Warwick Ashley Davis is an English actor. He is noted for his dwarfism, standing only 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.
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).
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 3 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 become famous for playing the role of Professor Filius Flitwick in the Harry Potter films. 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.
In 2006, he appeared as himself in an episode of the second series of Extras, featuring Harry Potter co-star Daniel Radcliffe. |