Samantha Davis, the wife of Star Wars and Harry Potter actor Warwick Davis, has died aged 53.
Davis paid tribute to Samantha in a statement, revealing his wife of 32 years had died on March 24.
The couple, who first met on the set of Ron Howard’s 1988 fantasy film Willow, co-founded the dwarfism charity Little People UK.
Davis told the BBC that Samantha’s death “has left a huge hole in our lives as a family”, adding: “I miss her hugs.”
The Life’s Too Short actor, who also hosted ITV game shows Celebrity Squares and Tenable, described Samantha as his “most trusted confidant and an ardent supporter of everything I did in my career”.
He added: “She was a unique character, always seeing the sunny side of life she had a wicked sense of humour and always laughed at my bad jokes.
Davis said that with his wife by his side, he felt as if he could achieve anything, adding: “It was like having a super-power.”
“Without Sammy, there would have been no Tenable quiz show, no Willow series. No Idiot Abroad Series 3.”
The actor explained that it was his wife who persuaded Ricky Gervais to send him with Karl Pilkington for the third series of the hit travel show.
The couple’s children, Harrison and Annabelle, joined their father in paying tribute, saying “her love and happiness carried us through our whole lives. Mum is our best friend and we’re honoured to have received a love like hers.”
Davis played both Professor Flitwick and the goblin Griphook in all eight films in the Harry Potter franchise. He also played several characters in the Star Wars film series, and starred in both the Willow film and the 2022 sequel series on Disney+.
Samantha featured alongside her husband in Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011). Her other acting credits include the children’s series Through The Dragon’s Eye (1989).
Outside of acting, Samantha 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 genuine listening ear,” Davis said.
The actor previously said that his wife’s mobility had become impaired in recent years, but she was “determined that it would not impact her quality of life”.
Disney also paid tribute to Samantha, describing her as a “beloved member of the UK film and TV community.” They added: “Our thoughts are with the Davis family during this difficult time”.