Warwick Davis

Warwick Davis Headshot

Actor • Host • Writer • Director • Comedian • Producer

Birth Date: February 3, 1970

Age: 54 years old

Birth Place: Epsom, Surrey, England, UK

The most successful little person actor in the history of film, Warwick Davis enjoyed an amazing career in the fantasy genre. The 11-year-old's featured role in "Return of the Jedi" (1983) as Wicket the Ewok led not only to him reprising the character for several children's TV movies, but also work in "Labyrinth" (1986) and a starring role without extensive make-up or costumes in "Willow" (1988). Associations with two very different but successful franchises would ensure Davis's income and status as a working actor: the titular gleefully evil "Leprechaun" (1993) and all its straight-to-video sequels, as well as Hogwarts professor Filius Flitwick in every big-budget installment of the "Harry Potter" series. Proving he had considerable comedic chops on the Ricky Gervais hit series "Extras" (BBC Two, 2005-07) led the esteemed comedian to write the BBC comedy pilot "Life's Too Short" for Davis in 2010, the same year the actor published his autobiography. Although he achieved most of his success in fantasy and genre projects, Davis managed to maintain his dignity as well as bringing enormous enthusiasm and likeability to every character he embodied.

Born Feb. 3, 1970 in Surrey, England, Warwick Ashley Davis suffered from a rare genetic condition called spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenital (SED) which caused his dwarfism. He was attending the City of London Freemen's School when his grandmother heard an advertisement on the radio calling for people under four feet tall to appear in the final installment of the "Star Wars" trilogy at that time, "Return of the Jedi" (1983). A huge fan of the franchise, the two-feet, 11-inch-tall 11-year-old successfully auditioned, earning an extra role as an unnamed Ewok. When R2-D2 actor Kenny Baker, who was originally slotted to play Wicket, the lead Ewok, fell ill, Davis was given the part by George Lucas. Charming his fellow castmates - particularly Carrie Fisher - and impressing the filmmakers with his dedication, Davis was a driving force in the popularity of his character, even though some fans disliked the Ewoks on principle. The young actor even teamed up with the film's first assistant director, David Tomblin, to make a short film, "Return of the Ewok," about his experiences. The obscurity of the unreleased, unfinished film would add to its mystique with hardcore "Star Wars" fans.

The Force was with "Jedi" at the box office, and its worldwide success as well as the popularity of the Ewoks with younger fans allowed Davis to reprise Wicket in two television movies, "The Ewok Adventure" (ABC, 1984) and "Ewoks: The Battle for Endor" (ABC, 1985), but the projects appealed to few viewers past puberty. Davis played a goblin in the Jennifer Connelly/David Bowie fantasy "Labyrinth" (1986), but as with "Jedi," his extensive costume hid his features. That would change with his next film, which was written expressly for him to star without make-up or effects: "Willow" (1988). Standing three-foot, six-inches at full growth, Davis starred as the titular would-be sorcerer who is tasked with protecting a baby from an evil sorceress. Co-starring Val Kilmer and Joanne Whalley, directed by Ron Howard and co-written/produced by George Lucas, the film boasted impressive special effects for the time as well as the revolutionary idea of casting a little person as the lead. Although "Willow" received a star-studded roll-out - including a royal premiere attended by Prince Charles and Princess Diana - critics and audiences failed to fall under its spell. Still, the movie earned two Oscar nominations and an impressive afterlife as a cult favorite and touchstone of a certain generation. Only 17 when the movie was filmed, Davis made the most of the experience, earning a Saturn Award nomination for his role as well as meeting his future wife, Samantha Davis, who was one of the extras in Willow's village. The two married in 1991. Sadly, their first son died shortly after his Sept. 1991 birth, but they would eventually happily welcome a daughter and son, who were both dwarves.

Davis quickly lensed memorable roles in the BBC "Narnia" adaptations "Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader" (1989) as the swashbuckling mouse Reepicheep and "The Silver Chair" (1990) as the owl Glimfeather. In 1993, he helped create an enduring horror villain, the darkly comic "Leprechaun" who was quick to murder anyone messing with his gold. Most notable for a pre-fame starring appearance by Jennifer Aniston, the film itself was reviled by critics, and yet it became a frighteningly successful sleeper hit, spawning one of the most unlikely horror franchises of the modern era. Only the original film and its 1994 sequel opened in theaters, while the subsequent offerings went direct-to-video: "Leprechaun 3" (1995), "Leprechaun 4: In Space" (1997), "Leprechaun in the Hood" (2000) and "Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood" (2003).

In 1995, Davis and his father-in-law Peter Burroughs (also a dwarf actor) founded Willow Management, a talent agency specializing in representing little people actors. Davis reunited with George Lucas with the "Star Wars" prequel "The Phantom Menace" (1999), in which he played three roles, including Yoda during his walking scenes. Fantasy was Davis's element, and he essayed the diminutive Charms master Professor Filius Flitwick in the worldwide smash "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (2001). He would reprise Flitwick or a similar character for the sequels "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" (2002), "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" (2004), "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" (2005), "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" (2007), "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (2009) and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" (Part 1: 2010, Part 2: 2011).

In 2005, Davis played the body of Marvin the Paranoid Android in the half-baked Douglas Adams adaptation, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," but he showed his flair for comedy by appearing with Daniel Radcliffe as satirical versions of themselves on the Ricky Gervais hit series, "Extras" (BBC Two, 2005-07) which ended with Davis getting kicked in the face. He returned to Narnia as the dwarf Nikabrik in "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" (2008) and made a guest appearance on the wizardry series "Merlin" (BBC One, 2008-09). Quoting Yoda for its title and tapping George Lucas for a foreword, Davis published his autobiography Size Matters Not: The Extraordinary Life and Career of Warwick Davis in 2010. Friends ever since Davis's appearance on "Extras," Gervais announced in 2010 that he and writing partner Stephen Merchant were developing a BBC pilot for the actor called "Life's Too Short," a satirical take on Davis's life in the vein of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (HBO, 2000- ).

Credits

Willow: Behind the Magic

Self
Show
2023

Willow

Actor
Willow Ufgood
Series
2022
84%

Bear's Mission With

Guest
Show
2022

Moley

Voice
Moley
Show
2021

Warwick Davis and the Seven Dwarfs of Auschwitz

Host
Show
2021

Little Britons

Narrator
Show
2020

Master Moley By Royal Invitation

Voice
Master Moley
Show
2019

There's Something About Movies

Guest
Show
2019

Moominvalley

Actor
Sniff
Show
2019

Moominvalley

Voice
Sniff
Show
2019

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

Actor
Lickspittle
Movie
2019

Horrible Histories: The Movie - Rotten Romans

Actor
Movie
2019

Celebrity Catchphrase

Guest
Show
2018

Solo: A Star Wars StoryStream

Actor
Weazel
Movie
2018
69%

Harry Potter: A History of Magic

Guest Voice
Show
2017

Bear's Mission

Guest
Show
2017

Lego Masters

Guest
Show
2017

Comic Relief 2017

Host
Show
2017

Harry Hill's Alien Fun Capsule

Guest
Show
2017

Star Wars: The Last JediStream

Actor
Wodibin
Movie
2017
91%

Daemons' Roost

Actor
Rev. Wendell Wilkie
Show
2016

The Entire Universe

Actor
The Big Bang
Show
2016

Fantastic Beasts and J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World

Host
Show
2016

Fantastic Beasts and JK Rowling

Host
Show
2016

Tenable

Host
Show
2016

Billionaire Boy

Actor
Warwick Davis
Movie
2016

Eric Idle & Brian Cox: The Entire Universe

Host
The Big Bang
Movie
2016

Planet's Got Talent

Narrator
Show
2015

The Big Fat Anniversary Quiz

Guest
Show
2015

Monty Python's Best Bits (Mostly)

Guest
Show
2014

Celebrity Squares

Host
Show
2014

Star Wars RebelsStream

Voice
Rukh
Series
2014
98%

The Seven Dwarfs of Auschwitz

Host
Show
2014

Good Morning Britain

Guest
Show
2014

Weekend Escapes with Warwick Davis

Actor
Show
2014

Duck Quacks Don't Echo

Contestant
Show
2014

Catherine Tate's Nan

Actor
Mr Fanee
Show
2014

Get Santa

Actor
Sally
Movie
2014

Crackanory

Narrator
Show
2013

Through the Keyhole

Guest
Show
2013

Life's Too Short Special

Creator
Show
2013

Life's Too Short Special

Self
Show
2013

John Bishop's Only Joking

Guest
Show
2013

Talking Pictures

Narrator
Show
2013

The Dumping Ground

Actor
Lou
Show
2013

Saint Bernard

Actor
Othello
Movie
2013

Jack the Giant Slayer

Actor
Old Hamm
Movie
2013

An Idiot Abroad 3

Actor
Show
2012

Ronna & Beverly

Guest
Show
2012

Making Life's Too Short

Actor
Show
2012

Room 101: Extra Storage

Guest
Show
2012

Life's Too Short

Actor
Himself
Show
2011

Life's Too Short

Self
Show
2011

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2Stream

Actor
Filius Flitwick/Griphook
Movie
2011
96%

An Idiot Abroad

Host
Show
2010

An Idiot Abroad

Voice
Show
2010

Lorraine

Guest
Show
2010

Chatty Man

Guest
Show
2010

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1Stream

Actor
Griphook
Movie
2010
77%

Piers Morgan's Life Stories

Guest
Show
2009

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood PrinceStream

Actor
Filius Flitwick
Movie
2009
84%

Tattoos: A Scarred History

Actor
Movie
2009

MerlinStream

Guest Star
Series
2008
85%

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince CaspianStream

Actor
Nikabrik
Movie
2008
66%

Would I Lie to You?Stream

Contestant
Game Show
2007

The One Show

Host
Show
2006

ExtrasStream

Guest Star
Series
2005
88%

Doctor WhoStream

Actor
Porridge
Series
2005
90%

Doctor WhoStream

Guest Star
Porridge
Series
2005
90%

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyStream

Actor
Marvin the Paranoid Android
Movie
2005
60%

Harry Potter and the Goblet of FireStream

Actor
Filius Flitwick
Movie
2005
88%

Who Do You Think You Are?

Guest
Show
2004

Cbeebies Bedtime Stories

Guest
Show
2004

Skinned Deep

Actor
Movie
2004

RayStream

Actor
Oberon
Movie
2004
79%

Jonathan Creek

Actor
Rev. Wendell Wilkie
Show
2003

Leprechaun: Back 2 tha HoodStream

Actor
Leprechaun
Movie
2003
20%

Top GearStream

Guest
Reality
2002

Life's Too Short

Actor
Show
2002

Harry Potter and the Chamber of SecretsStream

Actor
Professor Flitwick
Movie
2002
82%

Friday Night with Jonathan Ross

Guest
Show
2001

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's StoneStream

Actor
Professor Flitwick
Movie
2001
81%

Snow White: The Fairest of Them All

Actor
Saturday (Indigo)
Movie
2001

The New Adventures of Pinocchio

Actor
Dwarf
Movie
2001

The 10th KingdomStream

Actor
Miniseries
2000

Leprechaun 5: In the HoodStream

Actor
Leprechaun
Movie
2000
33%

The White Pony

Actor
Lucky
Movie
1999

The Ghoul

Actor
Show
1998

A Very Unlucky Leprechaun

Actor
Lucky
Movie
1998

Prince Valiant

Actor
Pechet
Movie
1997

Leprechaun 4 in SpaceStream

Actor
Leprechaun
Movie
1996
17%

Leprechaun 3Stream

Actor
Leprechaun
Movie
1995
0%

Leprechaun 2Stream

Actor
The Leprechaun
Movie
1994
6%

LeprechaunStream

Actor
Leprechaun
Movie
1993
31%

This Morning

Guest
Show
1988

This Morning

Self
Show
1988

WillowStream

Actor
Willow Ufgood
Movie
1988
53%

Ewoks: The Battle for Endor

Actor
Wicket
Movie
1985

The Ewok Adventure

Actor
Wicket
Movie
1984

Return of the JediStream

Actor
Wicket W. Warrick
Movie
1983
83%

News aboutWarwick Davis