Editing Kenneth Colley (section)

==Career==
Colley was born in [[Manchester]], [[Lancashire]].<ref name=bfi/> One of his early appearances on British television was as Noah Riley in the 1970s police drama ''[[The Sweeney]]'', in an episode entitled ''[[The Sweeney#Episodes|Trap]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b80de085b|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181230213315/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b80de085b|url-status=dead|archive-date=30 December 2018|title=Trap (1975)|website=BFI}}</ref> He played [[Jesus]] in ''[[The Life of Brian]]'', having also appeared in the earlier [[Monty Python]]-related production ''[[Ripping Yarns]]'' episode "[[Ripping Yarns|The Testing of Eric Olthwaite]]" alongside [[Michael Palin]].<ref name=bfi/> As a Shakespearean actor he played the Duke of Vienna in the [[BBC Television Shakespeare]] production of ''[[Measure for Measure]]'' in 1979.<ref>{{cite web|title=BFI Screenonline: Measure For Measure (1979)|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/526951/|website=screenonline.org.uk|publisher=BFI Screenonline|access-date=8 December 2015}}</ref>

Colley worked extensively with British director [[Ken Russell]] from the early 1970s to the early 1990s as part of a repertory of actors who appeared across Russell's television and film work.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/artist/kenneth-colley-p14167|title=Kenneth Colley &#124; Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos|website=AllMovie}}</ref> He played the role of [[Modest Ilyich Tchaikovsky|Modest Tchaikovsky]] in the film ''[[The Music Lovers]]'' (1971). He went on to play the role of LeGrand in Russell's ''[[The Devils (film)|The Devils]]'' (also 1971); he played the journalist Krenek in the biopic ''[[Mahler (film)|Mahler]]'' (1974); the composer [[Frédéric Chopin]] in ''[[Lisztomania (film)|Lisztomania]]'' (1975); Mr Brunt in Russell's adaptation of ''[[The Rainbow (1989 film)|The Rainbow]]'' (1989) by [[D. H. Lawrence]].<ref name=bfi>{{Cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b9f0099ea|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170421190505/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b9f0099ea|url-status=dead|archive-date=21 April 2017|title=Kenneth Colley|website=BFI}}</ref> His last role for Russell was as Captain Dreyfus in the film ''[[Prisoner of Honor]]'' (1991), which dealt with the [[Dreyfus affair]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/prisoner-of-honor-v39276/cast-crew|title=Prisoner of Honour (1991) - Ken Russell &#124; Cast and Crew &#124; AllMovie|via=www.allmovie.com}}</ref>

For his work in the ''[[Star Wars]]'' franchise, Colley's role as [[Admiral Piett]] is noted for differing from the other ill-fated Imperial officers who appeared alongside him in ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]'' (1980), as Colley was the only actor to play an Imperial officer in a second ''Star Wars'' film, reprising his role in ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'' (1983).<ref>{{cite web|author1=Daniel Mumby|title=10 Actors Who Weren't Able to Let Star Wars Go - Page 2|url=http://whatculture.com/film/10-actors-werent-able-let-star-wars-go.php/2|website=whatculture.com|publisher=What Culture|access-date=8 December 2015|quote=...since his character is the only Imperial officer to last more than one Star Wars film}}</ref> Colley reprised his role as Piett in the [[Cartoon Network]] animated special ''Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out'' in September 2012.<ref>{{cite web|last=Milton|first=Luke|url=http://www.fruitlesspursuits.com/2012/09/interview-writer-michael-price-reveals.html|title=Interview: Writer Michael Price Reveals LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out!|publisher=Fruitless Pursuits|date=18 September 2012|access-date=28 September 2012}}</ref> Coincidentally, Colley and [[David Prowse]] had a part in the fantasy film ''[[Jabberwocky (film)|Jabberwocky]]'' (1977).<ref>{{cite web|title=Jabberwocky (1977)|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b73030ba2|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311164754/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b73030ba2|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 March 2016|website=bfi.org.uk|publisher=[[British Film Institute|BFI]]|access-date=3 March 2016}}</ref>

Colley also played a notable role in the 1982 [[Clint Eastwood]] film ''[[Firefox (film)|Firefox]]'', where he played a [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] colonel tasked with the protection of the Firefox and its secrets.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/firefox-v17421/cast-crew|title=Firefox (1982) - Clint Eastwood &#124; Cast and Crew &#124; AllMovie|via=www.allmovie.com}}</ref> He went on to play [[SS]]-''[[Standartenführer]]'' [[Paul Blobel]] in the [[Second World War]] drama ''[[War and Remembrance (miniseries)|War and Remembrance]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/kenneth-colley/credits/160444|title=Kenneth Colley &#124; TV Guide|website=TVGuide.com}}</ref>

Colley has directed one film to date, ''Greetings'' (2007), a horror film starring Kirsty Cox, Henry Dunn and [[Ben Shockley]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/greetings-v494812/cast-crew|title=Greetings (2007) - Kenneth Colley &#124; Cast and Crew &#124; AllMovie|via=www.allmovie.com}}</ref>

In 2017, Colley recorded a series of short narrations for inclusion on ''Pop Wasteland'', an album by [[Folkestone]] band Phenomenal Cat.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Werksman |first1=Hans |title=Pop Wasteland album review |url=https://www.herecomestheflood.com/2021/01/phenomenal-cat-pop-wasteland.html |website=Here Comes The Flood}}</ref>