Biography
Supporting and character actor Herve Villechaize appeared in 13 feature films, but he is best remembered for playing Tattoo,
Ricardo Montalban's chirpy sidekick on
Fantasy Island (1978-1983). Born to a French father and English mother, Villechaize was a dwarf who stopped growing taller after hitting 3'9". Before becoming an actor, Villechaize studied art in Paris and New York. Deciding acting was the better venue, he studied under drama teacher
Julie Bovasso. He made his feature film debut in
The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight (1971) and went on to play small "novelty" roles in exploitation and cult movies such as
Malatesta's Carnival and
Oliver Stone's
Seizure (1974). One of his more notable roles was that of an evil dwarf in the
James Bond thriller
The Man With the Golden Gun (1974). Villechaize was married three times. On September 4, 1993, he fatally shot himself, allegedly to escape his many health problems. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide