Few - Little: what's the difference?

Well, on Heidi's advice, I watched "Ball of Fire" tonight ... it was indeed funny. (Verbular clause!)

Before the movie came on they ran a short appreciation/tribute by Gary Cooper's daughter, in which she said this:

On the screen my father came across as a man of little words.

I'm very nearly certain she meant to say "few words" - especially since they immediately showed us a clip of him saying "No player ever rises to prominence solely on talent. They're molded by forces other than themselves. They should remember this."

Oh, those synonyms. They so rarely can be substituted for each other...