Warwick Davis Mourns Death of Wife Samantha at 53

Warwick Davis is mourning the loss of his fellow actor and wife, Samantha Davis. 

According to a statement shared with the BBC, Samantha died on March 24 at 53. “Her passing has left a huge hole in our lives as a family,” Warwick, 54, told the outlet. “I miss her hugs.”

Samantha is survived by Warwick and their two children, daughter Annabelle and son Harrison, who in the statement said that “her love and happiness carried us through our whole lives.” 

Warwick added, “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 British character actor is known for his starring roles in the Harry Potter film franchise as Professor Filius Flitwick and the goblin Griphook. He also played several characters across the Star Wars cinematic universe, and the title role of 1988’s Willow and its 2022 sequel series.

He met his future wife while working on Willow. Samantha appeared in screen projects as well, from children’s TV series Through the Dragon’s Eye to 2011’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

In 2022, Warwick opened up to PEOPLE about the heartbreaking loss of their firstborn son soon after his birth due to complications from the dwarfism genes inherited from both of his parents. 

“I think it brings you closer together,” he said at the time, crediting Samantha as being their source of strength. “But it’s an experience I wouldn’t wish on anyone… Eventually, over time, you’re able to better understand why it happened and can come to terms with it a bit more. But you never get over it.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

In 1995, Warwick and Samantha founded Willow Management, a talent company that represents short actors. In 2012 they co-launched Little People UK, a resource for the dwarfism community. 

In October, Warwick posted a photo of himself and his wife smiling on a “long overdue date night,” as he wrote on Instagram. 

Warwick’s BBC statement indicated that Samantha’s mobility had become impaired in recent years, but that she was “determined that it would not impact her quality of life.”

“With her by my side, I was sure I could achieve anything, it was like having a super-power,” Warwick said.