Actress Samantha Davis, wife of Star Wars and Harry Potter actor Warwick Davis, has died at the age of 53.
Her death was confirmed in a statement by her husband Warwick, who revealed she had died on March 24.
Numerous tributes have been made to Samantha following her death, with many fans of Warwick leaving heartfelt comments on the final photo that he shared of himself with his late wife during a ‘long overdue date night’.
In a statement, the Professor Flitwick star described the impact that Samantha’s death has had on his and his family’s lives.
‘Her passing has left a huge hole in our lives as a family. I miss her hugs,’ the 54-year-old said, the BBC reported.
The actor described his wife, ‘Sammy’, as his ‘most trusted confidant and an ardent supporter of everything I did in my career’.
‘She was a unique character, always seeing the sunny side of life she had a wicked sense of humour and always laughed at my bad jokes.’
‘Mum is our best friend and we’re honoured to have received a love like hers,’ Davis’ children, Harrison and Annabelle, added.
Davis, who played a goblin in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 and was also co-founder of dwarfism charity Little People UK, had also featured in her husband’s cult favourite film Willow in 1988.
Warwick had been acting since he was a child, finding fame through Star Wars, in which he played several characters, including, most famously, Wicket the Ewok.
Samantha appeared in an uncredited role as a Nelwyn villager alongside her father, Peter Burroughs.
The couple met on the set of the movie, with Burroughs later forming a business partnership with his son-in-law after they founded a talent agency together in 1995.
Willow Management specialises in representing actors under five feet as well as performers over seven feet tall.
‘With her by my side, I was sure I could achieve anything, it was like having a super-power,’ Warwick continued.
‘Without Sammy, there would have been no Tenable quiz show, no Willow series. No Idiot Abroad Series 3.’
Warwick also credited his Samantha, his ‘favourite human’, as being the one who had persuaded comedian Ricky Gervais to send him off with Karl Pilkington for the travel series Idiot Abroad.
He revealed that his wife had struggled with her mobility in recent years but was ‘determined that it would not impact her quality of life’.
Mark Hamill, Warwick’s Star Wars colleague paid tribute to Davis, sharing a photo of the family and writing: ‘So sad to learn of the loss of Samantha Davis. She was a warm & wonderful woman who will be greatly missed.’
‘Sending my condolences & deepest sympathy to Warwick, Annabelle & Harrison,’ he added.
On Instagram, fan Chantel paid tribute to Samantha on Warwick’s most recent Instagram post of them together, writing: ‘Condolences to you and your family❤️.’
Shannon added: ‘Rip to your beautiful wife childhood sweethearts so sorry for your loss,’ while Macy wrote: ‘Sorry for your loss🕊️.’
Meanwhile on X, Sabrina shared: ‘Very sad news. Always loved seeing them out together on date nights in London. Sending all my love to Warwick and their family.’
Samantha and her husband share daughter actress Annabelle Davis, 27, who starred in the CBBC show The Dumping Ground as Sasha Bellman, and in Hollyoaks as Lacey Lloyd until earlier this year.
Their first son Lloyd died at nine days old, after inheriting both spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita (SED) from his father and achondroplasia from his mother, a combination of different types of dwarfism which is fatal.
SED is a rare genetic condition that results in short stature and skeletal anomalies, while Davis’ achondroplasia is a genetic condition that can slow down the growth of bone in the cartilage of the growth plate.
Youngest son Harrison is 21, and also appeared in the final Harry Potter instalment as a magic goblin.
The couple’s children also have SED.
Talking about his first son’s death to People in 2022, Warwick shared: ‘I think it brings you closer together, or something like that, but it’s an experience I wouldn’t wish on anyone, it’s devastating.
‘You do learn to live with it, eventually, over time, you’re able to better understand why it happened and can come to terms with it a bit more, but you never get over it.
‘I think the losses shaped our family dynamic, we love Annabelle and Harrison all that more because they’re here with us.’
The couple tragically lost another baby boy to miscarriage at 20 weeks, several years later, who they named George.
Alongside her charity work with Little People UK, Davis’ other acting credits include 1989 BBC educational series Through the Dragon’s Eye, Honky Sausages and ShortFellas.
Disney, whose streaming platform revived Willow for one season of a TV series in 2022, called Davis a ‘beloved member of the UK film and TV community.
‘Our thoughts are with the Davis family during this difficult time,’ they added.
Davis had previously survived a terrifying battle with sepsis in 2019, with the family gathering by her bedside to say goodbye.
They later raised awareness of the dangerous condition.
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