Warwick Davis was just 15 years old when he played Wicket the Ewok, one of the furry creatures inhabiting Endor in “Return of the Jedi.” In addition to the movie, the Lucasfilm production team shot a comedic mockumentary about Davis’ audition process for the film.
The 24-minute spot was titled “Return of the Ewok.” It begins with Davis looking for a job. He tries out as a weightlifting training partner and the goalie for the Chelsea Football Club before stumbling across a job posting for an actor. After Davis discovers a ‘Star Wars” flyer, Luke Skywalker leaps out of his battle with Darth Vader during “The Empire Strikes Back” into the street, where Davis tells him, “Go back, you can do it!”
Davis sneaks into an agent’s office and tries on Boba Fett’s helmet before settling on an Ewok outfit. Once Davis gets into costume, the fun begins. He wanders around Los Angeles as Wicket, popping in on actors behind the scenes of various “Return of the Jedi” sets. Carrie Fisher even appears in her dressing room clad in her infamous gold bikini.
At one point, Wicket wanders onto the set of Jabba’s Palace, where Salacious B. Crumb rudely asks, “Who are you? What do you want?” Davis plays the character just like he does in “Return of the Jedi.” He dances to Max Rebo’s music and accidentally finds an off switch on C-3P0. Wicket also visits Dagobah and the Death Star. It’s all very surreal.
There is a full version available online, cobbled together from official clips released on Starwars.com and footage recorded during festival screenings of the film. “Return of the Ewok” might be even more bizarre than the 1978 “Star Wars Holiday Special” but much more entertaining. So why wasn’t it ever released?
