Dixon was born in Durham in 1953. He was born with dwarfism, a condition that did not hold him back from a physical job on his parents' poultry farm. He was spotted by talent scouts impressed by his abilities at Durham Ice Rink and recruited to perform in ice shows, from where he was recruited by the Jim Henson Creature Shop. In 1971 he appeared in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, marking the beginning of his film career.
His subsequent film roles include Flash Gordon, Time Bandits, The Dark Crystal, Return of the Jedi (as an Ewok), Labyrinth and Willow. His theatre roles included a three-year stint playing Bilbo Baggins in a stage performance of The Hobbit.
In addition to his scripted roles, he also performed in music videos for artists including David Bowie
He stopped performing in the late 1990s to focus on his family. He passed away yesterday and is survived by his wife and two children.
Dixon was a familiar face to any fan of genre film, particularly through the 1970s and 1980s. He will be missed.
As a relative of malcolm I can confirm that he was 86 at his death not 66.
ReplyDeleteYeah the math wasn't mathing for me when I seen that 66. What a wonderful life..at least on paper. I hope he did enjoy and felt blessed in his life and career
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