‘Star Wars’ Actor Paul Grant Dead at 56

Paul Grant, who played an Ewok in Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, has died. He was 56. Grant was found collapsed by police outside King’s Cross station in London on March 16. Grant also played a goblin in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and was a stuntman in Labyrinth and Willow.

Police rushed Grant, who stood 4-foot-4-inches, to a nearby hospital, but doctors declared him brain dead. His family chose to have his life support machine switched off on Sunday, his family told The Sun. He is survived by three children, his girlfriend, Maria Dwyer, and his grandchildren.

“I’m devastated. My dad was a legend in so many ways,” Grant’s daughter, Sophie Jayne Grant, told The Sun. “He always brought a smile and laughter to everyone’s face. He would do anything for anyone and was a massive Arsenal fan. He was an actor, father, and grandad. He loved his daughters and son and his girlfriend Maria very much, as well as her kids who were like stepchildren to him.”

Dwyer called Grant the love of her life. “The funniest man I know. He made my life complete. Life is never going to be the same without him,” she said.

Grant was divorced and shared daughters Sophie and Nicole, and son Robbie, with his ex-wife, Janet Crawson. He told a newspaper that he struggled to get his life back on track after the collapse of his marriage. He admitted to using his earnings from movies on drugs and alcohol in an interview with the YouTube channel Revelation 22:13 three weeks before his death, reports The Independent.

“You know what, I’ve been thinking about this – it’s my last day of drinking. I’ve been drinking too much,” he said in the interview while holding alcohol in his hand. “I need to stop doing this… I’m drinking too much.” However, he refused to say he was addicted to alcohol, saying he was “only enjoying myself.”

“He was a lovely bloke,” a family friend told The Sun. “He’s always battled with drugs and alcohol addiction but he was a talented actor. He called himself the ‘King of the Dwarfs.’ It’s so sad.” Grant’s stepdaughter Stacey set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for his memorial service.

Grant played one of the furry Ewoks in the last film of the original Star Wars trilogy, Return of the Jedi, in 1983. He was also credited with roles in Legend (1985), Labyrinth (1986), The Dead (1987), and Willow (1988). He had an uncredited role as a goblin in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.