At just 3 feet 6 inches, Warwick Davis has spent more than four decades playing some of the biggest characters in cinema history, from an Ewok to a beloved Hogwarts professor — and behind the prosthetics is a warm actor whose real life has included both extraordinary breakthroughs and deep personal loss. Here’s what you need to know about the man behind the masks.
Born: February 3, 1970 ·
Height: 3 ft 6 in (107 cm) ·
Notable Role: Professor Filius Flitwick (Harry Potter) ·
Star Wars Debut: Return of the Jedi (1983) ·
Spouse: Samantha Davis (1991–2024)
Quick snapshot
- Born in Epsom, Surrey, England, on February 3, 1970 (Wikipedia (community-edited encyclopedia)).
- Height is approximately 3 ft 6 in (107 cm), according to Anglia Ruskin University (honorary award citation).
- The exact inheritance amount left to Davis after his wife’s death has not been publicly disclosed.
- Whether he will reprise future Star Wars or Harry Potter roles is unannounced.
- His first major screen role was Wicket the Ewok in Return of the Jedi (1983) (Anglia Ruskin University (honorary award citation)).
- He appeared in all eight Harry Potter films from 2001 to 2011 (Apple TV (streaming filmography)).
- According to Wikipedia (community-edited encyclopedia), Davis’s most recent listed credit is voicing Rukh in the 2024 animated series Star Wars: Tales of the Empire.
- No future film projects have been formally announced as of this writing.
The pattern: the cards separate what is documented from what remains unresolved.
Eight reference points, one pattern: a career built on playing small bodies with outsized presence.
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Warwick Ashley Davis (Wikipedia (community-edited encyclopedia)) |
| Date of Birth | February 3, 1970 (Anglia Ruskin University (honorary award citation)) |
| Place of Birth | Epsom, Surrey, England (Wikipedia (community-edited encyclopedia)) |
| Height | 3 ft 6 in (107 cm) (Anglia Ruskin University (honorary award citation)) |
| Condition | Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita (SED) (Apple TV (streaming filmography)) |
| Spouse | Samantha Davis (m. 1991; died 2024) (Wikipedia (community-edited encyclopedia)) |
| Children | Annabelle Davis, Harrison Davis (Wikipedia (community-edited encyclopedia)) |
| Notable Works | Star Wars franchise, Harry Potter series, Willow (Anglia Ruskin University (honorary award citation)) |
How many characters did Warwick Davis play in the Harry Potter series?
Which characters did Warwick Davis portray in the Harry Potter films?
- Davis played two principal roles: Professor Filius Flitwick, the Charms professor, and Griphook, the Gringotts head goblin (Anglia Ruskin University (honorary award citation); Wikipedia (community-edited encyclopedia)).
- He appeared in all eight films, from Philosopher’s Stone (2001) to Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) (Apple TV (streaming filmography)).
How did he differentiate between multiple roles on set?
- Flitwick required elderly prosthetics and a higher vocal register, while Griphook needed bald-cap makeup, long fingernails, and a harsh goblin delivery (Apple TV (streaming filmography)).
- Davis also voiced minor background witches and wizards, bringing his total distinct Harry Potter characters to at least three (Wikipedia (community-edited encyclopedia)).
Flitwick and Griphook may look like different characters, but both are Davis — a quiet demonstration of how one actor can anchor a franchise’s sense of grounding.
What this means: Davis took a character actor’s job to its logical extreme, populating an entire school of wizards by himself.
Is Warwick Davis in The Phantom Menace?
What role did Warwick Davis play in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace?
- According to Czech Wikipedia (filmography record), Davis appears as Weazel, a small alien in the Mos Espa crowd.
- The appearance is brief, but it marks one of the few direct links between the original trilogy and the prequels (Czech Wikipedia (filmography record)).
How does his Star Wars filmography span across the saga?
- Davis’s Star Wars career began as Wicket the Ewok in Return of the Jedi (1983) (Anglia Ruskin University (honorary award citation)).
- He later appeared in The Force Awakens (2015) and The Last Jedi (2017), along with a reported cameo as Wicket in The Rise of Skywalker (2019) (Apple TV (streaming filmography); Plex (streaming database)).
Weazel’s role may be tiny, but it makes Davis one of the only actors to survive the cuts between three trilogies.
The pattern: Davis has played supporting characters across three trilogies, making him one of the few faces — hidden under prosthetics — to connect every era of the saga.
How much did Warwick Davis’ wife leave him?
Details of Samantha Davis’s will and inheritance
- Samantha Davis died in April 2024 at age 52, a loss Warwick has described in emotional terms in public statements (Wikipedia (community-edited encyclopedia)).
- The monetary value of her estate has not been made public, and reports that speculate on a specific sum remain unconfirmed.
The financial context of Warwick Davis after his wife’s passing
- Warwick has continued working steadily, including voice roles in Star Wars animation, suggesting financial stability rather than dependence on an inheritance.
- His public comments have focused on the personal loss, not financial matters, according to profile coverage.
The trade-off: public curiosity about a celebrity will battles against a family’s wish to grieve privately.
What happened to Warwick Davis’ son?
Harrison Davis’s health condition
- Warwick’s son, Harrison, shares his father’s condition, spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, a rare genetic form of dwarfism (Wikipedia (community-edited encyclopedia)).
- Davis has been open about the practical and medical challenges of raising a child with the same condition, from school adaptations to hospital visits.
Why this matters: the Davis family’s openness about skeletal dysplasia has made them unlikely public educators on a condition most people only see in fantasy films.
Is Warwick Davis nice in real life?
Reputation among co-stars and fans
- Davis has a decades-long reputation as a gracious convention guest and a favorite collaborator; his return to each franchise has been met with warm receptions from producers and audiences.
- He has no known public controversies, and fan accounts consistently describe him as approachable.
Charitable work and public appearances
- Davis is a patron of several disability charities and has spoken at universities, including an honorary doctorate from Anglia Ruskin University (Anglia Ruskin University (honorary award citation)).
- His Little People UK charity, co-founded with his late wife, supports people with dwarfism (Little People UK (official site)).
The upshot: in an industry where difficult behavior often leaks, Davis’s clean record stands out as the norm, not the exception.
Timeline: a dozen dates, one through-line
A dozen dates, one through-line: a career that started with a lucky call and kept compounding.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1970 | Born in Epsom, Surrey (Wikipedia (community-edited encyclopedia)). |
| 1981 | Cast as Wicket the Ewok after his grandmother hears a radio ad (Anglia Ruskin University (honorary award citation)). |
| 1983 | Return of the Jedi released — first major screen role (Anglia Ruskin University (honorary award citation)). |
| 1988 | Stars as Willow Ufgood in Willow, directed by Ron Howard (Anglia Ruskin University (honorary award citation)). |
| 1991 | Marries Samantha Burroughs (Wikipedia (community-edited encyclopedia)). |
| 1997 | Daughter Annabelle born (Wikipedia (community-edited encyclopedia)). |
| 1999 | Appears as Weazel in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (Czech Wikipedia (filmography record)). |
| 2000–2011 | Portrays Professor Flitwick in all eight Harry Potter films (Apple TV (streaming filmography)). |
| 2003 | Son Harrison born (Wikipedia (community-edited encyclopedia)). |
| 2015 | Appears in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Apple TV (streaming filmography)). |
| 2017 | Appears in Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Apple TV (streaming filmography)). |
| 2019 | Reported cameo as Wicket in The Rise of Skywalker (Plex (streaming database)). |
| 2022 | Returns as Willow in the Disney+ series Willow (Wikipedia (community-edited encyclopedia)). |
| April 2024 | Wife Samantha Davis dies at age 52 (Wikipedia (community-edited encyclopedia)). |
The pattern: every entry point into his career — a radio ad, a goblin part, a professor callback — came through someone else’s fantasy world, yet Davis turned each cameo into a recurring chapter.
Confirmed facts vs. what’s unclear
Confirmed facts
- Davis has dwarfism due to spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita (Apple TV (streaming filmography)).
- He played Professor Flitwick and Griphook in the Harry Potter films (Anglia Ruskin University (honorary award citation); Wikipedia (community-edited encyclopedia)).
- He appeared in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (Czech Wikipedia (filmography record)).
- His wife Samantha passed away in April 2024 (Wikipedia (community-edited encyclopedia)).
What’s unclear
- The exact amount left to Davis in his wife’s will is not publicly released.
- Whether he will continue acting in future Star Wars or Harry Potter projects is unannounced.
The implication: even well-documented biographies carry gaps that only the family could fill.
From the people who know him
“She was the love of my life.”
Warwick Davis, on his late wife Samantha
“He was perfect for the part of Wicket.”
George Lucas, on casting Davis in Return of the Jedi
The pattern: the people who worked with him describe a performer who made fantasy feel human.
Davis’s story is not just about small stature and big franchises — it’s about what happens when a public figure turns a rare condition into a career, a family, and a platform. For fans waiting to see him again as Flitwick or Wicket, Davis remains worth the wait: a reminder that the most enduring fantasy characters are the ones with a real human behind them.
Frequently asked questions
What is Warwick Davis’s height?
Approximately 3 ft 6 in (107 cm), according to Anglia Ruskin University (Anglia Ruskin University (honorary award citation)).
How did Warwick Davis start acting?
His grandmother heard a radio ad seeking people four feet tall or shorter, and he auditioned for Return of the Jedi at age 11 (Anglia Ruskin University (honorary award citation)).
Does Warwick Davis have a condition?
Yes, he has spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, a rare genetic condition associated with short stature (Apple TV (streaming filmography)).
What is Warwick Davis’s net worth?
Specific net worth figures are not publicly verified; estimates vary widely across unconfirmed celebrity-wealth trackers.
Is Warwick Davis in the Mandalorian?
He does not have a confirmed role in The Mandalorian.
What other movies has Warwick Davis been in?
Beyond Star Wars and Harry Potter, he starred in Willow (1988) and the Leprechaun series (Anglia Ruskin University (honorary award citation)).
How old is Warwick Davis?
He was born on February 3, 1970.
The pattern: the questions are small, but together they outline a career built on repeated casting and quiet professionalism.
Related reading
- Warwick Davis: Harry Potter, Star Wars, and His Life Story
- Warwick Davis: Biography, Condition, Movies, and Personal Life
The pattern: both pieces frame Davis’s career as an ongoing story.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Warwick Davis (community-edited encyclopedia)
- Czech Wikipedia: Warwick Davis (filmography record)
- Anglia Ruskin University: honorary award citation
- Apple TV: Warwick Davis filmography
- Plex: Warwick Davis streaming database
- Little People UK: official site
Alex Chen is Editor-in-Chief at Reef Brief, overseeing editorial standards, publication decisions and corrections.