Debbie Lee Carrington, who is probably best known for her roles inStar WarssequelReturn of the Jedi,Total Recall, andBride of Chucky, has sadly passed away at the age of 58. Carrington performed as an actress and stuntwoman in many Hollywood and TV projects over the years, includingSeinfeld,Titanic,Howard the Duck,The Drew Carey Show,The Garbage Pail Kids Movie, and many, many more. There is currently no information on the cause of death at this time, but the news has been confirmed by long-time friend and co-star Mike Quinn.
Debbie Lee Carrington was born December 14th, 1959 and her father was an insurance salesman while her mother was a teacher. She began her acting career in 1981, appearing in the Chevy Chase-starring comedy,Under the Rainbow. Later, Carrington landed a role inReturn of the Jedi, famously playing theEwokwho consoles another Ewok that was blown up by a landmine. She ended up starring inThe Ewok AdventureandEwoks: Battle for Endoras Weechee, Wicket’s older brother. Carrington was also an advocate for the rights of people with disabilities in Hollywood and also had a degree in child psychology, which earned her much respect in the industry along with her giant body of work. Mike Quinn, who worked with Debbie Lee Carrington onReturn of the Jedi, had this to say.
“So sad to hear of the passing of a fellowReturn Of The Jediperformer Debbie Lee Carrington. She was an advocate for actors with disabilities and had a degree in child psychology. She had done so much, not only as an Ewok but was inside the costume for Howard The Duck, appeared inTotal Recall,Grace & Frankie,Dexter,Captain Eo, the list goes on…Way too young. She was a real powerhouse! My condolences to all her family and friends at this time.”
Over the years, Debbie Lee Carrington was asked a lot about her role inReturn of the Jediand was always happy to sign autographs at conventions or share stories from the set. She remembers traveling to a premiere in Denver with George Lucas to surprise composer John Williams while he was conducting an orchestra. She showed up in costume and poked Williams in the butt with a spear, which caused him to dance with her while laughing. She also worked onHoward the Duck, where she is listed as playing one of the other ducks, which doesn’t narrow it down too much.
Additionally, Debbie Lee Carrington had roles inHarry and the Hendersonsas Little Bigfoot,The Garbage Pail Kids Movieas Valerie Vomit,Batman Returnsas an Emperor Penguin,Married With Childrenas an Alien when Al Bundy is taking pictures with them,The Drew Carey Showas Mini Mimi,In Living Coloras Tiny Avenger, andSeinfeldas Tammy. One of her biggest roles was Thumbelina inTotal Recallwhere she stabs a villain and then wields a machine gun on top of a bar. The scene is one of the most memorable from the 1990 movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Another one of Debbie Lee Carrington’s most famous roles was working onChild’s PlaysequelThe Bride of Chuckyas Jennifer Tilly’s stuntwoman and again inCurse of Chuckyas the main man himself, performing all of the stunts. Carrington was able to travel to conventions off of the strength of her performances inReturn of the Jedi,Total Recall, and her work with the Child’s Play franchise, along with her incredible resume over the last nearly 40 years. Debbie Lee Carrington hasn’t been in the public eye much over the last few years, but a quick glance at her Facebook page reveals that she was an advocate for animal rights and into politics as well. You can read what some friends and fellow actors had to say below, starting with some words fromJennifer Tilly’s Twittercondolences.
