Star Wars Ewok actor Paul Grant dies at 56 after being found collapsed in street | Celebrity News | Showbiz & TV
Paul Grant, who is best known for his role alongside the likes of Harrison Ford in the Star Wars classic Return of the Jedi, was found dead last week. He was tragically found by police slumped outside Kings Cross Station in a critical condition.
Although medics rushed him to hospital, he was later declared brain dead and could not be saved.
The star had been considered an acting great over the years, working alongside Tom Cruise on the 1985 film Legend and David Bowie in Labyrinth just a year later.
He played a goblin in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, while he was best known as a fictional Ewok in the sci-fi classic Return of the Jedi.
Due to his smaller than average stature, he is said to have referred to himself as “King of the Dwarves”, an affectionate term by which his friends knew him.
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The tragic late actor’s family revealed that he’d had his life support machine switched off at the weekend, after the battle to save him proved fruitless.
His devastated 28-year-old daughter spoke of her grief, exclaiming: “My dad was a legend in so many ways.
“He always brought a smile and laughter to everyone’s face. He would do anything for anyone.”
She added that the 4ft 4in actor had been a “massive Arsenal fan” and that his family were everything to him.
“My dad, I love you so much sleep tight,” she declared in a passionate statement honouring his life.
Meanwhile, his partner, 64-year-old Maria Dwyer, also revealed her feelings of loss, exclaiming: “Paul was the love of my life. The funniest man I know.
“He made my life complete. Life is never going to be the same without him,” she added.
Almost a decade earlier, the star had revealed his woes, explaining that he’d amassed a fortune from his acting career, but that personal troubles had led him to blow it all on alcohol and drugs.
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The Peterborough-based star sadly told the Mirror back in 2014 that he had “lost everything” following the breakdown of his marriage.
He sadly revealed in an interview for the publication: “I had money [but] I blew it all, I spent it on drugs and prostitutes.”
Paul, who shared a daughter called Sophie with ex-wife Janet Crowson, appeared to have made improvements in his life in the years that followed.
However, it proved impossible to save the much-loved family man after his health suddenly took a turn for the worst.
