Herve Villechaize

Date of Birth: 04/23/1943 | Date of Passing: 09/04/1993

Actor. Artist. Born Herve Jean Pierre Villechaize in Paris, France, the son of doctor. By the age of three, Herve was diagnosed with an acute thyroid condition which would stunt his growth to 3’11”. He studied painting and photography at the Beaux-Arts Museum in Paris. At the age of 18 he became the youngest artist to ever have his work displayed in the prestigious Museum of Paris. At 21 Herve traveled to New York for the art scene and became caught up with acting. His first credited movie role was that of Beppo in the 1971’s ‘The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight’. In 1974 he landed the role of Nick-Nack in the James Bond film ‘The Man with the Golden Gun’. He is best remembered, however, for the role of Tattoo in the TV show, ‘Fantasy Island’. He played Tattoo in two TV movies in 1977 and 1978 and in the resultant series for five years. ABC dropped Herve from the show over a salary dispute; his last episode of Fantasy Island was shot in April 1983. He entered into a short lived marriage with show stand-in Donna Camille that did not last even a year. Health problems due to his condition worsened, he nearly died of pneumonia in 1992. Apparently he lived in almost constant pain, taking innumerable pills daily to alleviate his multiple symptoms and drinking heavily. In the early morning of September 4, 1993, he wrote a note, went out to his back yard and sat down. He made a tape recording saying he was despondent over health problems. He then shot himself in the chest. He was pronounced dead just after 3 AM. Herve’s body was cremated and the ashes scattered at sea, off Point Fermin, California.