Star Wars actor Michael Pennington dead aged 82 The celebrated Shakespearean actor, writer and stage veteran has passed away after a career spanning the Royal Shakespeare Company, Broadway, television drama and Star Wars fame. 11 May 2026 Michael Pennington, the distinguished Shakespearean actor who famously turned down a Hollywood role opposite Meryl Streep in order to play Hamlet for the Royal Shakespeare Company, has died aged 82 after a six-decade career spanning stage, television, film and writing.