Jack Purvis Jack Purvis ( July 13 , 1937 - November 21 , 1997 ) was an actor in the original " Star Wars " trilogy . Born in London , England , with dwarfism , Purvis stood only 4 feet 1 inch once reaching adulthood . Purvis became an artist , and he met and befriended Kenny Baker , with whom he acted in nightclubs and theatres . They eventually became partners in a joint show , The Mini Tones . Purvis married his wife , Marjie , in 1964 . They became parents in 1964 with the birth of their son Andrew and in 1966 their daughter Katie , who shared her father ' s dwarfism . Katie later followed in her father ' s footsteps as a " Star Wars " actor , portraying an Ewok in . They had their third child , Jason , in 1971 . Purvis began working in cinema with in 1977 . His partner , Baker , was in negotiations to act as R2 - D2 . As that would have forced him to cancel the rich summer season of his theater show , which would have been a blow to Purvis ' career , Baker and Purvis convinced the producers to hire both of them for the movie . Purvis began acting as the Chief Jawa , seen as he attacked and disabled his friend ' s droid character . His other characters in the film include the cantina patron Kitik Keed ' kak and a power droid in Mos Eisley . After that , Purvis ' height made him a great choice for other roles with similar requirements , including " Wombling Free " ( 1977 ) , a movie adapting the children ' s novels based on " The Wombles " . Purvis was called upon again to act in . Although there were no Jawas in that movie , there was another role for a man of his size : the Chief Ugnaught . Later identified as Ugloste by the Expanded Universe , Purvis can be seen on Cloud City , where Han Solo was frozen in carbonite . He drew the attention of cult director , who considered both him and partner Baker for main roles on his 1981 movie " Time Bandits " , narrating the adventures of interstellar thieves of short height . Purvis ' character ( Wally ) again attacks Baker ' s ( Fidgit ) in the movie . Purvis then worked with in his puppet fantasy " The Dark Crystal " , although his role is clearly diluted in the background of the movie . Purvis returned to a galaxy far , far away in . Although there were Jawas in this installment , they are only background characters . Purvis played a member of a new species , an Ewok . His character , Teebo , was an axe - wielding gray Ewok using a skull as a helmet . Purvis ' then - teenage daughter Katie also appeared in this movie as an Ewok mother , holding a Wokling in her arms . He would not appear again in the " Star Wars " saga , although he is the only person to be credited in the three original films as playing different characters in each installment . After " Return of the Jedi " wrapped its shooting , Purvis performed in a TV version of " The Invisible Man " in 1984 , before working again with Terry Gilliam in the much - acclaimed " Brazil " , the second installment of a presumed Gilliam trilogy talking about the ages of man ( " Time Bandits " referred to childhood and " Brazil " to maturity , followed by the movie " The Adventures of Baron Munchausen " , about old age ) . Purvis ' character was a competitive and exploitive plastic surgeon . Purvis continued his career , usually paired with Baker in non - starring roles . For instance , in 1986 , they acted in both Neil Jordan ' s " Mona Lisa " and in an almost uncredited role as a goblin in Jim Henson ' s " Labyrinth " . Purvis ' later role as a Nelwyn band member in Lucas ' 1988 film " Willow " was uncredited . Later in 1988 , however , Purvis had a major role in Terry Gilliam ' s " The Adventures of Baron Munchausen " . He was one of the amazing servants of the Baron , a short guy with great lung power ; his mere whisper became a hurricane . Purvis also acted in Danny Elfman ' s music video collection " Oingo Boingo : Skeletons In the Closet " ( 1989 ) , and in C . S . Lewis ' TV version of the " Narnia " saga , " Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader " ( 1989 ) . His last role was on " Caspian " director Alex Kirby ' s TV fantasy " The Silver Chair " ( 1990 ) , again from the " Narnia " saga . After that , Purvis suffered an accident with his own vehicle after he ' d parked it . The car ' s brakes failed and rolled backwards , crushing him between its bumper and a wall , breaking his neck , and paralyzing him for the rest of his life . Purvis died in November 1997 in Bushey Hertfordshire , England . He was sixty years old . After his death ( and David Rappaport ' s earlier in 1990 ) , Terry Gilliam indefinitely shelved the possible sequel to " Time Bandits " , which would have centered on both Purvis ' and Rappaport ' s characters .