devreux |
| Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out | 2012 | TV Movie | Admiral Piett (voice, as Kenneth Cooley) |
| The Avenging Spirit | 2011 | Short | Mr. Grey |
| Casualty | 1991-2011 | TV Series | Arthur Cobb / Clifford Watkins / Paddy |
| Freedom Day | 2010 | Short | Skipper |
| The Queen | 2009 | TV Series | Prince Philip |
| Casualty 1909 | 2009 | TV Series | Dr. Frederick Smith |
| Holby Blue | 2008 | TV Series | John Snr |
| Alligator | 2007 | Short | Glen |
| Greetings | 2007 | Ken |
| House of Donn | 2006 | Short | Dad |
| New Tricks | 2006 | TV Series | Frank Benson |
| A Nearly Silent Film | 2006 | TV Short | Signwriter |
| Foyle's War | 2006 | TV Series | Brian Jones |
| Like Father Like Son | 2005 | TV Movie | Rawsthorne |
| EastEnders | 2003 | TV Series | Brian |
| The Royal | 2003 | TV Series | Bernard Hussey |
| Relic Hunter | 2002 | TV Series | Professor Lamenza |
| Doctors | 2002 | TV Series | Frank Tyler |
| Midsomer Murders | 2001 | TV Series | Lloyd Kirby |
| The Mrs Bradley Mysteries | 2000 | TV Series | Archie Burlington |
| Holding On | 1999/I | Phil |
| Hold Back the Night | 1999 | Uncle Bob |
| Always and Everyone | 1999 | TV Series | Joseph |
| The Last Train | 1999 | TV Mini-Series | Mark |
| The Bill | 1995-1999 | TV Series | Mr. Baker / Acting Supt. Shannon / Patrick Houghton |
| Dangerfield | 1998 | TV Series | Bill Hunter |
| Heartbeat | 1998 | TV Series | Clive Harris |
| Shadow Run | 1998 | Larcombe |
| Peak Practice | 1997 | TV Series | Stan Jordan |
| Brassed Off | 1996 | Greasley (as Ken Colley) |
| El último viaje de Robert Rylands | 1996 | Archdale |
| Wycliffe | 1996 | TV Series | Sam Peploe |
| Moving Story | 1994-1995 | TV Series | Ken Uttley |
| Solomon & Sheba | 1995 | TV Movie | Nathan |
| Capital Lives | 1994 | TV Series |
| Between the Lines | 1993 | TV Series | Chief Supt. Tattersall |
| Unnatural Causes | 1993 | TV Movie | Inspector Gerry Reckless |
| The Secret Life of Arnold Bax | 1992 | TV Movie | John Ireland |
| La Vie de Bohème | 1992 | Balayeur de rues |
| Prisoner of Honor | 1991 | TV Movie | Capt. Dreyfus |
| Minder | 1991 | TV Series | Ron |
| Inspector Morse | 1991 | TV Series | Detective Chief Inspector Patrick Dawson |
| The Last Island | 1990 | Nick |
| I Hired a Contract Killer | 1990 | The Killer |
| Screen Two | 1990 | TV Series | Sergej |
| Agatha Christie's Poirot | 1990 | TV Series | Mathew Davenheim |
| Napoleon's Last Battle: Timewatch | 1990 | TV Series | Napoleon Bonaparte |
| The Plot to Kill Hitler | 1990 | TV Movie | Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel |
| The Rainbow | 1989 | Mr. Brunt (as Ken Colley) |
| The Play on One | 1989 | TV Series | Inspector Tennyson |
| War and Remembrance | 1988 | TV Mini-Series | SS Col. Paul Blobel |
