Hervé Villechaize
Hervé Jean-Pierre Villechaize (born April 23, 1943 in Paris , † September 4, 1993 in North Hollywood , USA ) was a French actor . The short actor played his best known roles in the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun and as a tattoo, assistant to Mr. Roarke, in the television series Fantasy Island .
Life
Hervé Villechaize was born in Paris to a doctor. As a child he stopped growing. All treatment methods were unsuccessful and Villechaize remained 1.19 meters tall throughout his life. His lungs were underdeveloped. Villechaize studied art in Paris and presented his pictures in an exhibition. At the age of 21 he left France and went to the USA , where he worked as a painter and photographer. From the beginning of the 1970s he took on minor film roles.
In 1974 Villechaize played the role that made him famous in the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun : he was Schnick Schnack, the insidious butler and helper of the super villain Scaramanga, played by Christopher Lee . Schnick Schnack is one of the most popular villains in the Bond series.
From 1977 Villechaize was seen alongside Ricardo Montalbán in the successful television series Fantasy Island in the role of Tattoo. In 1983 he had an argument with the producers of the series because he was demanding higher fees. He lost his engagement.
In the same year Villechaize was left by his second wife, the actress Camille Hagen (* 1957). He suffered from depression and became an alcoholic . In 1985 he was sentenced to one year probation and a $ 425 fine for illegally carrying a loaded gun . As his health problems worsened, he could only sleep in a kneeling position or he would have suffocated. In 1992 he almost died of pneumonia .
Hervé Villechaize committed in 1993 at the age of 50 at his home suicide . He left a note and tape stating that he was despondent about his health problems. Villechaize's body was cremated and dumped into the sea at Point Fermin in San Pedro , a borough of Los Angeles.
The actor was socially engaged and campaigned for children and young people with problems.
Published in 2018 HBO with My Dinner with Hervé a television film about Villechaize in which he by Peter Dinklage is shown. It was directed by Sacha Gervasi , who Villechaize had met as a journalist.
Filmography (selection)
- 1970: Maidstone
- 1971: Where gangsters pop around the corner (The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight)
- 1972: Greaser Place
- 1974: The ruler of evil (Seizure)
- 1974: James Bond 007 - The Man with the Golden Gun
- 1977: Hot Tomorrows
- 1978: The One and Only
- 1977–1983: Fantasy Island (TV series, 131 episodes)
- 1980: Forbidden Zone
- 1982: A Colt for All Cases ( The Fall Guy , TV series, episode 1x23)
- 1982/1985: Big fairy tales with big stars ( Fearie Tale Theater , TV series, episodes 1x02, 4x04)
- 1982: The Incredible Journey in a Crazy Spaceship (Airplane II: The Sequel)
- 1988: Two Moon Junction
Web links
- Hervé Villechaize in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ nytimes.com: Herve Villechaize; Actor, 50, Commits Suicide at His Home Article from September 5, 1993 (English)
- ↑ findagrave.com: Herve Villechaize (English)
personal data | |
---|---|
SURNAME | Villechaize, Hervé |
ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Villechaize, Hervé Jean-Pierre (full name) |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | French actor |
DATE OF BIRTH | April 23, 1943 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Paris |
DATE OF DEATH | 4th September 1993 |
Place of death | North Hollywood , USA |