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Hervé Villechaize : Biography, Pictures, Photos, Trivia, Address, Filmography (Fantasy Island)

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Hervé Villechaize

Tattoo in Fantasy Island

Photos Hervé Villechaize Birth name: Hervé Jean-Pierre Villechaize
Birth date: 1943/04/23
Date of death : 1993/09/04 (50 years old)
Birth place : Paris (France)
Height: 1.19 m
Salary : $25,000 par épisode de l'Ile Fantastique

French Traduire

Biography for Hervé Villechaize

Hervé Villechaize was born in Paris on April 23, 1943. He stopped growing very early and his father (who was a surgeon) tried to find a cure by visiting several doctors and hospitals. But there was none, so Hervé had to live with his small height and also with undersized lungs. He studied at the Beaux-Arts in Paris and made an exhibition of his own paintings, which were well received. At 21, he left France for the USA where he continued to paint and to make photographs. He also started to participate in some movies and was quickly offered several roles for plays and then for cinema. His first big success was The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) where he was a killer associated to the villain Scaramanga (played byChristopher Lee). He inspired the TV-series "Fantasy Island" (1978) where he took the role of Tattoo, the faithful servant of Mr. Roarke (Ricardo Montalban). This series was a great success and thanks to it Villechaize became famous and rich, mostly because of his enigmatic and charming smile.

In 1983 he argued with the producers of the show in order to earn as much money as Montalban but instead, he was fired; he also lost his model-actress wife. The series continued without him but stopped one year later, when the media response meter decreased because of the lack of Tattoo's character!

Villechaize became alcoholic and depressed, so he missed several roles that he was offered. His health problems also increased (mostly suffering from ulcers and a spastic colon), and he nearly died of pneumonia in 1992. On the afternoon of Saturday September 4th, 1993, after having watched a movie, he wrote a note and made a tape recording before shooting himself in his backyard. His common-law wife Kathy Self discovered his body and called the ambulance which took him to the Medical Center of North Hollywood where he died at 3:40 pm. Villechaize was cremated and his ashes were scattered off Point Fermin, in Los Angeles.

Hervé Villechaize was born in Paris on April 23, 1943. What Villechaize has always sought is to be accepted as he was, but because of his small size, he had to fight against the expectations of others . For him, these frustrations begin very early, when it is clear that he will no longer grow. His father, a surgeon, refuses to accept without doing anything. He sends him from clinics to doctors, but that will not change anything. After studying at the Fine Arts in Paris, he began an exhibition of his own paintings which will be strongly applauded. At 21, he left for New York where he continued an activity as a painter and photographer and participated in forecare films. Soon he was offered roles to the theater and then to the cinema. The interpretation of Villechaize in the man with the gold pistol inspires the series The Fantastic Island. The latter brings him fortune and made him a symbol of the 1970s. After the series completed, in 1983, his problems with alcohol and depression prevent him from winning several roles. The spiritual and charming actor, whose enigmatic and endearing smile attracted thousands of fans, ended up cracking. On September 4, 1993, after watching a film in the early evening, Hervé Villechaize committed suicide in his house in Southern California.

Hervé Villechaize was a French actor known for his role as MR. Roarke's personal assistant in the television series Fantasy Island, who was broadcast between 1978 and 1984. Villechaize was also known for his roles in the movies the key on the door , The city of fear and men of honor.

Villechaize was born on March 23, 1943 in Paris, in France. He grew up in a family of artists; His father was a sculptor and his mother was an actress. Villechaize studied art and painting at school, and he then studied dramatic art at the National School of theater Arts and Techniques.

Villechaize began his career as a painter and sculptor, but he quickly decided to embark on the actor. His first appearance on the screen took place in 1969 in the film The Magic Christian, in which he played the role of a clown. He then played in several movies and television series, including Fantasy Island, for which he became famous.

In addition to his work as an actor, Villechaize was also an activist for the rights of small people. He was indeed only 1 meter and 34 centimeters, which earned him often to be like in roles of comic or eccentric characters. Villechaize has also fought against discrimination against small people in the film and television industry.

Unfortunately, Villechaize has suffered from serious health problems throughout his life, including diabetes and cardiac complications. It was also diagnosed with a rare form of nanism, which has further aggravated its health problems. In 1993, at the age of 50, Villechaize died of a heart attack at his home in North Hollywood, California.

Throughout his career, Villechaize has left an indelible footprint on the film and television industry, and he remained one of the most famous and emblematic actors of his generation.

Photos

Photos Hervé Villechaize n_10 Photos Hervé Villechaize n_10 Photos Hervé Villechaize n_10 Photos Hervé Villechaize n_10 Photos Hervé Villechaize n_10 Photos Hervé Villechaize n_10 Photos Hervé Villechaize n_10 Photos Hervé Villechaize n_10 Photos Hervé Villechaize n_10 Photos Hervé Villechaize n_10

Filmography

Title Role
The Carol Burnett Show (1991) TV Series Skit characters
Two Moon Junction (1988) Smiley
The Telephone (1988) (voice) Voice on the Freeway
Airplane II: The Sequel (1982) Little Breather
Forbidden Zone (1980) King Fausto of the Sixth Dimension
Fantasy Island (1978) TV Series Tattoo (1978-1983)
The One and Only (1978) Milton Miller
Return to Fantasy Island (1978) (TV) Tattoo
Hot Tomorrows (1977) Alberict
Fantasy Island (1977) (TV) Tattoo
The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) (as Herve Villechaize) Nick Nack
Crazy Joe (1974) Samson
Seizure (1974) Spider, the dwarf
Malatesta's Carnival of Blood (1973) Bobo
Greaser's Palace (1972)
The Last Stop (1972) Deputy
The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight (1971) Beppo
Item 72-D: The Adventures of Spa and Fon (1970) Spa
Chappaqua (1966) (uncredited) Midget

Trivia

Committed suicide in North Hollywood, California. Died of self-inflicted gunshot wound.

He lived in North Hollywood on W. Killion Street.

Famous for the line "The plane! The plane!" that he said in each episode of "Fantasy Island" (1978) with his French accent.

Was of Filipino ancestry.

The reason for his suicide was not career woes, as is commonly believed, but because he was in nearly constant pain as his body aged. While small externally, his internal organs were of normal size, and crowded each other over the years. In his last months, he had to sleep in a kneeling position, because lying down made it impossible to breathe.

Became involved with children's charities during his heyday, including opening a halfway house for runaways and troubled youths. He enjoyed helping children, who found it easy to relate to him because of his height.

Used to share a room with actor/director/writer Matthew Bright.

Family

Spouse : Camille Hagen (1980 - 1981) (divorced)

Author of the card

  • Creation date: 01/07/2003 by misou
  • Last update: 01/05/2007 by abdest

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