Michael Pennington, ‘Star Wars: Return of the Jedi’ actor, dead at 82
Michael Pennington, an actor known for his role in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, has died aged 82.
His passing was first reported by The Telegraph on May 10th, although no cause of death was given at the time.
Pennington was most well-known to audiences for his role as Moff Jerjerod in the 1983 film Return of the Jedi, but he also enjoyed an expansive career across stage and screen that included starring as the Labour leader Michael Foot in the Margaret Thatcher biopic The Iron Lady in 2011, alongside Meryl Streep.
Having further served as a longtime member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, the actor starred in many classic plays, including King Lear and Hamlet, the latter of which he also took to the screen with Anthony Hopkins in 1969.
According to The Sun, Pennington’s agent confirmed that he had most recently been living in Denville Hall, a care home in London which is designed to look after former actors in their later years.
Paying tribute, acclaimed actor Miriam Margolyes made a post to Facebook, writing: “Michael Pennington has died. An old friend, from Cambridge days, a very fine actor, brilliant, wise, clear.”
She added: “I am sad beyond measure. Bless your dear memory, old chum,” with other tributes pouring in for the actor from across the film and theatre community.
Although he was an esteemed actor with well over 100 stage and screen credits across his long career, Pennington was undeniably most recognised for his role in the Star Wars epic, something he jokingly embraced.
When asked about this once in an interview, he reportedly responded: “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.’”
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