Warwick Davis pictured with his late wife Samantha and their children (Image: Getty)
For Harry Potter actor Warwick Davis and his wife Samantha, their journey to parenthood was fraught with challenges.
They first crossed paths as teenagers on the set of the 1988 fantasy film Willow, where a 17 year old Warwick starred in the titular role and Samantha, then 16, appeared as an extra.
The pair swiftly fell for each other and exchanged vows in 1991, four years after meeting. Their union lasted 33 years and saw the birth of their children Annabelle and Harrison, until Samantha’s tragic death last March.
At 53, Samantha faced severe health issues stemming from sepsis she contracted in 2018 following spinal surgery. The condition nearly claimed her life at that time, prompting a bedside vigil by her family.
Both Samantha and Warwick suffered from PTSD due to the ordeal, with Warwick describing the agonising wait during his wife’s operation as the “longest of my life”. “I broke down every night thinking that this terrible illness that came out of nowhere might take my soulmate away from me,” he shared with the Sun.
Warwick Davis and his wife Samantha met on the set of a film (Image: Getty)
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The couple had already endured immense heartache. Their first child, Lloyd, tragically passed away at just nine days old.
“Prior to Annabelle and Harrison we had a baby boy, Lloyd, who inherited both our conditions… and that is something that proves fatal,” the actor revealed to Bear Grylls in 2019. “It’s something that a baby won’t survive. But Lloyd survived for nine days, but yeah he was beautiful. It was a tough time. And yeah, we had a stillborn too.”
Warwick has a rare genetic disorder known as spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita (SED), which leads to skeletal abnormalities and issues with vision and hearing. Doctors had grimly forecasted that he would neither walk nor live beyond his teenage years.
His wife Samantha had achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism, characterised by a genetic bone-growth disorder causing short stature.
Harrison Davis, Samantha Davis, Warwick Davis and Annabelle Davis (Image: GETTY)
The pair mourned the loss of their son George when Samantha was 19 weeks pregnant and faced two more miscarriages before the birth of their daughter Annabelle in 1997.
Now 27, she has carved out her own acting career, securing roles in Hollyoaks and The Dumping Ground.
In the wake of his wife’s death, Warwick expressed how her absence has left an irreplaceable void in their family life, noting that Samantha was not only his rock but also his ‘most trusted confidant and an ardent supporter of everything I did in my career. ‘.
The heartbroken widower described her as a “She was a unique character, always seeing the sunny side of life she had a wicked sense of humour and always laughed at my bad jokes,” He added: “Without Sammy, there would have been no Tenable quiz show, no Willow series. No Idiot Abroad Series 3. She was passionate about helping people, without judgment. She had time for everyone and a genuine listening ear.”
Samantha’s children also paid tribute to their mother, stating: “Mum is our best friend and we’re honoured to have received a love like hers,” and “With her by my side, I was sure I could achieve anything, it was like having a super-power.”
For help and support please contact if affected by bereavement, premature and still birth [email protected] or call their helpline: 01924 200799