Samantha Davis, actress and wife of Warwick Davis, has died at 53. Warwick confirmed in a statement shared by LucasFilm that his spouse died on March 24.
“My wife and soulmate, best friend. Devoted mother, My favorite human. My most trusted confidant and an ardent supporter of everything I did in my career, has passed,” he shared in a statement.
“The most open, warm person I have ever known. Her passing has left a huge hole in our lives as a family. I miss her hugs,” Warwick continued. “She was a unique character, always seeing the sunny side of life. She had a wicked sense of humor and always laughed at my bad jokes.”
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He additionally noted the role that his late wife’s support had on his career, adding, “Without Sammy, there would have been no Tenable quiz show, no Willow series. No Idiot Abroad series 3 (It was her suggestion that Ricky Gervais send me off with Karl [Pilkington]) — I think she wanted me out of the house for a few weeks!”
Warwick also shared insight into Samantha’s health struggles, writing, “In recent years, Sammy’s mobility had become impaired but she was determined that it would not impact her quality of life and limit what she did and was able to achieve.”
Warwick hopes that following her death, Samantha “continues to inspire through the things she did and that her love, warmth and generosity will be her legacy. She always lived her best life. Although the pain of losing Sammy and being without her is unbearable, I feel so fortunate I was able to be close to her and experience her magic for 35 years.”
Their children, Harrison and Annabelle, also shared a joint statement: “Our Mum is the kindest, most inspirational and loving Mumma we could of wished for. No matter the time or place she was there to answer our silly questions, tell us what to do, and to listen when we needed,” they wrote.
Their statement continued, “Mum is our best friend and we’re honored to have received a love like hers. Her love and happiness has carried us through our whole lives, and will be what carries us forward now. Everything we do, we do for her.”
As detailed in his 2010 autobiography Size Matters Not, Warwick first formally met Samantha when they filmed fantasy cult classic Willow together in the late ’80s. Prior to that encounter, Warwick had seen his future wife on the set of Labyrinth, admiring her “from afar.”
Besides appearing in Willow, Samantha had small roles alongside her husband in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II and Leprechaun 2. The couple co-founded charity organization Little People U.K., which offered support to people with dwarfism, making sure their medical needs are met.
She previously experienced health issues related to sepsis, which required surgery in 2019. Speaking with The Sun in 2022, Warwick shared the emotional process of nearly losing his wife to the life-threatening infection.
“The next few hours were the longest of my life as I waited on the ward with our children in the empty space left by Sam’s hospital bed,” the actor recalled about the moment Samantha was taken in for surgery. He added that, moments before, the family “gathered by her bedside; although optimistic, we were sort of saying goodbye in case Sam didn’t survive.”
Warwick also said at the time that he “broke down every night thinking that this terrible illness that came out of nowhere might take my soulmate away from me.”
