Star Wars actor Kenneth Colley, known for portraying Admiral Piett in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, has passed away at age 87 after contracting COVID-19 and developing pneumonia.
Colley's portrayal of Admiral Piett was as an Imperial officer commanding Darth Vader's flagship. He later voiced the character for the 2012 animated feature Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out. Colley also famously played Jesus in Monty Python's Life of Brian.
According to the BBC, he died peacefully at his home in Kent, UK, on Monday following his battle with COVID-19 and pneumonia.
His agent, Julian Owen, stated: "Ken Colley was one of our finest character actors, with a career spanning six decades. He appeared consistently on stage, film, and television, taking on a wide range of roles—from Jesus in Monty Python's Life of Brian to sinister and eccentric characters in Ken Russell's films, and the Duke of Vienna in the BBC's production of Shakespeare's Measure for Measure."
Colley had been hospitalized due to an arm injury from a fall, but he soon contracted COVID-19, which progressed to pneumonia, his agent added.
As reported by the Daily Mail, Colley's character Piett was not originally planned for Return of the Jedi. However, Star Wars overseer George Lucas included him after Lucasfilm received substantial fan mail regarding the character.
Colley also mentioned that he secured the role in The Empire Strikes Back because director Irvin Kershner sought "someone who would frighten Hitler," and Colley fit that description perfectly.
