Michael Pennington

Acting

Born 07/06/1943
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK
Died 10/05/2026

Michael Vivian Fyfe Pennington (June 7, 1943 - May 10, 2026) was a British actor and director who, together with director Michael Bogdanov, founded the English Shakespeare Company. Although primarily a stage actor, he is best known to wider audiences for his role as Moff Tiaan Jerjerrod, commanding officer of the Death Star in the film Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi and as Michael Foot in The Iron Lady, opposite Meryl Streep.

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Known For

Manik da: The Mystique of Pather Panchali
2021
Raised by Wolves
2020
1945: The Savage Peace
2015
Secrets of the Universe: Great Scientists in Their Own Words
2014
RSC Live: Richard II
2013
The Escape Artist
2013
Endeavour
2013
Father Brown
2013
The Iron Lady
2011
The Lost World of Communism
2009
Florence Nightingale
2008
Lewis
2007
Fragile
2005
Empire Warriors
2004
Colosseum - Rome's Arena of Death
2003
State of Play
2003
The Dinosaur Hunters
2002
Pyramid
2002
Dr Terrible's House of Horrible
2001
Waking the Dead
2001
Cracker: White Ghost
1996
Dalziel and Pascoe
1996
Silent Witness
1996
The Last Bolshevik
1994
Degas and Pissario Fall Out
1994
Between the Lines
1992
Richard II
1991
Henry IV: Part 1
1991
Henry IV: Part 2
1991
Henry V
1991
Henry VI: House of York
1991
Henry VI: House of Lancaster
1991
Richard III
1991
Summer's Lease
1989
The Return of Sherlock Holmes
1987
Theban Plays: Oedipus the King
1986
The Marlowe Inquest
1986
ScreenPlay
1986
Forbidden Passion: The Oscar Wilde Movie
1985
The Mayor of Montemilone
1984
Italians
1984
Freud
1984
Playing Shakespeare
1984
Cymbeline
1983
Return of the Jedi
1983
Outside Edge
1982
A Last Visitor for Mr. Hugh Peter
1981
Danton's Death
1978
Mr and Mrs Bureaucrat
1978
BBC2 Play of the Week
1977
The Witches of Pendle
1976
Playhouse
1974
Mad Jack
1970
Hamlet
1969
ITV Playhouse
1967
Callan
1967
BBC Play of the Month
1965
BBC Play of the Month
1965
Thirty-Minute Theatre
1965
Public Eye
1965
The Wednesday Play
1964
Theatre 625
1964
Theatre 625
1964
No Hiding Place
1959
Armchair Theatre
1956
Armchair Theatre
1956