Bear are they now? Dwarf actors who played Ewoks had Hollywood careers
Bear are they now? How dwarf actors who played Ewoks in Return of the Jedi enjoyed Hollywood careers, joined the circus, appeared in pantomimes and starred in Peter Kay’s famous Amarillo music video – as fans mourn death of tragic star Paul Grant
- They are the actors behind some of Star Wars’ most memorable alien characters
- Hidden behind furry masks, some of their identities had remained unknown
- Are you or do you know any of the Ewoks? E-mail: [email protected]
The tragic death of Star Wars actor Paul Grant has renewed interest in the furry band of brothers who played Ewoks beside him.
Many are the forgotten stars of the hit film series, sweating in hot costumes to create some of science fiction’s most memorable alien races.
Most of them are little over four feet tall, but some have gone on to appear in big films and TV series.
And while others have also sadly passed away like Paul, their faces behind the hairy outfits can be remembered today.
Here MailOnline takes a look at what happened to the Star Wars Ewoks:
Top row left to right: John Cummings, Brian Wheeler, Willie Coppen, Alan Bennett. Middle row left to right: Kiran Shah, Tony Friel, Gerald Stadden, John Ghavam. Bottom row: Trevor Jones, Danny Blackner, Mike Cottrell and Malcolm Dixon
Warwick Davis
The most famous person to have played an Ewok in Star Wars, his appearance in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi at Wicket was Warwick Davis’s first acting credit.
Since then he has gone from strength to strength, featuring in classic films such as Labyrinth, Willow, Leprechaun and the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
Those of a certain age will remember him most fondly for his role as Professor Flitwick in the Harry Potter franchise, in which he also played a goblin bank teller.
Warwick Davis holds an Ewok mask which was estimated to auction for from £1,800 to £2,000
On TV he has written and starred in Life’s Too Short – which follows a fictionalised version of himself – while he returned to his role in Willow once again for a Disney+ series which was released at the end of 2022.
The 53-year-old returned for a role in the 2019 film Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and in recent years has hosted ITV game show Tenable.
Away from the screen he is president of Little People UK, a charity aimed at offering friendship and support to people who have dwarfism, as well as their families and friends.
Warwick Davis as Wicket the Ewok from the beloved Star Wars film Return of the Jedi in 1983
John Cumming
One of the Ewok actors who sadly is no longer with us, John Cummings was a popular figure among Star Wars fans.
Mr Cummings, who portrayed Worak the Ewok in the film, also appeared in the cult classic film Willow, as well as the 1985 Ridley Scott film Legend.
He had a key part in Return of the Jedi as he was one of the Ewoks who carried Harrison Ford’s captured Han Solo into the camp.
Mr Cummings sadly passed away in 2017
John Cumming, pictured here at the Star Wars Fan Fun Day in Lancashire in 2016, a year before he passed away
Brian Wheeler
After making his acting debut as both an Ewok and a Jawa in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Brian Wheeler has appeared in several other family favourite films.
A year after appearing in Star Wars, he played the giant mushroom creature in The NeverEnding Story.
Several decades later, he made three appearances in the Harry Potter franchise as a goblin, as well as a leprechaun police officer in the Artemis Fowl movie.
He has also been seen on the small screen, turning up in Life’s Too Short with fellow Star Wars alumni Warwick Davis, and making appearances in multiple series of Top Gear.
Brian Wheeler, pictured here using Britain’s lowest ATM cashpoint in 2010, has appeared in a the Harry Potter franchise
Willie Coppen
One of a number of Ewok actors who made their debut in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Willie Coppen has been involved in some other much-loved films.
A year later he had an uncredited role in The NeverEnding Story, followed by a performance as a fire eater in the 1986 film Sky Bandits.
In 1988 he had an uncredited role in Willow, and appeared in Disney’s attempt to revive the film as a TV series last year.
He is set to appear as the titular character in the independent horror film Perran, which was shot before the Covid pandemic and later this year will appear at a comic-con in Bolton in May.
Willie Coppen (right) also appeared in the Willow film and TV series, as well as The NeverEnding Story
Alan Bennett
The first of three generations of dwarf actors, Alan Bennett has been followed into showbusiness by his daughter Sarah – who also played an Ewok in Star Wars – and grandson Josh.
During his career he also made appearances in the 1988 film willow and played goblins Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
On the small screen he made an appearance in the BBC adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia, and adverts for British Airways and Dr Pepper.
His daughter Sarah appeared in TV programmes Life’s Too Short and Willow with fellow Star Wars actor Warwick Davis, as well as Bafta winning series Wolf Hall.
Alan Bennett is the first of three generations of dwarf actors, having being followed into showbusiness by his daughter Sarah and grandson Josh
Kiran Shah
Kenyan-Indian actor and stunt double Kiran Shah had already performed in a George Lucas movie by the time he appeared in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.
His first film was Candleshoe in 1977 as a stunt performer and this was quickly followed by acting gigs in The People That Time Forgot the same year and Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981, which Lucas wrote the story for.
Since then he has appeared in numerous films, including The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and the Lord of the Rings trilogy where he was a stand-in for Elijah Wood.
In recent years he has had roles in The Hobbit and Star Wars films such as The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker.
In 2003 he was recognised by Guinness World Records for being the shortest professional stuntman currently working in film.
Kiran Shah, pictured, has also appeared in films such as Raiders of the Lost Ark and the Lord of the Rings trilogy
Tony Friel
While some Ewok actors stayed in Hollywood, Tony Friel returned to British television, where had made his debut several years earlier.
Before appearing in Star Wars he had had roles in Wombling Free and The Goodies.
In 1985 he appeared on Tv sketch show Sonny Hayes & Co in a magic trick gone wrong routine, and a year later he took a role in children’s series Wizbit as the eponymous wizard.
He also had a role as a stunt double in the 1985 horror film The Bride, which featured Sting and was a loose adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
Tony Friel made several appearances on British television before and after his turn as an Ewok in Star Wars
John Ghavam
Iran-born John Ghavam was sent to Buckinghamshire aged two and had starred in some big films, including The Dark Crystal and Elephant Man by the time he was cast in the Star Wars trilogy.
After his turn in Return of the Jedi he had a key role in the 1989 horror version of The Phantom of the Opera.
It meant he performed alongside Freddy Krueger star Robert Englund as well as a young Bill Nighy.
He went on to perform in pantomime and was such a professional he attempted to carry on acting through a broken collarbone.
According to Star Wars fan site Nerf-Herders Anonymous Mr Ghavam died of liver failure in his Northampton home in 2006. He had tried to seek help for his drinking habit a year previously.
John Ghavam went on to star in another Hollywood blockbuster as well as a pantomime career
Gerald Staddon
Born in West Yorkshire in 1943, Gerald Staddon spent his 20s working in factories in and around Kirklees.
His first role on screen was in the TV series Space: 1999, followed by appearances in The Goodies and The Dark Crystal.
After playing an Ewok in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, he took on roles in Wizbit, Willow, and Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
The actor played Pebbles in three episodes of the dark comedy The League of Gentlemen between 2000 and 2002, while also acting as a double for Warwick Davis in the 2005 film The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
Gerald Staddon had roles in The Goodies and The Dark Crystal before appearing in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
Trevor Jones
Trevor Jones was no stranger to showbiz when he appeared in Return of the Jedi.
He already had performed in roles in 1970s Manhunt series and TV’s Private Schulz show.
After Jedi he starred in a number of television roles, including a two-episode stint in ITV favourite The Bill.
But perhaps his most high profile performance was in Peter Kay’s famous (Is This The Way To) Amarillo video.
Trevor appeared alongside four other dwarves dressed in Bolton Wanderers football shirts with the funnyman in a segment filmed on Coronation Street.
Danny Blackner
His appearance in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi was Danny Blackner’s first on screen, and it wouldn’t be his last.
He later had roles in Labyrinth and most famously the 1996 film Muppet Treasure Island, where he played Short Stack Stevens.
Mr Blackner also appears as Captain Dan the Demon Dwarf in the Circus of Horrors and in 2007 memorable accidentally superglued himself to a Hoover vacuum cleaner.
He also had an uncredited role in The Princess Bride – in the book As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride, its star Cary Elwes remarked how he had to fight the actor while dressed in a fake rat suit.
Elwes as suitably impressed, calling him ‘an intensely spirited and joyful guy who clearly liked his work’.
Danny Blackner would later go on to make appearances in Labyrinth and Muppet Treasure Island
Mike Cottrell
Mike Cottrell was an Ewok warrior in the Return of the Jedi film and appeared in a key battle scene in the sci-fi classic.
Mike went on to roles in Willow in 1988 and also had some more television roles later in his career.
In 1985 he was in One by One, then in 2001 he played a character called Brian in Casualty.
He is married to another actress Michaela Cottrell, who appeared in Star Wars’ The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones in 1999 and 2002.
Mike Cottrell had already appeared in the Goodies, above, before he won his part in Star Wars
Malcolm Dixon
Malcolm Dixon got his acting career underway in 1966 with a role as Sleepy in a TV movie version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
After that he appeared in many classic films, with roles in 1971’s Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory as an Oompa Loompa, Flash Gordon and perhaps his most recognisable role – Strutter in the 1981 movie Time Bandits.
Following his performance as Leektar the Ewok Warrior in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, he appeared in Labyrinth and Willow.
Away from film Dixon carved out a regular role in pantomime showings of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, while he also appeared as Bilbo Baggins in a stage adaptation of The Hobbit in London in the late 80s.
He passed away in April 2020 at the age of 85.
Malcolm Dixon started his acting career nearly 20 years before appearing in Star Wars: Return in the Jedi
Paul Grant
The 4ft 4in dwarf appeared as an Ewok in Return of the Jedi and previously told the Mirror he stood in for actor Kenny Baker as R2D2 in the final scenes.
He played a goblin in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
Mr Grant also appeared in the 1986 film Labyrinth as part of the goblin corps, as well as Hoggle’s stunt double.
He died this week after collapsing at King’s Cross following battles with alcohol.
His daughter, Sophie Jayne Grant, 28, said he had been a ‘legend in so many ways’.
Paul Grant has died at the age of 56, his family confirmed after he was found collapsed
Source: Read Full Article