Warwick Davis dedicates Bafta Fellowship award to those who have supported him

Actor Warwick Davis has said he feels “very fortunate” to have a career he loves as he dedicated his Bafta Fellowship award to the cast, crew and audiences who have supported him.

The Harry Potter star, 54, will be given Bafta’s highest honour at its annual film awards next month for his “trailblazing work” as an actor as well as for his advocacy work which includes a talent agency and charity which support people with dwarfism.

The news was revealed by Bafta-winning actor Lenny Rush on The One Show on Friday as Davis has been an “massive inspiration” for the young star.

Appearing on the BBC One show, Davis said: “I’ve done a lot of amazing things in my career but this has got to top them all, it’s amazing. I’m very honoured.”

He added: “I think I’m very fortunate to be in a career that I love.

“It’s a wonderful career to have and so I think it’s important that you’re also looking after the people around you, because, at the end of the day, I’ve won this Bafta Fellowship, but it’s down to the cast, the crew that I’ve worked with in the past, and also the audience out there who watched my work as well.

“So, I probably dedicate it to all those people.”

Am I Being Unreasonable? star Rush, who has the same rare form of dwarfism as Davis called spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, praised the actor as a “legend” and a “massive inspiration” for him.

Announcing the award, Rush read a letter from Bafta which said Davis had been chosen for his “trailblazing work, not just as an actor, but also for your advocacy work, for your talent agency, charity and theatre company, supporting actors under five foot tall, helping them build careers in our industry and working on positive representation.”

In a statement, Davis said the “Fellowship, to me, embodies the spirit of inclusivity, creativity and collaboration that Bafta stands for.

“This recognition is not just about the body of work I’ve contributed but also about the people who’ve stood by me and the audiences who have made this journey worthwhile.”

He added that he accepted the recognition in “honour of everyone living with dwarfism or any form of difference”, and said it served as a reminder that “our uniqueness can be our greatest asset”.

The actor also paid tribute to the “wonderful colleagues and friends” he has worked with “who quietly and tirelessly pour their hearts into every production”.

“From the bottom of my heart, thank you for this incredible honour,” he added

“I look forward to continuing to champion fresh perspectives, advocate for better representation and inspire the next generation of storytellers to dream big.

“Thank you, Bafta, for believing in my journey.”

Davis, who played Professor Filius Flitwick in the Harry Potter film franchise, got his first break playing an Ewok in Star Wars Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi at the age of just 11.

He starred alongside the late David Bowie in Labyrinth, was cast as the eponymous hero of Ron Howard’s 1988 fantasy adventure Willow and also featured in BBC adaptations of CS Lewis’s Narnia books.

Over the years he has become one of Britain’s most in-demand actors, featuring in Jack The Giant Slayer, the Leprechaun movies, Ricky Gervais’ Extras and also working with Gervais on BBC mockumentary Life’s Too Short.

He hosted ITV quiz show Tenable and voiced a character on the Moominvalley TV series.

The actor also runs the talent agency Willow Management, which represents actors under five feet and over seven feet tall.

Davis co-founded the dwarfism charity Little People UK with his wife Samantha which offers “friendship and financial support and guidance to people with dwarfism, their families and friends, and helps build a positive future for those individuals”.

Samantha, who he married in 1991 and welcomed two children with, Annabelle and Harrison, died aged 53 last March.

Bafta chairwoman Sara Putt said: “We are delighted to present Warwick Davis the Bafta Fellowship award, our highest honour.

“Warwick is a talented, much loved and truly inspiring figure who has captivated audiences over many decades.

“From his iconic performances to his advocacy for greater inclusion and representation on and off-screen, Warwick has had a remarkable impact on cinema and been profoundly influential in fostering a more inclusive and caring society.

“Hugely respected by his peers both in Britain and globally for his immense creativity and passion for the craft of storytelling, we at Bafta are thrilled to celebrate his exceptional body of work and achievements at the EE Bafta Film Awards next month.”

Previous recipients of the fellowship include Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Sir Alfred Hitchcock, Dame Elizabeth Taylor, Stanley Kubrick, Billy Wilder, Ken Loach, Sir Michael Caine, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Lord Laurence Olivier and Dame Judi Dench.

Davis will be presented with the Bafta Fellowship at the EE Bafta film awards on February 16.