In my lifetime, I've seen plenty of movies that have made an impact on me, such as the Lord of the Rings franchise or even the Harry Potter movies, but what really started my love of fantasy all those years ago was one movie, and that was the 1988 film, Willow, starring Warwick Davis.
The classic fantasy film has held a place in my heart for years, and now it’s getting its own spinoff series on Disney+ with a star-studded cast. For people like me who are excited about what’s to come in the world of Willow, here is where you might have seen the Willow cast before.
Warwick Davis (Willow Ufgood)
Obviously, we need to start off with the main character, the man, the myth, the legend Warwick Davis, who plays Willow Ufgood, the same character he played in the original movie. Fun fact – did you know that Davis is the highest grossing supporting actor of all time? He’s been in so many big movies as a supporting character that he’s earned that title.
Davis has starred in several movies during his time as an actor. Some of his biggest successes have been in the Star Wars franchise as multiple characters, the Harry Potter movie series as Professor Flitwick and as Griphook, and several others. He also starred as the main villain in the Leprechaun horror series. Other than that, some of Davis’ additional film appearances have been in Labyrinth, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Jack the Giant Slayer, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Text Santa, and more.
In terms of television, Davis has also been successful on that front, as well, appearing in a variety of TV series. Some of his roles have been in shows such as Celebrity Square and Tenable, where he acted as a host. He also uses his voice a lot in many shows, including Moominvalley and Star Wars Rebels.
Ruby Cruz (Kit)
Next up on the list, we have Ruby Cruz, who plays Kit in Willow. In comparison with many of her co-stars, Cruz hasn’t been in many movies, with The Lost Boys being her only movie credit so far, but she’s been very active in television. The actress was in the Mare of Easttown cast, and appeared in many other television shows like Blue Bloods and Castle Rock. But, hopefully after Willow, we’ll be seeing her in plenty of new shows.
Erin Kellyman (Jade)
Moving on, we take a look at Jade, who is played by Erin Kellyman in Willow. Kellyman has been making strides and following in the footsteps of Warwick Davis – meaning, she’s been appearing in some pretty big film franchises. In terms of movies, she appeared in Solo: A Star Wars Story, and in the 2021 medieval King Arthur-tale, The Green Knight.
In television, Kellyman was in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier cast as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but she’s appeared in several other shows, including the BBC adaptation of Les Miserables, the HBO Max original, Raised by Wolves, Life and Top Boy. I’m sure after Willow, we’ll be seeing a whole lot more of her soon enough.
Ellie Bamber (Dove)
Ellie Bamber plays Dove in Willow, and the young actress has been popping up in many movies and TV shows during her time in the spotlight. Bamber has had roles in movies such as Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Nocturnal Animals, The Falling, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, High Resolution, Extracurricular Activities and more.
Bamber also has appeared in many television shows. Like her co-star, Kellyman, she also had a role in the adaptation of Les Miserables for BBC. She also was a part of the casts for The Serpent and The Trial of Christine Keeler.
Tony Revolori (Graydon)
If Tony Revolori is a name that sounds familiar, it should, because he’s been in many movies over the last few years. Revolori plays Graydon in Willow, but fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe might recognize him as Flash Thompson in the MCU Spider-Man trilogy. He has also appeared in two Wes Anderson films, The Grand Budapest Hotel and The French Dispatch.
Other than that, Revolori has appeared in other movies such as Dope, The Perfect Game, Please Stand By, The Long Dumb Road, The 5th Wave and more. He’s also set to appear in the next Scream film that is still untitled.
In terms of television shows, the talent has appeared in shows like Apple TV+’s Servant, as well as Son of Zorn, and had a voice role in Monster High in 2022.
Amar Chadha-Patel (Boorman)
Moving on, we take a look at Amar Chadha-Patel, who plays Boorman in Willow. Chadha-Patel is relatively new to the movie world, so his only credits so far have been in Doom: Annihilation and Dashcam, but he’s appeared in several television shows.
These include the Amazon original series, The Wheel of Time, the binge-able Netflix series Sex Education, The Third Day, Beecham House and more.
Dempsey Bryk (Airk)
Next up, let’s take a look at Dempsey Byrk, who portrays Airk in Willow. Byrk has had major roles in television shows such as The Birch and Heartland, but has guest starred in several other shows such as Coroner, Hudson & Rex, Timeline, Ransom and more. Byrk also had a guest-starring role on Black Mirror.
With films, he appeared in the movies The Silence and Marlene, and he also did voice work for Far Cry 6 alongside Giancarlo Esposito.
Joanne Whalley (Sorsha)
Last but not least, we take a look at Joanna Whalley, who plays Sorsha in Willow. Like Davis, Whalley is actually from the original film and is reprising that role, but she has done plenty in the world of television and movies since then.
Some of her biggest films include Scandal, Storyville, Floor, 44 Inch Chest, The Secret Rapture, Before You Go, Trial By Jury, The Guilty and more. She’s also had plenty of television appearances and main roles. Some of her biggest parts have been during Season 3 of Daredevil (which is now also on Disney+), as well as a main role in The Borgias and Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands. She also had a recurring guest role in the CW hit, Gossip Girl.
With such great stars, Willow is set to be a great fantasy series – and I can’t wait to see what comes next for this franchise that I hold so close to my heart.
