Warwick Davis fell in love with his “soulmate” Samantha on the set of Willow in 1988, when the couple were teenagers.
Three years later the couple married, but in the three decades since her tragic death, they have endured heartbreaking family tragedy with the deaths of two children as well as Samantha’s own health problems.
Warwick confirmed yesterday that his “favorite human” had died aged 53 on March 24 as the grieving widower heartbreakingly told how he would miss his hugs.
He said in an emotional statement to the BBC that his death had left a huge void in our family lives.
He described Sammy, as he called him, as his “most trusted confidant and a strong supporter of everything I have done in my career.” He said he felt like he could accomplish anything with his wife by his side and felt like he had a “superpower.”
Warwick Davis and his wife Samantha on their wedding day in 1991. They were married for over three decades
Samantha Davis (pictured with Warwick), who met her husband on the set of his 1988 film Willow, died tragically aged 53 on March 24.
“She was a unique character, always seeing the bright side of life, she had a wicked sense of humor and was always laughing at my bad jokes,” Warwick said in a statement provided to the BBC.
Their other two children, Annabelle and Harrison, also paid tribute to their mother, saying: “Her love and happiness carried us through our lives.” Mom is our best friend and we are honored to have received a love like hers.
Warwick said his wife’s mobility had been reduced in recent years, but explained how she was determined not to let it get her down.
The mother-of-two’s death comes five years after she battled a life-threatening infection after falling ill before a family vacation in 2019.
Warwick broke down in tears last year as she recounted how her family gathered at her bedside as she battled sepsis.
He told The Sun: “The next few hours were the longest of my life as I waited in the ward with our children in the empty space left by Sam’s hospital bed. I hoped it wouldn’t would not symbolize for us a future without it.
The mother-of-two fell ill before the family caravan holiday in 2019, but convinced herself the symptoms were caused by the stress of preparing for the trip.
He continued: “Our family gathered at his bedside; although optimistic, we were sort of saying goodbye in case Sam didn’t survive.
The actor and his wife lost their baby son Lloyd just nine days after his birth in 1991, the year they married.
During their 33-year marriage, they had three children, one of whom died tragically shortly after birth. The couple is photographed in 1996
The couple’s children (all pictured together) said they were “honored to have received a love like hers.”
Warwick and Samantha smile as they join the West End cast of Spamalot at a press night at the Playhouse Theater in London in 2013.
The Davis family attending the premiere of Star Wars: The Last Jedi in Los Angeles in December 2017
“It’s so hard to see someone you love more than anything in the world fighting to stay alive without even having the strength to turn over in their bed.”
The couple met on the set of George Lucas’ film Willow and married three years later in 1991. During their 33-year marriage, they had three children, one of whom died tragically shortly after his birth.
Speaking about the death of her first son Lloyd to People in 2022, Davis said: “I think it brings you closer, or something like that, but it’s an experience I wouldn’t wish on anyone, it’s devastating.”
“You learn to live with it, eventually over time you are able to better understand why it happened and accept it a little more, but you never get over it.
“I think the losses have shaped our family dynamic, we love Annabelle and Harrison all the more because they are here with us.”
Lloyd inherited dwarfism from both his parents and died from complications caused by the disease.
The couple lost a second child – who they named George – when Samantha suffered a miscarriage at 20 weeks in 1993.
Warwick added: “We will always remember what happened with George and Lloyd. We will always be grateful to have had them for the short time we had.
The star previously said the tragedies made him and Samantha stronger as a couple.
Warwick and Samantha smile and hold hands in the back of a taxi as they attend the Pride of Britain ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel in October 2014 in London.
Warwick and Samantha attend the Willow TV screening in London in November 2022 with their children Harrison and Annabelle
Warwick and Samantha Davis (left) appearing on ITV’s All Star show Mr and Mrs in 2012
Samantha and Warwick attend the ITV Palooza! held at the Royal Festival Hall in October 2018 in London
The couple hold their arms around each other as they attend the Bafta Awards ceremony in London in November 2011.
Speaking on Bear Grylls’ Bear’s Mission TV show in 2018, he said: “Before Annabelle and Harrison, we had a little boy, Lloyd, who inherited both of our conditions… and that’s something that proves fatal.
“It’s something a baby won’t survive.” But Lloyd who he lived for survived nine days, but yes, he was handsome… but it was a difficult time. And yes, we also had a stillbirth.
The star said he and his wife survived the painful time together, saying: “Those kinds of things, it makes you stronger (as a couple).”
Davis was born with an extremely rare condition called congenital spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia (SED), in which bone endings fail to form. This meant he never grew taller than 3 feet 6 inches.
His wife suffered from another form of dwarfism called achondroplasia.
He and Samantha – who co-founded the charity Little People UK – met when Davis played wizard Willow Ufgood in the 1988 film named after the character.
Samantha and her father Peter – who is Davis’ business partner – played minor roles as villagers.
She also played an uncredited role as a goblin in 2011’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, in which Davis last played Filius Flitwick, the Hogwarts charms professor.
In 1989, she took part in the BBC educational series Through the Dragon’s Eye.
Davis and Mr Burroughs, 77, co-founded Willow Management in 1995 with the aim of changing the way people with dwarfism were portrayed on screen.
Mr. Burroughs is also an actor and has appeared both on stage and in television and film productions, including The Legend of King Arthur, Hamlet and as an Ewok in the 1983 Star Wars film Return of the Jedi.
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