‘Star Wars’ Actor Dies at 87

Kenneth Colley, the commanding actor who marshaled thousands of stormtroopers as a militant Death Star commander in the original “Star Wars,” died last month.

He was 87.

Colley became a fan favorite for his stone-cold portrayal of Admiral Firmus Piett, a key deputy to Darth Vader in “The Empire Strikes Back.” The British actor found minor fame after appearing in the 1980 film and returning three years later for “Return of the Jedi.”

He died on June 30 in Ashford, England, according to his agent Julian Owen, who said Colley succumbed to complications from pneumonia after contracting COVID-19.

With his officer regalia and deep-set brown eyes, Colley struck fear into the hearts of viewers who may not have remembered his character’s name but nonetheless shuddered at his heartless ability to carry out Vader’s orders against the rebels on the planet Hoth. He landed his unforgettable role in the George Lucas franchise after spending 20 years in other law-and-order roles, even once playing Adolf Hitler.

In 2014, Colley recalled meeting Irvin Kershner, director of “The Empire Strikes Back” and listening to his desire to fill the role with “someone that would frighten Adolf Hitler.” Colley, with his sunken cheeks and imposing stare, fit the bill.

In the series, Admiral Piett is appointed to lead a fleet in the Empire’s army after Vader kills his predecessor over a strategic blunder. Colley described his character as a shrewd operator who carried out his orders with precision for the sake of his own survival under the Skywalker villain.

His first Star Wars film grossed $200 million, according to Box Office Mojo, and catapulted him near the top of supporting characters beloved by fans. A flood of letters to Lucasfilm led the creator to ask Colley to return for the third and final installment of the original three-film franchise.

Although he wasn’t included in the original script for “Return of the Jedi,” Lucas wrote Admiral Piett’s role into the story, where he commands a fleet of Empire fighters until he is shot down over the Battle of Endor.

Colley relished his enduring popularity from Star Wars and frequently made the trek to fan conventions around the world.

His success led to many other roles in film and TV, mostly as villains, which he told Star Wars Insider in 1987 was “fine by me.”

“If you can burrow in deep and find some life there,” he said, “that makes it interesting — you want to know more about this uniform.”

Born on December 7, 1937, in Manchester, England, Colley was trained at the Bromley Repertory Company, where he worked as a stage manager, according to The Boston Globe. He continued his thespian education at The Living Theater in Leicester in the early 1960s, as well as stints with the Royal Shakespeare Company and with Laurence Olivier’s National Theater Company.

Before joining Star Wars, Colley spent the early decades of his career in numerous television and movie productions including “ITV Play of the Week”; the anthology drama series “Thirty-Minute Theater,” taking on the parts of Charles I and Hitler; and “BBC Play of the Month.” He played a stammering accordion player in “Pennies from Heaven” (1978), a major in “The Danedyke Mystery” (1979) and Jesus in the film “Monty Python’s Life of Brian” (1979).

Mary Dunne, Colley’s wife since 1962, preceded him in death in 2018.