Warwick Davis
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2008-06-25T10:16:04Z
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/* Personal life */ "small" children sounds a bit odd
{{Infobox actor
| name = Warwick Davis
| image = Warwick Davis, 2006.jpg
| caption = Warwick Davis, 2006
| birthdate = {{Birth date and age|1970|2|3|df=n}}
| birthplace = [[Epsom]], [[Surrey]], [[England]]
}}
'''Warwick Ashley Davis''' (born [[February 3]] [[1970]]) is an [[England|English]] [[actor]]. He is noted for his [[dwarfism]], standing only {{height|ft=3|in=6}} tall. Davis is probably best known as the title characters in ''[[Willow (film)|Willow]]'' and the ''[[Leprechaun (film)|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 (film)|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'', and [[Reepicheep]] in the [[BBC]] television versions of ''[[Prince Caspian]]'' and ''[[Voyage of the Dawn Treader]]''. 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]].
==Biography==
===Early life===
Davis was born in [[Epsom]], [[Surrey]], [[England]] to an [[insurance broker]] and his wife. Davis's parents later bore him a sister. 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 W. Warrick|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 [[film production|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''<nowiki>'</nowiki>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 [[American Broadcasting Company|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 (film)|Labyrinth]].
===Career===
In 1987, Davis was called to [[Elstree Studios]] in London to meet with [[Ron Howard (director)|Ron Howard]] and George Lucas to discuss a new movie project called ''[[Willow (film)|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 [[Charles, Prince of Wales|Prince]] and [[Diana Spencer|Princess of Wales]]. He then went back to television to be in the [[BBC television]] adaptation of the classic ''[[The Chronicles of Narnia (TV serial)|The Chronicles of Narnia]]'', specifically in ''[[Prince Caspian]]'', ''[[The Voyage of the Dawn Treader]]'' (as [[Reepicheep]]), and ''[[The Silver Chair]]'' (as [[Glimfeather]]).
It was then, in 1992, that he played the villain in ''[[Leprechaun (film)|Leprechaun]]'', something that he really had been wanting to do. He then returned to the Star Wars universe, playing 3 roles in ''[[Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace]]'': Weazel, a gambler sitting next to Watto at the Podrace; [[List of Star Wars Old Republic characters#Wald|Wald]], who was Anakin's Rodian buddy; and [[Yoda]] in scenes where Yoda was walking.
Lately, Davis has become famous for playing the role of Professor [[Filius Flitwick]] in the [[Harry Potter]] films. ''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]'', which was released in July 2007, 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. Davis also played the goblin bank teller in ''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)|Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone]]''.
In 2006, he appeared as himself in an episode of the second series of ''[[Extras (TV series)|Extras]]'', featuring Harry Potter co-star [[Daniel Radcliffe]].
Warwick starred in the film version of ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (film)|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. He previously played Reepicheep the Mouse in the BBC television production of Prince Caspian.
Warwick also appeared as a contestant on the 2007 series of [[Children in Need]] reality show [[Celebrity Scissorhands]].
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. As of 2004, his agency also began representing actors over seven feet tall.
===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, Cambridgeshire|Yaxley]] near [[Peterborough]]. His wife, Samantha (b. 1971) has [[achondroplasia]], as do his children Annabel (b. 1998) and Harrison (b. 2003). Samantha is the daughter of Warwick's business partner Peter, and the sister of actress Hayley Burroughs.
==Filmography==
* ''[[Return of the Ewok]]'' (1982) (unreleased film)
* ''[[Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi]]'' (1983) as [[Wicket W. Warrick]]
* ''[[Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure]]'' (1984) as Wicket W. Warrick
* ''[[Ewoks: The Battle for Endor]]'' (1985) as Wicket W. Warrick
* ''[[Labyrinth (film)|Labyrinth]]'' (1986) as Goblin Corps
* ''The Princess and the Dwarf'' (1986)
* ''Conor Finans Adventures in Naas'' (1987)
* ''[[Willow (movie)|Willow]]'' (1988) as [[Willow Ufgood]]
* ''[[Leprechaun (film)|Leprechaun]]'' (1992) as Leprechaun
* ''[[Leprechaun 2]]'' (1994) as Leprechaun
* ''[[Leprechaun 3]]'' (1995) as Leprechaun
* ''Gulliver's Travels'' (1996) as Grildrig
* ''[[Leprechaun 4: In Space]]'' (1996) as Leprechaun
* ''[[Prince Valiant]]'' (1997) as Pechet
* ''A Very Unlucky Leprechaun'' (1998) as Lucky
* ''[[Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace]]'' (1999)
* ''The New Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1999) as dwarf
* ''The White Pony'' (1999) as Lucky
* ''[[The 10th Kingdom]]'' (2000) TV miniseries as Acorn the Dwarf
* ''[[Leprechaun: In the Hood]]'' (2000) (V) as Leprechaun
* ''[[Snow White (TV film)|Snow White]] (2001)
* ''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)|Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone ]]'' (2001) as [[Professor Flitwick]]
* ''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)|Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]]'' (2002) as Professor Flitwick
* ''Skinned Deep'' (2002)
* ''[[Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones]]'' (2002)
* ''[[Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood]]'' (2003) as Leprechaun
* ''[[Ray (film)|Ray]]'' (2004) as Oberon
* ''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]'' (2004) as Professor Flitwick
* ''[[Skinned Deep]]'' (2004)
* ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (film)|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'' (2005) as the body of [[Marvin the Paranoid Android]]
* ''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)|Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]'' (2005) as Professor Flitwick
* ''Small Town Folk'' (2006) as Knackerman
* ''[[Extras (TV series)|Extras]]'' (2006) as himself
* ''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]'' (2007) as Professor Flitwick
* ''[[Agent One-Half]]'' (2008) as Agent One-Half
* ''[[The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian]]'' (2008) as Nikabrik
* ''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]'' (2008) as Professor Flitwick
* ''[[Invasion of the Not Quite Dead]]'' (2008)
==External links==
{{commons|Category:Warwick Davis|Warwick Davis}}
*{{imdb name|id=0001116|name=Warwick Davis}}
*[http://www.warwickdavis.co.uk/ Official web site]
*[http://sci-fi-online.50megs.com/2006_Interviews/06-07-25_WarwickDavis.htm Warwick Davis Interview] at [http://sci-fi-online.com www.sci-fi-online.com]
*[http://www.willowmanagement.co.uk/ Willow Management]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Warwick}}
[[Category:1970 births]]
[[Category:Actors with dwarfism]]
[[Category:English child actors]]
[[Category:English film actors]]
[[Category:English stage actors]]
[[Category:English television actors]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Epsom]]
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