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.

Michael Pennington

Acting Born June 7, 1943 – Died May 10, 2026 Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK

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.

Known For

Silent Witness

Dennis Morgan

Father Brown

Bishop Reynard

BBC Play of the Month

St Just

BBC Play of the Month

Alexei Turbin

The Wednesday Play

Geoffrey Cromlech

Waking the Dead

Prof Alan Macintosh

ITV Playhouse

Lancelot Wishart

Endeavour

Professor Donald Bagley

Thirty-Minute Theatre

Martin

Theatre 625

Wulfnoth

Theatre 625

Alexander

Playhouse

John Lilburne