FOR such a small guy, “Star Wars” actor Warwick Davis has had more than his share of big controversy.Davis, a 29-year-old dwarf, reprises his role as the Ewok character Wicket in “Episode 1: The Phantom Menace,” which opens May 19.

But the British star, who’s just over 4 feet tall, will always be best known for playing a murderous Irish fairy in the gory horror series “Leprechaun.”

Davis was raked over the coals by Irish groups, who said the movie was an offensive slap at their heritage and culture.

It was instant notoriety for a man who settled into acting by pure accident.

In 1981, Davis’ grandmother heard a radio ad looking for people under 4 feet tall to appear in a new Star Wars film, “Return of the Jedi.”

Warwick, 11 years old at the time and just 2′ 11″, applied and was immediately cast as the Ewok creature Wicket, who became one of the series’ most popular minor characters.

“I based Wicket’s inquisitive nature and movements on my pet dog,” Davis told an interviewer.

In 1984 and 1985, Lucas made two Ewok movies for TV, “Caravan of Courage” and “Battle for Endor,” in which Davis again appeared as Wicket.

That led to parts in the fantasy film “Labyrinth,” starring David Bowie, and the title role in Ron Howard’s “Willow.”

But Davis career got its biggest boost in 1991 when he was cast in his first-ever bad-guy role in “Leprechaun,” which co-starred Jennifer Aniston.

“It is every actor’s dream to play an evil character, a part to really get your thespian teeth into,” Davis said.

The part required Davis to go through three hours of makeup every day for a month.

The ethnic controversy only drew attention to the film, and the low-budget shocker wound up raking in an impressive $9 million. Over the next six years, Davis did three sequels.

He has now started his own casting agency, Willow Management, for actors under 5 feet tall.

“People start off in fairly small parts, if you’ll pardon the pun,” Davis told Empire magazine.