Kenneth Colley, best known for his role in Star Wars, has passed away at the age of 87 after catching COVID-19 and developing pneumonia.
The English actor's agent of 10 years, Julian Owen, released a statement sharing the tragic news that Kenneth had died "peacefully" on June 30 in Ashford, Kent.
© Getty Images"He had been admitted after a fall with an injured arm, however he quickly contracted Covid which developed into pneumonia," read the statement. "He passed away peacefully with friends at his bedside."
Julian continued: "Ken Colley was one of our finest character actors with a career spanning 60 years. 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."
© Getty ImagesKenneth was most recognizable for his role as Admiral Piett, an imperial official in command of Darth Vader's flagship, in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. The actor returned to the role in 2012 when he voiced the character for the animated Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out.
"Ken's favourite part was playing Estragon in the stage production of Beckett's classic Waiting for Godot at the Cockpit Theatre in London in 2014," added Julian.
"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.
© Getty Images"Ken loved his garden, art collecting and had a passion for fast cars."
The star hit the international screen when he starred in Clint Eastwood's Firefox and the series War and Remembrance. Along with Star Wars, Kenneth was famous for his part in Monty Python's Life of Brian. The actor played the character Jesus alongside John Cleese, Graham Chapman and Michael Palin.
Kenneth also enjoyed being behind the camera and directed the 2007 horror film Greetings, which starred Kirsty Cox, Henry Dunn, and Ben Shockley.
