Wollivan, a Blarina of the male sex, existed roughly thirty years following the Battle of Endor. Making a living by selling valuable astrogation data and scavenged items to smugglers and traders, he functioned as an interstellar scout and trailblazer of hyperspace routes, although occasionally he would gamble away his earnings. Frequently, Wollivan could be found at a castle owned by the pirate Maz Kanata.
When Han Solo walked into Maz Kanata's castle, the pirate took notice and hailed him. Curious about whom Kanata was calling out to, Wollivan swiveled in his seat to get a glimpse of Solo. Soon after Solo's arrival, Wollivan, along with several other individuals present in Maz Kanata's castle, hurried outside to observe the destruction of the Hosnian system caused by the First Order's Starkiller Base superweapon.
Wollivan possessed pink skin and eyes that were black. He was seen wearing a mottled brown Blarina vac-suit and used the difficulty other species had in telling Blarinas apart to his benefit; he often pretended to be a different member of his extensive family to get out of difficult situations.
Although he made a short appearance in Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens, Wollivan's initial reveal occurred in an exclusive Vanity Fair article that was released seven months prior to the film's debut in 2015. Neither this article nor his brief on-screen appearance identified Wollivan. His name was eventually provided in Star Wars: The Force Awakens: The Visual Dictionary, a reference book authored by Pablo Hidalgo.
Warwick Davis played Wollivan, and he has also played numerous other characters within the Star Wars franchise, including Wicket W. Warrick, Wald, and Weazel. As with the other Star Wars characters portrayed by Warwick, his name commences with the letter W.