Harry Potter star Warwick Davis' wife dead aged 53

Tributes have flooded in as actor Warwick Davis' wife has tragically died following health issues.

Samantha David sadly died at the age of 53 and is survived by her husband and three children.

Devastated Warwick Davis announced his wife's death on Wednesday night and said: "Her passing has left a huge hole in our lives as a family. I miss her hugs."

He went on to describe his beloved partner as his "most trusted confidant and an ardent supporter of everything I did in my career.

"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."

Samantha, who was born on January 30, 1971, as Samantha D. Burroughs, had achondroplasia, a bone growth disorder that causes disproportionate dwarfism reports the Mirror.

She was known for her roles in Through the Dragon's Eye, ShortFellas and Honky Sausages and had an uncredited role alongside her husband in 1988 movie Willow.

It was on the set of Willow that Samantha and Warwick first met as teenagers. Warwick was just 17 and already a star from his role as Ewok Wicket in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.

Samantha, then 16, was the daughter of Peter Burroughs, a co-star in Willow, where Warwick landed the lead role opposite Val Kilmer.

Outside of acting, Mrs Davis and her husband founded the charity Little People UK in 2012 to help individuals with dwarfism and their families.

Samantha's death follows her 2019 battle with sepsis.

Mr Davis said in recent years his wife's mobility had become impaired but she was "determined that it would not impact her quality of life."

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