Warwick Davis

Warwick Davis
Davis in 2007
Born	3 February 1970 (1970-02-03) (age 39) Epsom, Surrey, England

Warwick Ashley Davis (born 3 February 1970) is a British actor. He is noted for his dwarfism, standing at 3 ft 6 in (1.07 m) tall. Davis is probably best known as the title characters in Willow and the Leprechaun series of films; other prominent roles include Wicket W. Warrick in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Professor Filius Flitwick in the Harry Potter movies, Marvin the Paranoid Android in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and Reepicheep in the BBC television versions of Prince Caspian, Voyage of the Dawn Treader and as Mr Glimfeather the owl in The Silver Chair. He is also featured in another Narnia-related film production: the 2008 film adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, as the dwarf Nikabrik and Oberon in the biopic Ray.

Early life

Davis was born in Epsom, Surrey, England to an insurance broker and his wife. Davis also has a younger sister. He was educated at the well known City of London Freemen's School. His foray into acting came about "purely by chance". When he was 11, his grandmother heard a radio advert in 1981 calling for people that were 4 ft. tall or shorter to be in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. To Warwick, who was a big fan of the Star Wars movies, it was a dream come true. He was originally just going to be an extra Ewok, but when Kenny Baker, who was originally going to be Wicket, fell ill, George Lucas picked Warwick to be the new Wicket after seeing how he carried himself as an Ewok. Warwick based his Ewok movements on his dog, who would tilt his head from side to side whenever he saw something strange. A little known fact is that during production on the film, he made a 'short' mockumentary film about his experience as Wicket, titled Return of the Ewok, made with help from Return of the Jedi's first assistant director, David Tomblin. The unreleased film was a fictional look at his decision to become an actor and act in the movie and his transformation into Wicket the Ewok. Warwick was so talented as Wicket that he reprised his role in the ABC made-for-TV movies Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor. He later, in 1985, appeared in Jim Henson's Labyrinth.

Career

In 1987, Davis was called to Elstree Studios in London to meet with Ron Howard and George Lucas to discuss a new movie project called Willow, which was written with Warwick specifically in mind. Willow was Warwick's first opportunity to act with his face visible. He co-starred with Val Kilmer in the film, which received a Royal Premiere before the Prince and Princess of Wales. He then went back to television to be in the BBC television adaptation of the classic The Chronicles of Narnia, specifically in Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (as Reepicheep), and The Silver Chair (as Glimfeather) and an episode of Zorro TV series filmed in Madrid, Spain.

It was then, in 1992, that he played the villain in Leprechaun, something that he really had been wanting to do. He then returned to the Star Wars universe, playing three roles in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace: Weazel, a gambler sitting next to Watto at the Podrace; Wald, who was Anakin's Rodian buddy; and Yoda in scenes where Yoda was walking.

Lately, Davis has found a new audience playing the role of Professor Filius Flitwick in the Harry Potter films. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which was released in July 2009, is the latest film to feature Professor Flitwick. Warwick played a white-mustached Flitwick in the first two movies, and then a black-haired unnamed chorus conductor (presumably Flitwick but not credited as such) for the third installment of the series. In the fourth movie, Flitwick is younger looking, with short, brown hair and a trimmed mustache. In addition to playing Flitwick, Davis also played the role of the Goblin Bank Teller in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and will play Griphook the Goblin in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, having previously provided the character's voice in the first film.

In 2006, he appeared as himself in an episode of the second series of Extras, featuring Harry Potter co-star Daniel Radcliffe.

Warwick starred in the film version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, as the "body" of Marvin the Paranoid Android (i.e., the actor within the costume; the voice for the character was provided by Alan Rickman, who coincidentally also plays a professor in the Harry Potter film series, Professor Snape). In December 2006, Davis starred in the pantomime Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, at Manchester Opera House, and again in 2007/8 at the New Wimbledon Theatre.

Warwick starred in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, in which he played Nikabrik the Dwarf, adding to his previous involvement in film adaptations of the Chronicles of Narnia series.

Warwick also appeared as a contestant on the 2007 series of Children in Need reality show Celebrity Scissorhands.

Also, in 2009, Davis starred in one episode of M.I. High.

In addition to his acting career, Davis is the co-founder, with fellow dwarf actor Peter Burroughs, of a talent agency (Willow Management, founded in 1995) that specialises in representing actors under five feet tall - with the aim of not only specialist recruitment but providing more respect, support and a wider variety of roles for the actors than traditional agencies. As of 2004, his agency also began representing actors over seven feet tall - who had also suffered from being confined to "niche" roles.

Personal life

Unlike most dwarfs (70%) who have a condition called achondroplasia, Warwick's dwarfism is caused by an extremely rare genetic condition called spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita (SED). Warwick has said the only real drawback to being small was the associated health problems. Of his own dwarfism, Warwick has said "As you get older, you can suffer from painful hips, and our joints wear a lot quicker than for people of average height."

Warwick's family includes a wife and two children, who live in Yaxley near Peterborough. His wife, Samantha (b. 1971) has achondroplasia, as do his children Annabel (b. 1997) and Harrison (b. 2003). Samantha is the daughter of Warwick's business partner Peter, and the sister of actress Hayley Burroughs.

Filmography

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Warwick Davis

• Warwick Davis at the Internet Movie Database
• Official web site
• Warwick Davis Interview at www.sci-fi-online.com
• Willow Management