- His death and that of David Rappaport were the main reasons why Terry Gilliam decided to shelve the intended sequel to Time Bandits (1981) as their characters were two of the most heavily featured in the film.
- Is the only actor to be credited in all three of the original Star Wars films as a different character each time: In Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), he played the Chief Jawa; in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980), he played Chief Ugnaught; and in Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983), he played Teebo.
- Paralyzed while parking his car. The car accidentally backed up and Purvis was caught between the wall and the bumper, breaking his neck.
- While in Tunisia, during filming for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), co-stars Mark Hamill and Alec Guinness pulled a practical joke on Purvis after Purvis told Hamill that he had been a huge fan of Guinness since he was a boy.
- Father of Katie Purvis.
- Was half of the musical comedy double act The Minitones with Kenny Baker.
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