For Willow, Warwick Davis drew inspiration from Mark Hamill in The Last Jedi
By Daniel Roman
The new Disney+ show Willow brings us back to the world of George Lucas’ cult classic1988 film of the same name. As with so many of the other legacy sequels of recent years, that means the return of older cast members from the original as well as a squad of bright-eyed newcomers.
But it wouldn’t be Willow without the titular sorcerer himself. Warwick Davis reprises his role as Willow Ufgood, but this is a very different Willow than the one we saw in the movie. When it came time to play this much older version of the character, Davis took inspiration from fellow Star Wars actor Mark Hamill. Davis appeared as the Ewok Wicket Warrick in 1986’s Return of the Jedi as well as two subsequent Ewok spinoff films, but it was Hamill’s turn as a grizzled Jedi veteran in The Last Jedi that inspired Warwick.
“The one thing I took note of in particular was Mark Hamill returning to Luke Skywalker and how he went about the approach for that,” Davis told The Hollywood Reporter. “I thought he was really interesting, and it wasn’t the expected approach, certainly. He came at it from quite a different angle, and I also did the same. I noticed that Mark didn’t try to play the character younger. He just leaned into his more mature years, and that’s really what I did as Willow.”
"The first time I played the character, I was only 17. So I thought, “Well, let’s not deny the fact that you’re 52. Let’s use that to make this character more interesting, more grounded and more well-rounded as well.” Within this series, the world that we find Willow in is a different one than we last saw him in. He’s quite troubled. He’s had a lot of dark experiences in his own life, so he has to take all that on."
Darkness or not, Davis said that returning to the role was like putting on “an old sweater or a comfy pair of slippers.”
"As soon as I got the wig on again and the blue tunic, I looked in the mirror and said, ‘Well, Willow is back.’. So it was relatively easy to step back into those shoes. It’s been 34 years, but it feels like only yesterday."
Warwick Davis would be “happy” to do Willow season 2…if the fans want it
We’re currently living in an age of legacy sequels and reboots, but Willow is kind of an interesting case. The film wasn’t a huge success at the box office back in the day, but it nonetheless amassed a very passionate fanbase, which is a big part of what Davis credits for the new Disney+ series coming about in the first place. But would he come back for Willow season 2?
“Of course, I would. But let’s just see,” Davis told Digital Spy. “If the audience supports us with this then I’d be happy to put the wig on again and get my staff out and start doing some more magic.”
Speaking of Willow’s magic, that’s apparently something that the series is going to explore in season 1. “He’s older now, wiser, still as reluctant, and still as stressed out as he was. But has he become a better sorcerer? That’s the question. Has he learned anything about sorcery?” Davis asked. “Because if you think about the film, he never really did any real magic particularly. A little bit, but most of it was kind of just sleight of hand. And he’s lived on the success of that since we saw him in the film until we find him in the series. And it’s fun when we explore that in the series as well.”
The first two episodes of Willow are now streaming on Disney+, with new episodes dropping on Wednesdays.
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