
Phil Fondacaro
Actor · Born November 8, 1958 (67) · New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Phil Fondacaro (born November 8, 1958) is an American actor. A dwarf actor at 3 feet 6 inches (1.07 m), Fondacaro began acting in 1981, with the film Under the Rainbow. Fondacaro appeared in 1983's Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, the third Star Wars film, as an Ewok, the only one to have a death scene. In 1986, he portrayed the invisible friend of a young Michael Gerber in the Disney Sunday Movie Fuzz Bucket, and also appeared in the fantasy film Troll. In 1987, he portrayed "Sir Nigel Pennyweight" in the cult horror film Ghoulies II. His performance is frequently praised, and he has been called the best actor in the film. In the same year, he appeared as "Greaser Greg" in The Garbage Pail Kids Movie, a theatrical adaptation of the popular trading cards. In 1988's Willow, he appeared alongside Warwick Davis, one of his Jedi co-stars, who, thanks in large part to his Willow role, became one of the most famous dwarf actors in the film industry. Other prominent roles of Fondacaro's include "Hooded dwarf" in Phantasm II, Cousin Itt in Addams Family Reunion, and a dramatic turn as a dwarf with an average-sized son in "A Clown's Prayer", an episode of Touched by an Angel. He also played a dwarf with an average-sized daughter in the CSI episode, "A Little Murder". He also had a recurring role on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch as "Roland". Fondacaro is married to Elena Bertagnolli, manager of another famous dwarf actor, Verne Troyer, and is represented by his wife's company, Fonolli Management. Fondacaro's brother Sal is also an actor, having appeared in Under the Rainbow, Return of the Jedi, and Invaders from Mars, all with his brother. Description above from the Wikipedia article Phil Fondacaro, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
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Biography from TMDB.
- November 8, 1958 (67)
- New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
- Actor
- 45 on MovieCove · 63 credits in all
What are Phil Fondacaro's films like?
Across their 23 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Survival.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
A split, not a type: Ironic 8 · Wry 3 · Earnest 10
Light 14 · Serious 4 · Dark 5
A split, not a type: Grounded 8 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 8
Gentle 5 · Charged 14 · Intense 4
Steady 6 · Shifting 15 · Whiplash 2
Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 11 · Funny 6
Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 15 · Relentless 2
Casual 20 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 15 · Affecting 7 · Heavy 1
Resolved 18 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 0
Roles they play
Usually the Shadow: 2 of 8 analyzed roles.
Show the 8 rolesHide the roles
- Shadowas Torok in Troll (1986)
- Mentoras Sir Nigel Penneyweight in Ghoulies II (1987)
- Allyas Oscar in Double, Double Toil and Trouble (1993)
- Tricksteras Dracula in The Creeps (1997)
- Allyas Hylas in Blood Dolls (1999)
- Shadowas Abbot Graves in Sideshow (2000)
- Threshold guardianas Abbot Graves in Sideshow (2000)
- Heroas Ivan in Decadent Evil (2005)
Moods and endings
- Happy13
- Bittersweet3
- Ambiguous7
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Phil Fondacaro's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 30 of their 45 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (18).
- Tales from the Crypt (1989) · actor · free
- Married... with Children (1987) · actor · free
- Sliders (1995) · actor · free
- I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988) · actor · free
- The Nature of the Beast (1995) · actor · free
- Memories of Me (1988) · actor · free
- Renegade (1992) · actor · free
- Meridian (1990) · actor · free
- Ghoulies II (1987) · actor · free
- Sideshow (2000) · actor · free
- Blood Dolls (1999) · actor · free
- Troll (1986) · actor · free
- +6 more
- Married... with Children (1987) · actor
- Willow (1988) · actor
- I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988) · actor
- Land of the Dead (2005) · actor
- The Nature of the Beast (1995) · actor
- Renegade (1992) · actor
- Ghoulies II (1987) · actor
- Blood Dolls (1999) · actor
- Evil Bong (2006) · actor
- The Creeps (1997) · actor
- Dollman vs. Demonic Toys (1993) · actor
- Decadent Evil (2005) · actor
- +1 more
Subscription and free streaming for Phil Fondacaro's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
63 credits, 45 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

The Devil Inside Her(2024)
Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Watchmen: Chapter II(2024)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
DevilDolls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

Immortally Yours(2009)
Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films
Evil Bong(2006)
Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films
The Making of: Evil Bong (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

Once Upon a Halloween (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

Decadent Evil(2005)
Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films
Land of the Dead(2005)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
The Polar Express(2004)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
10-8: Officers on Duty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

The Theory of the Leisure Class (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows
Bit Players (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

Sideshow(2000)
Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films
Blood Dolls(1999)
Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films
Addams Family Reunion(1998)
Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films
Hercules(1998)
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all shows
The Elevator (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

Sweet Jane(1998)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
The Creeps(1997)
Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all shows
The Pretender(1996)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows
Bordello of Blood(1996)
Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films
Hellraiser: Bloodline(1996)
Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films
The Nature of the Beast(1995)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Sliders(1995)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows
Touched by an Angel(1994)
Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Dollman vs. Demonic Toys(1993)
Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films
Renegade(1992)
Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all shows
Brotherhood of the Gun(1991)
Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
The Doors(1991)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
Meridian(1990)
Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films
Northern Exposure(1990)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows
Night Angel(1990)
Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films
Nerds of a Feather (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

Monster High (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

Tales from the Crypt(1989)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows
Quantum Leap(1989)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows
I'm Gonna Git You Sucka(1988)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Memories of Me(1988)
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
Phantasm II(1988)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
Willow(1988)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
The Yattering And Jack (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

thirtysomething (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)
Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films
Ghoulies II(1987)
Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films
Steele Justice(1987)
Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films
Married... with Children(1987)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows
Fuzzbucket (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

Troll(1986)
Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films
American Drive-In (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

Hard Rock Zombies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

The Black Cauldron(1985)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
Tales from the Darkside (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

The Dungeonmaster(1984)
Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Rapunzel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

Faerie Tale Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

Under the Rainbow(1981)
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
Career shape
Star power in the 96th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 63 titles from 1981 to 2025; peak year 1986.

Biggest box office
Willow (1988)

Highest rated
Watchmen: Chapter II (2024)

Most popular right now
The Black Cauldron (1985)
Film career
Peak 1986 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 1 MovieCove title. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.
- 1983Screen debut· Something Wicked This Way Comes
- 1988Career best· Willow
- 1996Career best· Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
Billing
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.
How do Phil Fondacaro's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 18th percentile, the median of all 34; across their 23 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 19th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up9
- 50th to 74th8
- 25th to 49th7
- Below 25th21
Shape of the crowd
23 of their 45 titles are Mixed.
- Universally Loved3
- Universally Panned2
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser14
- Broadly Agreed2
- Mixed23
Reviewers score the acting 48/100 in their films, across 21 reviewed titles; fans 65, detractors 30. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Phil Fondacaro's work okay for kids?
Across up to 11 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Phil Fondacaro work with?
People who share at least 2 of Phil Fondacaro's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Charles Band shares the most, 11.
Directors
- Charles BandShared titles: The Devil Inside Her (2024), Evil Bong (2006), Decadent Evil (2005), Sideshow (2000), Blood Dolls (1999), The Creeps (1997), Dollman vs. Demonic Toys (1993), Meridian (1990), Ghoulies II (1987), Troll (1986), The Dungeonmaster (1984)See all 11 shared titles with Charles Band

- John Carl BuechlerShared titles: Troll (1986), The Dungeonmaster (1984)See all 2 shared titles with John Carl Buechler

Writers
- Domonic MuirShared titles: Evil Bong (2006), Decadent Evil (2005)See all 2 shared titles with Domonic Muir
- Neal Marshall StevensShared titles: Sideshow (2000), The Creeps (1997)See all 2 shared titles with Neal Marshall Stevens
- Dennis PaoliShared titles: Meridian (1990), Ghoulies II (1987)See all 2 shared titles with Dennis Paoli

Actors
- Charlie SpradlingShared titles: The Devil Inside Her (2024), Meridian (1990)See all 2 shared titles with Charlie Spradling

- Tim ThomersonShared titles: Evil Bong (2006), Dollman vs. Demonic Toys (1993)See all 2 shared titles with Tim Thomerson

- Debra MayerShared titles: Decadent Evil (2005), Blood Dolls (1999)See all 2 shared titles with Debra Mayer

- Sasha JensonShared titles: The Nature of the Beast (1995), Ghoulies II (1987)See all 2 shared titles with Sasha Jenson

Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Mac AhlbergShared titles: Evil Bong (2006), Sideshow (2000), Meridian (1990), The Dungeonmaster (1984)See all 4 shared titles with Mac Ahlberg

- Steven NielsonShared titles: Sideshow (2000), Blood Dolls (1999), The Creeps (1997)See all 3 shared titles with Steven Nielson
- Richard BandShared titles: Dollman vs. Demonic Toys (1993), Troll (1986), The Dungeonmaster (1984)See all 3 shared titles with Richard Band

- Danny DravenShared titles: Evil Bong (2006), Decadent Evil (2005), Sideshow (2000)See all 3 shared titles with Danny Draven

Producers
- Debra DionShared titles: Meridian (1990), Troll (1986), The Dungeonmaster (1984)See all 3 shared titles with Debra Dion
- Joe DainShared titles: Evil Bong (2006), Decadent Evil (2005)See all 2 shared titles with Joe Dain

- Kirk Edward HansenShared titles: Blood Dolls (1999), The Creeps (1997)See all 2 shared titles with Kirk Edward Hansen
- Michael J. MahoneyShared titles: Blood Dolls (1999), The Creeps (1997)See all 2 shared titles with Michael J. Mahoney




