Willow's Erin Kellyman And Amar Chadha-Patel Recall The Emotions Of The First Time They Saw Warwick Davis On Set - Exclusive
For many of the cast members of the new Disney+ series "Willow," the thought of ever getting the opportunity to work with legendary actor Warwick Davis in a follow-up to the 1988 film classic "Willow" was probably something they never dreamed of. After all, it's been nearly 35 years since the release of the classic Lucasfilm production, and if a sequel or spin-off ever were to happen, nobody could have guessed it would take more than three decades to make it so.
But thanks to the vision and relentless drive of writer-producer Jon Kasdan and original "Willow" director Ron Howard — along with the crucial participation of Davis and film icon George Lucas — "Willow" the series is finally here, featuring a whole new generation of actors for another fantasy adventure.
Among the new characters in "Willow" are the warrior Jade (Erin Kellyman) and Boorman (Amar Chadha-Patel), a prisoner in Tir Asleen, who both join a fellowship to rescue Prince Airk (Dempsey Bryk), the kidnapped prince from the kingdom overseen by his mother, Queen Sorsha (Joanne Whalley). Together with other fellowship members — including Airk's twin sister Kat (Ruby Cruz), Prince Graydon (Tony Revolori), and kitchen maid Dove (Ellie Bamber) — Jade and Boorman must first locate the storied sorcerer Willow Ufgood (Davis) to help guide them on their harrowing mission.
For the bulk of the new cast members, meeting Davis was a trippy experience, considering that they grew up watching the original movie. Among those excited to work with Davis were Kellyman and Chadha-Patel, who shared their memories of seeing Davis as Willow on set for the first time.
Seeing Davis in his Willow costume was a 'surreal experience'
In an exclusive interview with Looper, Erin Kellyman — who starred as the resistance fighter Enfys Nest in "Solo: A Star Wars Story" — said it was an enormous thrill to see Warwick Davis in the guise of his iconic character. "It was a very surreal situation because I'd met Warwick before, but I'd just watched the movie very recently," Kellyman said. "To see him so much older but in the same world with this set and in his costume was a very surreal experience. It was very cool."
For Amar Chadha-Patel, the memories came flooding in after a lifetime of being a fan of "Willow."
"I think I had all the emotions that it is possible to have — love, fear, anger, hate, and joy. It was amazing," Chadha-Patel exclaimed. "I grew up with the film, so it was part of my childhood. I was in this strange process of bringing it back to life and seeing Warwick being Willow, but an older and wiser Willow. It was very, very intense."
"Willow" is streaming exclusively on Disney+, with new episodes premiering on Wednesdays through January 11.