Val Kilmer has several dozen homepages, and Joanne Whalley-Kilmer has at least one, but in my opinion, the leading man of Willow, Warwick Davis, is sorely underrepresented on the Internet.
Warwick Davis' first big break as an actor came
at age 11, when he was cast as "Wicket W. Warrick" (pictured right) in George
Lucas' Return of the Jedi. This would be the beginning of a
long friendship with Lucas, who asked Davis to reprise the role in two TV
movies: The Ewok Adventure (released theatrically in Europe as
Caravan of Courage) and The Battle for Endor.
Davis paired up with Lucas one more time before Willow, in the Jim Henson-directed Labyrinth. Davis played the goblin "Bumpot." It was during the filming of this movie that Davis first met his future wife, Samantha Burroughs, who visited the set one day in 1985. (After they were married in 1991, the couple honeymooned at Lucas' Skywalker Ranch in California.)
Then came Willow, which was written with Davis in mind. As the first character whose face was his own, Davis has said in interviews that Willow Ufgood was his favorite role.
After an appearance in the BBC's Chronicles
of Narnia, Davis was approached by Trimark Pictures about the title role
of a horror flick called Leprechaun. The film was a hit with
movie-goers, and spawned three sequels, all starring Davis. The latest
installment, Leprechaun 4: In Space, hit video store shelves just
last February.
Warwick Davis has made a name for himself behind the camera as well as in front of it, directing and producing industrial and music videos for his production company, Inch High Productions. In addition, Willow Personal Management Ltd., which he founded in 1994 with fellow Labyrinth goblin Peter Burroughs, boasts that it is "The Largest Agency for Short Actors in the World."
What does the future hold for Davis? Well, he will appear in this Summer's Prince Valiant as "Petchet," the Prince's loyal sidekick, and George Lucas has promised him a role in the upcoming Star Wars Prequel Trilogy. In the meantime, he is in negotiations with several production companies to develop Spymaster, a detective-comedy based on a screenplay he wrote.
Warwick Davis has left his mark as an accomplished actor and filmmaker, and more than that, a major box-office draw, all before the age of twenty-six. To the many fans of Willow, though, he will forever be the little Nelwyn with a heart of gold.
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