Michael Pennington

Known for

Acting

Born

June 7, 1943

Birthplace

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK

Died

May 10, 2026 (aged 82)

Biography

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.

Best known work

Return of the Jedi

1983

The Iron Lady

2011

Raised by Wolves

2020

Fragile

2005

Endeavour

2013

Father Brown

2013

Lewis

2007

State of Play

2003

Silent Witness

1996

The Escape Artist

2013

Filmography

2021
Manik da: The Mystique of Pather Panchali
as Narrator (voice)
2020
Raised by WolvesTV
as The Trust (voice) (1 episode)
2015
1945: The Savage Peace
as Narrator (voice)
2014
Secrets of the Universe: Great Scientists in Their Own Words
as Narrator (Voice)
2013
RSC Live: Richard II
as John of Gaunt
2013
The Escape ArtistTV
as Judge (1 episode)
2013
EndeavourTV
as Professor Donald Bagley (1 episode)
2013
Father BrownTV
as Bishop Reynard (1 episode)
2011
The Iron Lady
as Michael Foot
2009
The Lost World of CommunismTV
2008
Airborne: The RAF at 90
as Narrator - (Voice)
2008
Florence Nightingale
as Wen
2007
LewisTV
as Dr. Melville (1 episode)
2005
Fragile
as Marcus
2004
Empire WarriorsTV
as Narrator (4 episodes)
2003
Colosseum - Rome's Arena of Death
as Narrator (UK version) (voice)
2003
State of PlayTV
as Richard Siegler (1 episode)
2002
The Dinosaur Hunters
as William Buckland
2002
Pyramid
as Narrator (voice)
2001
Dr Terrible's House of HorribleTV
as Priest (1 episode)
2001
Waking the DeadTV
as Prof Alan Macintosh (2 episodes)
1996
Cracker: White Ghost
as Commander Gordon Ellison
1996
Dalziel and PascoeTV
as Hartley Culpepper (1 episode)
1996
Silent WitnessTV
as Dennis Morgan (2 episodes)
1994
The Last Bolshevik
as Self (voice: English version)