
Family of Warwick Davis' late wife hope inquest will ‘provide answers'
The family of actress Samantha Davis, the late wife of actor Warwick, said they hope an inquest into her death will 'provide us with answers'.
Ms Davis died aged 53 at University College Hospital in London on March 24 last year.
Warwick, known for his roles in Star Wars and the Harry Potter films, dedicated his Bafta film fellowship award to Ms Davis during an emotional tribute at the ceremony in February.
An inquest into her death is due to take place at place at Inner West London Coroner's Court on April 14.
In a statement issued ahead of the hearing through their legal team at Irwin Mitchell, Ms Davis' family said it has been an 'incredibly difficult time' for them.
They added: 'We know that the resilience and strength Sammy instilled in all of us will guide us through this difficult next chapter.
'Her love, support, and determination is a legacy we want to continue. 'Sammy's Helping Hands fund', which was set up in her honour, has already had a huge impact on young people in the dwarfism community, and will continue to support families all over the UK moving forwards.
'The last year and trying to come to terms with Samantha's death has been incredibly difficult.
'However, we hope that the inquest will at last provide us with answers.
'We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their kindness and well wishes to us all.'
Warwick Davis rose to fame as an 11-year old after being cast as an Ewok in Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi.
The couple met during the filming of 1988 fantasy movie Willow, in which he has a starring role as the hero Willow Ufgood. He later reprised the role in a 2022 Disney+ series.
They married in 1991 and co-founded Little People UK in 2012 to help individuals with dwarfism and their families.
The pair also starred together in Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2, where Samantha played a goblin.
Davis played Professor Flitwick in all eight films in the Harry Potter franchise and also portrayed the Gringotts Wizarding Bank goblin Griphook.
The couple have two children.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


BreakingNews.ie
24 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Katherine Parkinson joins cast for new Harry Potter TV series
Actress Katherine Parkinson has joined the cast of the new Harry Potter TV series. The IT Crowd star will join the HBO TV show of the popular fantasy novel series to play Molly Weasley, the mother of Ron Weasley. Advertisement Parkinson also starred in the hit Disney+ series Rivals, for which she received a supporting actress Bafta TV nomination for her role as Lizzie Vereker. Johnny Flynn will play Lucius Malfoy (Ian West/PA) Joining the cast alongside Parkinson is actor and musician Johnny Flynn, who is best known for playing Mr Knightley in the 2020 film Emma. The 42-year-old will portray antagonist Lucius Malfoy, while The Diary Of A Teenage Girl star Bel Powley will play Petunia Dursley, the aunt of Harry Potter who takes him in and forces him to live under the stairs following his parents' death. Each season of the show will be a faithful adaptation of the Harry Potter books, from author and executive producer JK Rowling. Advertisement This follows from the popular film adaptations that starred Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint as the protagonists. Actor and comedian Daniel Rigby will also join the cast to play Petunia's husband, Vernon Dursley, while The Crown's Bertie Carvel will portray Cornelius Fudge. School bully Draco Malfoy, who was played in the films by Tom Felton, who is set to reprise the role in the Harry Potter And The Cursed Child play on Broadway, will be portrayed by Lox Pratt. Hogwarts students will include newcomers Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan, Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil and Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown. Advertisement The young stars cast to play Harry, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley were announced recently. Paapa Essiedu (Ian West/PA) Dominic McLaughlin will take the part of Harry, Arabella Stanton will play Hermione and Alastair Stout is cast as Ron. British actor Paapa Essiedu and US star John Lithgow were also confirmed as Professor Severus Snape and Hogwarts headmaster Professor Albus Dumbledore, respectively. The cast also includes Welsh comedian and actor Paul Whitehouse as the magic-less Hogwarts caretaker Argus Filch and Hot Fuzz actor Nick Frost as the friendly groundskeeper Rubeus Hagrid. Advertisement Production will begin at Warner Bros Studios Leavesden in summer 2025.


Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
HBO's Harry Potter TV series casts another two key characters after bosses revealed the three child stars who will play leading roles
HBO bosses have cast another two key characters for their high-profile TV adaption of Harry Potter. The series is a reboot of J.K. Rowling 's seven-book series and is a full-scale, decade-long adaptation that promises to stick far more closely to the original storylines than the blockbuster films. Actor Dominic McLaughlin has landed the title role, while Arabella Stanton is set to play Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout will portray Ron Weasley. JK Rowling gave her approval to the trio cast as the new child stars of the multi-million-pound production. And now it's been revealed Bel Powley and Daniel Rigby have signed up to play the Mr and Mrs Dursley. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the Daily Mail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. US outlet Variety report that Bel, 33, will play Petunia Dursley, the older sister of Lilly, who was Harry Potter's mother. The star began her acting career when she was just a teenager on CBBC and in 2015 was praised for her portrayal of Princess Margaret in A Royal Night Out. BAFTA-winning actor Daniel, 42, will play her on-screen husband Vernon, though it's yet to be revealed who will play their son. Daniel scooped a gong for his leading role as Eric Morecambe in the 2011 BBC film Eric and Ernie. Fiona Shaw and Richard Griffiths played the characters in the Harry Potter film franchise. The casting news comes as Hollywood heavyweight John Lithgow was previously announced as the new Albus Dumbledore. Janet McTeer, known for her powerhouse performances on stage and screen, will step into the sharp heels of Professor McGonagall, while rising star Paapa Essiedu takes on the darker, more complicated role of Severus Snape – a part made famous by the late Alan Rickman. Actor and comedian Nick Frost will play legendary Hogwarts groundskeeper Hagrid in the adaption. Nick, 53, previously revealed he's been targeted by trans activists for signing up for the popular role and even had to switch his Instagram comments off. Rowling, who is serving as an executive producer of the new series, has become a vocal presence in the transgender debate. Distancing himself from her trans views, Nick told the Observer: 'She's allowed her opinion and I'm allowed mine. They just don't align in any way, shape of form.' Previously speaking about the casting, executive producer and director Mark Mylod said: 'We're delighted to have such extraordinary talent onboard, and we can't wait to see them bring these beloved characters to new life.' The new series is aims to 'lead a new generation of fandom' and hopes to recapture the beloved details Harry Potter fans have enjoyed for 25 years. Filming officially kicked off last month, though the cast and crew were reportedly left 'bewildered' by producers' choice of location for the shoot. Production has been set up on the Île de Sein off the coast of Brittany where they are thought to be re- creating the famous moment that Hagrid says, 'You're a wizard Harry! ' A source told The Sun: 'This caused a certain amount of amusement among the British crew who all agreed that they could have easily got windswept in virtually any part of the British Isles. 'They've been slightly bewildered by the fact they've actually gone to France to make a show which is so British — particularly since it's the first place they've gone to and they're doing key scenes there. 'For fans it's likely to be a sign that with American producers running the show, it might not be as mindful of Harry Potter as a national treasure that shouldn't be tampered with.'


Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Harry Potter TV series casts iconic roles including Draco Malfoy
The cast of the highly-anticipated Harry Potter TV series is growing, with new stars being announced to take on the roles of Molly Weasley, Draco Malfoy and more The Harry Potter series is welcoming a host of new faces to its cast. On Monday, 9th June, HBO unveiled a raft of fresh talent set to star in the upcoming series, promising a faithful rendition of J. K. Rowling's best-selling novels, with each book being honoured with its own season. Characters such as Molly Weasley, Draco and Lucius Malfoy, Petunia and Vernon Dursley have now been assigned actors, along with Cornelius Fudge, Parvati Patil, Seamus Finnigan and Lavender Brown. Katherine Parkinson, known for her role in Rivals, will step into the shoes of the Weasley family matriarch, a role previously held by Julie Walters in the film adaptations. Lox Pratt and Johnny Flynn are set to take on the Malfoy mantle from Tom Felton and Jason Isaacs, playing Draco and Lucius respectively. Bel Powley, who has starred in Masters of the Air and The Morning Show, will portray Petunia Dursley, Harry's aunt, originally played by Fiona Shaw in the films. Daniel Rigby will assume the role of Vernon Dursley, brought to life by the late Richard Griffiths in the original films. Bertie Carvel will step into the role of Cornelius Fudge, previously portrayed by the late Robert Hardy. Joining the Hogwarts student body are Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan, Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil, and Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown. The casting for the high-anticipated series has ramped up, following a May revelation by HBO that they've found their leading three. On May 27, it was all smiles as HBO proudly announced Dominic McLaughlin will be stepping into the shoes once filled by Daniel Radcliffe to play the central character, whilst Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout are set to play Hermione Granger (immortalised by Emma Watson) and Ron Weasley (played by Rupert Grint), correspondingly. In a press statement, showrunner Francesca Gardiner and executive producer Mark Mylod couldn't contain their joy, expressing that they were "delighted to announce we have found our Harry, Hermione, and Ron" after an "extraordinary search" for these legendary characters. "The talent of these three unique actors is wonderful to behold, and we cannot wait for the world to witness their magic together onscreen," they gushed over McLaughlin, Stanton, and Stout." "They extended their heartfelt thanks to "We would like to thank all the tens of thousands of children who auditioned. It's been a real pleasure to discover the plethora of young talent out there.", commenting on the sheer joy it's been to uncover such an abundance of young talent. Several other pivotal roles have been disclosed too. Hogwarts's headmaster Albus Dumbledore will take form in John Lithgow, Janet McTeer has been cast for Professor Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu will step into the robes of Professor Severus Snape and British comedian Nick Frost is slated to fill the boots of gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid. Frost candidly revealed his vision for the cherished part, previously brought to life by Robbie Coltrane, in a recent conversation. Speaking to Collider, Frost, aged 53, affirmed, "You get cast because you're going to bring something to that. While I'm really aware of what went before me in terms of Robbie's amazing performance, I'm never going to try and be Robbie." He added: "I'm going to try to do something, not 'different' - I think you have to be respectful to the subject matter - but within that, there's scope for minutia."