David Bowie stuffed “seven pairs of socks down his tights” to play Jareth in Labyrinth, according to co-star Warwick Davis.
The late musician played Jareth the Goblin King in the 1986 fantasy film, which was directed by Jim Henson and executive produced by George Lucas.
In an interview with the Guardian, Davis, who performed as part of the Goblin Corps in the film, described his experience working with Bowie on set.
“He was very, very down to earth on the set, by the way,” Davis said. “Wanted to go by Dave, despite this huge wig and seven pairs of socks down his tights.”
Davis is set to reprise his role of sorcerer Willow Ufgood in upcoming Disney+ series Willow, which serves as a sequel to the 1988 film of the same name. Joanne Whalley, Kevin Pollak and Rick Overton also reprise their roles.
A synopsis for the series reads: “Now, in a magical world where brownies, sorcerers, trolls, and other mystical creatures flourish, the adventure continues, as an unlikely group of six heroes sets off on a dangerous quest to places far beyond their home, where they must face their inner demons and come together to save the world.”
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Val Kilmer, who played Madmartigan in the original film, was confirmed to not be returning for the series earlier this year. Executive producer Jonathan Kasdan has said his character, however, will be felt in “spirit”.
Speaking to Yahoo Entertainment, Kasdan said: “Val’s a huge part of this, and the first conversation I had, when Warwick and I got the green light to do this, was with Val. We wanted this character to be a part of the story. We wanted him to be in the show.
“Because we were shooting during [the COVID-19 lockdowns], he wasn’t able to come to Wales and shoot with us. But he is in the show in a big way. And we’re pretty excited about it… Madmartigan lives on.”
Willow is scheduled to be released on Disney+ on November 30.