Samantha Davis (née Burroughs, 30 January 1971 – 24 March 2024) was a British actress and co-founder of the charity Little People U.K.[1] She worked on films such as Labyrinth and Willow, where she met her husband Warwick Davis.[2][3] Her father was actor Peter Burroughs.[1]
Samantha Davis | |
|---|---|
| Born | Samantha Burroughs 30 January 1971 |
| Died | 24 March 2024 (aged 53) |
| Citizenship | British |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1988-2011 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3, including Annabelle |
| Father | Peter Burroughs |
Personal life
editShe was born with achondroplasia, a hereditary genetic condition that results in dwarfism.[3]
As a teenager she began to work as an extra on movie sets with her father Peter Burroughs. It was while working on the film Willow that she meet her husband Warwick Davis [3] though he already knew her from the set of Labyrinth which they had both worked on a few year prior.[1] In 1988, the same year they met on Willow, the two were in a play together at the Cambridge Arts Center and began dating.[2] They dated for three years and were married in 1991.[3]
Their first child together died shortly after birth due to complications from inheriting both the genetic conditions that cause dwarfism from each parent (achondroplasia and SED).[4][3][5]
The couple went on to have two other children together, Annabelle and Harrison, who like their parents have both acted in film and television[6] and like their father have Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, a genetic condition that causes dwarfism.[4]
In 2019, Davis faced a life-threatening case of sepsis due to complications from surgery and received treatment in hospital.[1]
Career
editDavis appeared as an extra in many films, mostly uncredited. She worked on the film Labyrinth with her father Peter Bourroughs[2] and she had a uncredited role as a Nelwyn villager in Willlow.[7] A role she reprised (again uncredited) in the revival TV series for Disney+.[6] She also appeared as a goblin in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 and in the educational BBC show Through the Dragon's Eye in 1989.
Charity work
editSamantha Davis co-founded Little People UK in 2012 with husband Warwick Davis.[1][8] The purpose of the charity was to help people with dwarfism in the United Kingdom.[9][10] It connects people with dwarfism to each other through events as well to educational and medical resources.[10] One component is an annual convention where hundreds of people with dwarfism meet up.[10] The charity often helps young kids with dwarfism not feel isolated, and help them to connect with people and gain more self-confidence.[9][11][12]
Filmography
edit- Labyrinth (1986)[2]
- Willow (1988)
- Leprechaun 2 (1994)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
TV
edit- Honky Sausages (1999) 1 episode
- Through the Dragon's Eye (1989) 3 episodes
- Willlow (TV Series) (2022) (uncredited)[6]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Tenreyro, Tatiana (2024-04-18). "Samantha Davis, Actress and Co-Founder of Little People U.K. With Husband Warwick Davis, Dies at 53". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
- ^ a b c d Warwick, Davis (2011). Size Matters Not: The Extraordinary Life and Career of Warwick Davis. John Wiley & Sons. p. 206. ISBN 978-1-118-11939-6.
- ^ a b c d e Elliott-Gibbs, Sam (2024-04-18). "Warwick Davis' wife Samantha's cause of death as Harry Potter star speaks out". The Mirror. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
- ^ a b McGrath, Nick (31 March 2012). "Warwick Davis: My family values". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
- ^ Gibler, Gerald (22 October 2011). "Size matters: Warwick Davis is no small talent". The Independent. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
- ^ a b c "'Willow' Star Warwick Davis Took Inspiration from Mark Hamill's 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' Performance". The Hollywood Reporter. 2022-12-02. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
- ^ Evans, Greg (2024-04-19). "Samantha Davis Dies: Actor Wife Of Warwick Davis, Co-Founder Of Little People UK Charity Was 53". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
- ^ "About Us". Little People UK. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
- ^ a b Wightwick, Abbie (2024-01-27). "'People take photos and shout at me in the street but I want to change that'". Wales Online. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
- ^ a b c Dorsey, Jack (12 Sep 2017). "One big celebration of little people!". Best.
- ^ "Life as a teenage dwarf: 'People think I'm four or five years old'". Retrieved 2024-12-11.
- ^ "Hollywood star Warwick Davis proves big hit with kids". Rotherham Advertiser. 2014-09-25. Retrieved 2024-12-11.