Horror Legend Warwick Davis
Welcome back to Horror Celebrity Spotlight, my series about the most interesting icons in the horror world! It’s March, which means St. Patrick’s Day is coming up, so it’s fitting that this spotlight is dedicated to Warwick Davis, an actor who is best known to horror fans for playing a leprechaun.
Full Name: Warwick Ashley Davis
Age: 56
Best Known For: Playing an evil leprechaun in eight Leprechaun franchise installments.
Official website: Link Here
Often Works With: Numerous people involved with the Star Wars and Harry Potter franchises.
“I Want Me Gold!”
Warwick Davis was born in England in 1970. From the beginning of his life, he has had a rare bone disorder that causes dwarfism. His condition is different from the vast majority of little people. It has caused him health problems, especially as he has grown older.
Davis reportedly has a current height of 3.5 feet. His film career started in the ’80s when, at age 12, he was cast as an Ewok in Return of the Jedi. Numerous other opportunities followed, including several more Star Wars films and other fantasy flicks like Labyrinth (1985) and Willow (1988).
In 1993 he starred in his first horror role as the gleefully fiendish title character in Leprechaun (1993). The movie became a surprise hit despite horrible reviews, and Davis went on to star in seven more installments. The Leprechaun series is one of horror’s most notoriously awful franchises, but Davis is easily the best part of them. Casting him was a stroke of genius.
Starting in 2001, he also became a regular in the Harry Potter franchise as Filius Flitwick, a Hogwarts professor, further bolstering his fantasy credentials.
But back to that demented leprechaun. This series would never have made it past the first movie without the charisma and energy that Davis brings to the role. His performance is especially impressive because he usually plays sympathetic characters. I imagine that Davis relished the chance to play a villain.
The leprechaun, and many of his other roles, are examples of Davis turning a supposed limitation into an asset. Instead of having his height be an obstacle to achieving his dreams, Davis turned into an asset. He has carved a niche playing memorable characters that are small.
Davis has also played many roles that could have been portrayed by an actor of any height. That’s important, because it debunks the traditional stereotype that little people can only play certain roles (like elves, hobbits, leprechauns, etc.).
Random Tidbits
-Davis’s recurring roles in multiple successful franchises have made him the top-grossing supporting actor in history.
-Davis published an autobiography in 2010 titled Size Matters Not.
-Unfortunately, Davis has experienced some major tragedies in his life. He and his wife, British actress Samantha Davis, had two children that didn’t survive infancy. Samantha later passed away in 2024 due to sepsis.
-Davis has two surviving adult children, Annabelle (who is also an actress) and Harrison.
-He is the cofounder of the Willow Management talent agency, which specializes with representing little people.
-In contrast to his villainous roles, Davis played a “good” leprechaun in the kiddie fantasy pic A Very Unlucky Leprechaun (1998).
