Star Wars actor Michael Pennington has tragically died at the age of 82. According to Yahoo! Entertainment, he died Sunday, May 10.
He was most well known to American audiences for playing the commander of the iconic Death Star in Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi, Moff Jerjerrod. If you recall, there's a pretty iconic scene where he gets grilled by Vader, and he declares his undying loyalty to the Empire.
The scene shows Vader grilling Jerjerrod for the slow construction of the Death Star II. Jerjerrod promises that the crew will work extra hard to ensure its completion.
But he was most well known to a British audience for his work with Shakespearean theatre. He founded the iconic English Shakespeare Company, which ran stage productions of some of Shakespeare's most iconic works. He had leading roles in productions of Hamlet and Cleopatra And Antony, among many others.
Michael Pennington was born on June 7, 1943, in Cambridge, England. While he studied English at Oxford University, his true passion lay in acting. He explained in a 2003 interview with What's On Stage, "I didn't train as an actor. I'm one of those Oxbridge [Oxford and Cambridge] upstarts... [who] thought I could start right away as an actor afterwards."
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Tributes Have Poured In For the 'Star Wars' Actor
Tributes from across social media have poured in for the Star Wars actor.
Commenters immediately recognized his role in Return Of The Jedi, and even quipped about his character's role. One commenter wrote, "At least he's with James Earl Jones," referring to the iconic Darth Vader actor.
Other commenters referenced his iconic quote, with one writing, "We shall double our efforts in remembering his life, thank you for your impact!" and another writing, "At least he doubled his efforts and got that battle station operational before the Emperor arrived."
An English commenter also emphasized Pennington's work beyond Star Wars, with one noting, "Contrary to popular belief, he did not perish on the Death Star 2 but lived a full long life working in stage and television."
Rest in peace, Michael Pennington. Our condolences go out to his family and friends.
