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‘Star Wars’ Legend Kenneth Colley Dead at 87 After Health Battle

Originally posted on TV Insider | Last updated Jul 3, 2025 3:39 PM ET

Star Wars actor Kenneth Colley is dead at 87 after a health battle.

On Monday, June 30, the actor behind Admiral Piett in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi died “peacefully with friends at his bedside” in Ashford, Kent, his agent, Julian Owen, said in a statement, per BBC. The actor contracted COVID-19 and pneumonia after he was hospitalized due to an injured arm.

“Ken Colley was one of our finest character actors with a career spanning 60 years,” Owens said.

He added, “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.”

My condolences to Kenneth Colley’s friends and family !

Kenneth Colley, who played Admiral Piett in ESB and ROTJ and enjoyed an acting career that spanned 60 years, has sadly passed away at the age of 87.

You are immortalized in a galaxy far, far away, and in the hearts of… pic.twitter.com/391SEnmV6z

— Reecy21 (@Reecy211994) July 3, 2025

Colley was best known for his portrayal of Admiral Piett, Darth Vader’s memorable imperial officer in the 1980 and 1983 films. In 2012, he reprised the role via voice in Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out.

“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,” Owens shared.

In addition to his Star Wars fame, Colley notably appeared in Firefox (1982) and episodes of The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes, Special Branch, The Sweeney and Pennies from Heaven. His last acting credit was in the 2024 film Dan Hawk Psychic Detective, per IMDb.

This article first appeared on TV Insider and was syndicated with permission.

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