Warwick Davis pays tribute to his wife, Samantha, dead at 53

Warwick Davis announces that his wife has died at 53

Warwick credits her for his career success

She had mobility issues but didn’t let them get in the way of her life

Changed the way the industry saw little people

Warwick Davis announces that his wife has died at 53

Warwick Davis, renowned for his roles in 'Harry Potter', 'Willow,' and 'Star Wars', has announced the heartbreaking news of his wife Samantha's passing at the age of 53. In mid-April, he said Samantha Davis, also an accomplished actor and co-founder of the dwarfism charity Little People UK, died on March 24, 2024.

“I miss her hugs”

In a statement to the BBC, Warwick Davis shared his profound grief, describing Samantha as his "favorite human" and highlighting the deep void her departure has left in their family. "Her passing has left a huge hole in our lives as a family,” Davis said. “I miss her hugs.”

Image: warwickadavis/Instagram

She was an actor and activist

Her career in acting included a role alongside Warwick in the final 'Harry Potter' film, where she played a goblin, and in the children's series 'Through the Dragon's Eye.' Beyond her acting, she was deeply committed to her work with Little People UK, a charity dedicated to supporting individuals with dwarfism and their families, which she helped establish in 2012.

They met on the set of ‘Willow’

The couple met on the set of the 1998 fantasy movie ‘Willow,’ where they both had parts. Though he said in his autobiography that he had “admired her from afar” previously, while they both worked on David Bowie’s ‘Labryinth.’

Warwick credits her for his career success

Samantha Davis was more than Warwick's life partner, influencing major projects like the 'Tenable' quiz show and the 'Willow' series. Warwick credited her as his "most trusted confidante and an ardent supporter of everything I did in my career… it was like having a super-power." Her encouragement was instrumental in his participation in 'An Idiot Abroad Series 3', persuading comedian Ricky Gervais to send him with Karl Pilkington for the travel series.

Her two kids also paid tribute

The couple’s two kids, Harrison and Annabelle, also shared their feelings in a statement. “Her love and happiness carried us through our whole lives,” they said.

Image: warwickadavis/Instagram

Still going out on dates in October

The actor’s last social media post featured this selfie with him and his wife, taken in October 2023. “A long overdue date night with my beautiful wife. She felt a bit overdressed for.mcDonald’s!” he joked.

Image: warwickadavis/Instagram

"Life is for living:" A symbol of resilience

Despite their success, the couple had experienced other tragedies. In 1991, they lost their baby son just nine days after he was born. They also experienced the tragedy of another miscarriage in 1993. Samantha told the Guardian about the experiences: “You have a choice, don’t you? Let’s use it to make our family stronger, closer. Life is for living.” She also had a brush with death in 2019 after getting sepsis.

She had mobility issues but didn’t let them get in the way of her life

In the BBC statement, her husband said that in recent years, Samantha’s mobility had become impaired. However, he said she was "determined that it would not impact her quality of life.”

Changed the way the industry saw little people

The Daily Mail reports that the couple is credited with having challenged stereotypes of little people in the acting industry, as well as the larger culture. Disney, the network the Willow series was on, said Samantha was a "beloved member of the UK film and TV community." Mark Hamill of 'Star Wars' fame posted that "She was a warm & wonderful woman who will be greatly missed."