When most people hear the name George Lucas, they immediately associate Star Wars or Indiana Jones, and with good reason. These are two of the greatest film series of all-time (ill-advised prequels and sequel not-withstanding) and are beloved by many. However, before Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones came along and made fantasy cool, George Lucas came up with Willow.
A sometimes forgotten classic, Willow tells the story of a noble Nelwyn dwarf, Willow Ufgood, who tries to save a young child, Elora Danan, from the clutches of the evil Queen Bavmorda. By teaming up with the warrior Madmartigan, Willow keeps Elora safe so the prophecy can be fulfilled and peace can be restored to the kingdom. Yes, I know that sounds a bit like fantasy quest Mad Libs, but this film really holds up. Lovingly directed by Ron Howard, Willow is definitely worth a revisit.
What has the cast been up to since defeating trolls, dragons, and an evil sorceress? Let’s take a look…
Warwick Davis (Willow Ufgood)
Our titular hero, Warwick Davis’s performance is truly great. He starts out as a simple farmer who just wants to provide for his family, and ends up a hero worthy of legend. Davis himself is a bit of a geek god; he’s appeared in many different franchises, including Star Wars, Leprechaun, Harry Potter, and Doctor Who. He also appeared in the series Life’s Too Short with Ricky Gervais, which was a mockumentary-style look into his life as an actor.
Val Kilmer (Madmartigan)
Val Kilmer’s performance as the mercenary with the heart of gold was — along with Real Genius and Top Gun — apart of his early big work on the big screen, and this performance was one that catapulted him to the A-List. Let’s be real: Val Kilmer basically ruled the ’90s. He would go on to star many other films, including The Doors, Tombstone, Batman Forever, Heat, and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. He has most recently become the world’s greatest living Mark Twain impersonator. There’s also the lingering possibility that he may one day run for public office, though it would be pretty great to see him get a Michael Keaton-esque stab at a comeback.
Fun fact: Kilmer and actress Joanne Whalley met while working on the film. They were married later in 1988, and they have two children. The two would eventually divorce in 1996.
Joanne Whalley (Sorsha)
She may have been the daughter of the evil queen, but Sorsha experiences a change of heart midway through the film and joins the resistance. She’s one of films’ overlooked badasses, being a deadly warrior and strategist. Whalley can most recently be seen in The Borgias, Gossip Girl, and Wolf Hall.
Jean Marsh (Queen Bavmorda)
Jean Marsh is absolutely terrifying as Queen Bavmorda. Whether she’s summoning down lightening for a dark ritual or gleefully turning her enemies into pigs, Marsh owns the screen whenever she appears. She would go on to appear on Doctor Who (she was briefly married to Jon Pertwee, the Third Doctor), Murder She Wrote, The Tomorrow People, and the Upstairs Downstairs reboot. She was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2012 for her contributions to drama.
Gavan O’Herlihy (Airk Thaughbaer)
Madmartigan’s reluctant ally, Airk, was pretty much doomed from the start. He just wanted to protect and guide his people, and instead got caught up in a war that he didn’t want to fight before eventually dying a hero’s death. O’Herlihy went on to appear in Lonesome Dove, Twin Peaks, Star Trek: Voyager, and The Descent: Part 2.
Tony Cox (Vohnkar Warrior)
Tony Cox’s role in Willow is a small one; he’s one of the Nelwyn warriors who starts Willow off on his quest. However, he carved out a career in film, appearing in Bad Santa, Date Movie, Epic Movie, Disaster Movie, and Oz the Great and Powerful.
Kevin Pollak (Rool)
The Brownies in Willow are a “love them or hate them” kind of duo. As a child, they delighted me. As an adult… oh hell, I still cackle when they discover the awesomeness of beer. Kevin Pollak played Rool, the irresponsible trickster. After Willow, Pollak appeared in The Usual Suspects, Casino, That Thing You Do!, She’s All That, and the sitcom Mom. He’s also a stand-up comedian and has his own podcast/web-series, Kevin Pollak’s Chat Show.
Rick Overton (Franjean)
Overton’s Franjean was the more sensible of the two Brownies, even if he accidentally puts a love spell on Madmartigan. He went on to appear in Groundhog Day, Seinfeld, Mrs. Doubtfire, My Giant, Six Feet Under, Alias, and Lost. He also won an Emmy in 1994 for his writing on Dennis Miller Live.
