The legendary actor Michael Pennington famous for his appearances in Return of the Jedi and The Iron Lady, as well as a string of iconic stage productions, has died aged 82
The Star Wars actor Michael Pennington has passed away at the age of 82. No cause of death has been given for the legendary performer, who is known for a range of roles on both stage and screen but perhaps most celebrated for his performance as Moff Jerjerrod in Return of the Jedi.
The much loved performer, whose roles also included Laertes in the esteemed 1969 version of Shakespeare’s Hamlet with Anthony Hopkins and former Labour Party leader Michael Foot in The Iron Lady (2011), alongside Meryl Streep, died in the UK, according to The Telegraph.
Pennington’s portrayal of the villainous Death Star bureaucrat saw him feature in some of Star Wars’ most iconic scenes, including a frightening show down with Darth Vader. In it Jerjerrod reassures a short-tempered Vader that his team will double their efforts to complete their planet-killing weapon, to which the Sith lord replies, “I hope so, commander, for your sake. The emperor is not as forgiving as I am.”
Star Wars fans have flooded social media with their regards for the actor following his passing, with one popular franchise fan page writing: “Farewell Moff forever! Actor Michael Pennington . . . has become one with the Force at 83 years old.”
Another Star Wars lover simply wrote: “Michael Pennington may the force be with you”.
While always complimentary of the franchise and his time on it, Michael did remark that he hoped to be remembered for a wider range of his performances that just his Death Star appearance.
According to The Telegraph, Pennington once told an interviewer that he wished people cared as much about his other projects, joking:
“Let’s not make too much of it, but I’ve done 20 years of plays since, and people still write for autographs, saying, ‘If you ever do any more acting, please let us know.’”
The Royal Shakespeare company member also made appearances in television shows such as The Bill , The Tudors and Father Brown as well as playing the titular detective in the 1987 version of The Return of Sherlock Holmes .
The actor’s agent reportedly stated that the actor had been living in a care home especially run for ex-performers. Pennington’s sad death comes just over a year after his partner Author Prue Skene passed away aged 81.
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