AceShowbiz - "Star Wars" and "Happy Days" actor Gary Friedkin has passed away aged 70 from complications linked to Covid. According to reports on Friday, December 9, the 4ft-tall star, who played an Ewok in "Episode VI - Return of the Jedi", died with "family at his side" after a month-long battle in an intensive care unit at Hospice House in St Elizabeth Hospital in Youngstown, in his native Ohio.

In Gary's obituary, an active member of the "Little People of America" group - described as a not-for-profit organisation that provides "support and information to people of short stature and their families" - remembers him as a "giant" among his loved ones.

It added, "While Gary may have been short of stature, he was a giant amongst his family and friends. His legacy will live on as stories are told and retold for years to come by all who loved him. He was a gift to all who knew him as an amazing son, brother, brother-in-law, uncle, great-uncle and friend."

Published in the Tribune Chronicle, his obituary added, "Gary lived his life to the absolute fullest, bringing endless laughs to his family and many friends, while never letting the obstacles he faced get in his way. Gary put countless smiles on people's faces and left so many with their own special 'Gary story.' "

Gary, survived by his brother and sister-in-law, graduated from Youngstown State University with a Bachelor's degree in music before finding fame as an actor. He played Clarence in 1982 episodes of "Happy Days" and starred in "Twilight Zone", with his final role as Shorty in the 2016 film "Mother's Day", alongside Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, and Kate Hudson.