- Written by Ian Casey and Noor Nanji
- BBC News
Samantha Davies, founder of dwarfism charity Little People UK and wife of Harry Potter star Warwick Davies, has died at the age of 53.
In a statement, the actor paid tribute to his “favorite person” who died on March 24, saying: “I miss her hugs.”
He added: “Her passing left a huge gap in our lives as a family.”
Ms Davis was also an actress, appearing alongside her husband in the 2010 Harry Potter finale, in which she played a goblin.
The couple, who lived near Peterborough, met while filming Willow in 1988, before marrying three years later.
The Star Wars star described Sami, as he called her, as his “most trusted friend and an enthusiastic supporter of everything I've done in my career.”
Image source, Getty Images
“She was a unique person, she always saw the sunny side of life, she had a wicked sense of humor and was always laughing at my bad jokes,” he said.
With his wife by his side, he felt confident he could achieve anything, Davis said, adding: “It was like having a superpower.”
“Without Sammy, there would have been no Tenable quiz show, no Willow series. No Idiot Abroad 3 series.”
He added that it was his wife who convinced comedian Ricky Gervais to send him and Carl Pilkington on the travel series.
The couple's children, Harrison and Annabelle, joined their father in paying tribute, saying: “We carried her love and happiness throughout our lives.”
“My mom is our best friend and we are honored to receive love like hers,” they added.
Davis played Professor Flitwick and the elf Griphook in all eight films in the Harry Potter series. He has also played several characters in the Star Wars film series, starring in both Willow and its 2022 sequel.
His wife's other acting credits include the children's series Through the Eye of the Dragon (1989).
Outside of acting, Samantha Davis and her husband founded the charity Little People UK in 2012 to help individuals with dwarfism and their families.
“She was passionate about helping people without judgement. She had time for everyone and a real listening ear,” the Tenable host said.
Davis said his wife's mobility had become weaker in recent years, but she was “determined that it would not affect her quality of life.”
Willow's network, Disney, said Samantha was “a much-loved member of the UK film and TV community”, adding: “Our thoughts are with the Davis family during this difficult time.”
. “Professional creator. Lifelong thinker. Reader. Beer buff. Troublemaker. Evil problem solver.”