STAR Wars actor Warwick Davis has paid a heartbreaking tribute to his wife after her death, aged 53.
Warwick described Samantha as his “favourite human” after her death on March 24.
He said: "Her passing has left a huge hole in our lives as a family. I miss her hugs.
"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.”
The pair met while filming the 1988 movie Willow and married three years later.
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Warwick, who also starred in the Harry Potter films described Sammy, as he called her, as his "most trusted confidant and an ardent supporter of everything I did in my career".
Harrison and Annabelle, the couple’s children, joined their dad in paying tribute, adding "her love and happiness carried us through our whole lives".
They said: "Mum is our best friend and we're honoured to have received a love like hers.”
Samantha was also an actor, having appeared in the children's series Through the Dragon's Eye, in 1989, and alongside her husband in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 in 2010.
Warwick told the BBC: "With her by my side, I was sure I could achieve anything, it was like having a super-power.
"Without Sammy, there would have been no Tenable quiz show, no Willow series. No Idiot Abroad Series 3."
It was, he said, his wife who had persuaded comedian Ricky Gervais to send him and Karl Pilkington for the travel series.
The most recent picture on Warwick's Instagram page was taken six months ago and showed the couple on a date night.
Alongside a smiley selfie, he wrote: "A long overdue date night with my beautiful wife. She felt a bit overdressed for McDonald’s."
Outside of acting the couple founded the charity Little People UK in 2012 to help individuals with dwarfism and their families.
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Warwick said: "She was passionate about helping people, without judgment. She had time for everyone and a genuine listening ear.”
He added in recent years his wife's mobility had become impaired but she was "determined that it would not impact her quality of life".
Disney, which airs the Willow series, said Samantha was "beloved member of the UK film and TV community", adding: "Our thoughts are with the Davis family during this difficult time".
Samantha had achondroplasia, a bone growth disorder that causes disproportionate dwarfism.
Warwick has previously opened up about his wife's health after she was rushed to hospital with sepsis in 2018.
The actor told The Sun that her health dramatically declined ahead of a family caravan holiday.
Speaking of the horror a few years later, he said: "The next few hours were the longest of my life as I waited on the ward with our children in the empty space left by Sam’s hospital bed.
“I hoped it would not symbolise a future for us without her.”
Sam had numerous operations in her life-time due to her condition.
It is thought she contracted sepsis after a decompression surgery on her spine.
She said of her near death experience: "We went home a week later and suddenly I couldn’t feel my legs.
"I thought I was still recovering from the surgery so I went to bed, but the next day I felt awful, as though I had been hit by a truck.
“I stayed in bed all day while Warwick and Harrison went to a family party and the next morning I woke at 4am feeling even worse.
“As the day went on I couldn’t concentrate, I lay on the sofa and when I tried to get up I collapsed on the floor.”
In a heartwarming birthday message, Sam once highlighted their unique romance with a tribute to her “beautiful inside and out” husband.
She wrote: "You are the bravest, most caring and sensitive person I know.
"You amaze us all everyday with your courage and strength. I love you to the moon and back. Always and forever yours."
To mark her birthday, Warwick also tweeted a tribute to his "beautiful wife".
He added: “I so admire how she faces life’s challenges with dignity, energy & courage – she’s an inspiration."
Warwick has also spoken movingly about how the combination of both his and Samantha's conditions have resulted in the deaths of two of their babies.
The first, Lloyd, sadly died after nine days as his lungs were too small to support normal function.
They also lost another son, George, when Samantha was 19 weeks pregnant.
He said: "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 insisted the tragedies brought him closer to his wife, and said: "That kind of stuff just makes you stronger."
