Michael Pennington

Known for acting · Born 7 June 1943 · Died 10 May 2026 · aged 82 · Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK

73 credits

Michael Vivian Fyfe Pennington (June 7, 1943 - May 10, 2026) was a British director and actor 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 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

Fragile

2005

1945: The Savage Peace

2015

Return of the Jedi

1983

RSC Live: Richard II

2013

Florence Nightingale

2008

Playing Shakespeare

1984

Pyramid

2002

Silent Witness

1996

The Marlowe Inquest

1986

Theban Plays: Oedipus the King

1986

The Witches of Pendle

1976

Secrets of the Universe: Great Scientists in Their Own Words

2014

Acting (73)

2021Manik da: The Mystique of Pather PanchaliNarrator (voice)Film

2020Raised by WolvesThe Trust (voice)Series

20151945: The Savage PeaceNarrator (voice)Film

2014Secrets of the Universe: Great Scientists in Their Own WordsNarrator (Voice)Film

2013EndeavourProfessor Donald BagleySeries

2013Father BrownBishop ReynardSeries

2013The Escape ArtistJudgeSeries

2013RSC Live: Richard IIJohn of GauntFilm

2011The Iron LadyMichael FootFilm

2009The Lost World of Communism · 3 episodesSeries

2008Florence NightingaleWenFilm

2008Airborne: The RAF at 90Narrator - (Voice)Film

2007LewisDr. MelvilleSeries

2005FragileMarcusFilm

2004Empire WarriorsNarrator · 4 episodesSeries

2003State of PlayRichard SieglerSeries

2003Colosseum - Rome's Arena of DeathNarrator (UK version) (voice)Film

2002PyramidNarrator (voice)Film

2002The Dinosaur HuntersWilliam BucklandFilm

2001Waking the DeadProf Alan Macintosh · 2 episodesSeries

2001Dr Terrible's House of HorriblePriestSeries

1996Silent WitnessDennis Morgan · 2 episodesSeries

1996Dalziel and PascoeHartley CulpepperSeries

1996Cracker: White GhostCommander Gordon EllisonFilm

1994The Last BolshevikSelf (voice: English version)Film

1994Degas and Pissario Fall OutDegasFilm

1992Between the Lines · 2 episodesSeries

1991Henry VKing Henry VFilm

1991Richard IIRichard IIFilm

1991Henry IV: Part 1Prince Henry of WalesFilm

1991Henry IV: Part 2Henry Prince of WalesFilm

1991Henry VI: House of YorkJack CadeFilm

1991Henry VI: House of LancasterEarl of SuffolkFilm

1991Richard IIIDuke of BuckinghamFilm

1991In My DefenceFranz JagerstatterSeries

1989Summer's LeaseHugh Pargeter · 4 episodesSeries

1987The Return of Sherlock HolmesSherlock HolmesFilm

1986The Marlowe InquestThomas KydFilm

1986Theban Plays: Oedipus the KingOedipus RexFilm

1986ScreenPlayThomas KydSeries

1985Forbidden Passion: The Oscar Wilde MovieFilm

1984Playing Shakespeare · 9 episodesSeries

1984FreudCarl Jung · 2 episodesSeries

1984The Mayor of MontemiloneNarratorFilm

1984Waving to a TrainRichardFilm

1984ItaliansNarratorSeries

1983Return of the JediMoff JerjerrodFilm

1983CymbelinePosthumusFilm

1982Outside EdgeBobFilm

1981A Last Visitor for Mr. Hugh PeterJohn LilburneFilm

1978Danton's DeathSaint-JustFilm

1978Mr and Mrs BureaucratE1AFilm

1977BBC2 Play of the WeekE1ASeries

1977It's Only Rock 'n' RollDon HarrisFilm

1976The Witches of PendleMinisterFilm

1974PlayhouseJohn LilburneSeries

1972No ExitIan StrawsonSeries

1970Mad JackFilm

1970The Dolly SceneTomFilm

1969HamletLaertesFilm

1969W. Somerset MaughamHansSeries

1968The TycoonPeter BellFilm

1968The Root of All Evil?Clive PinnerSeries

1967CallanSeries

1967ITV PlayhouseLancelot WishartSeries

1965BBC Play of the MonthSt Just, Alexei TurbinSeries

1965Thirty-Minute TheatreMartinSeries

1965Public EyeJohn SheldonSeries

1964Theatre 625Wulfnoth, AlexanderSeries

1964The Wednesday PlayGeoffrey CromlechSeries

1961Drama 61-67First youthSeries

1959No Hiding PlaceSeries

1956Armchair TheatreAdrian, TomSeries