Remembering Hervé Villechaize, Tattoo on ‘Fantasy Island’
What To Know
- Hervé Villechaize, born in Paris with dwarfism, overcame a difficult childhood to become a painter and actor, achieving early fame as Nick Nack in the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun.
- He became a television icon as Tattoo on Fantasy Island, with his catchphrase “De plane! De plane!” making him a pop culture legend, though he was dismissed from the show after salary disputes.
- Villechaize struggled with chronic health issues related to his condition and died by suicide in 1993, but his legacy endures, including being revisited in the 2018 HBO film My Dinner with Hervé.
For millions of viewers in the late ’70s and early ’80s, Hervé Villechaize was Tattoo, the enthusiastic assistant on Fantasy Island, standing at just under four feet tall and shouting the line that became a pop culture catchphrase, “De plane! De plane!” More than thirty years after his passing, Villechaize remains one of those actors whom classic TV fans have never forgotten about.
How did Hervé Villechaize begin his career?
Villechaize was born on April 23, 1943, in Paris, France, during World War II. Villechaize had dwarfism from birth, a condition his father, a surgeon, tried unsuccessfully to treat. Childhood was difficult, and he was often bullied because of his size. As a teenager, he studied painting at the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts and had his work displayed in museums before he turned 20.
In 1964, he left France and moved to the United States, teaching himself English by watching television. He supported himself as a painter and photographer in New York and began taking small acting roles in off-Broadway productions. Film parts followed and his major breakthrough came in 1974 when he was cast as the villainous henchman Nick Nack in the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun.
Everett Collection
What was Hervé Villechaize best known for?
Television superstardom arrived three years later with Fantasy Island. As Tattoo, Villechaize rang the bell, welcomed guests and provided comic relief opposite Ricardo Montalbán‘s Mr. Roarke. His shout of “De plane! De plane!” became one of the most recognizable lines in 1970s television. The role made him famous worldwide and permanently linked him to the series.
Behind the scenes, however, Villechaize reportedly clashed with producers and eventually demanded the same salary as Montalbán. When negotiations failed, he was dismissed from the show in 1983. After leaving Fantasy Island, he continued to act, appearing in films such as Airplane II: The Sequel and making guest appearances on programs including Taxi and Diff’rent Strokes.
Richard Hewett/TVG/Showtime/Everett Collection
Villechaize lived for many years with serious medical problems related to his condition. Although small in stature, his internal organs were average-sized, which caused increasing pressure and chronic pain as he aged.
He was married twice, first to artist Anne Sadowski and later to actress Camille Hagen; both marriages ended in divorce. On September 4, 1993, at the age of 50, Villechaize died by suicide at his home in North Hollywood, California. He left a note explaining that ongoing health problems and constant physical suffering had become overwhelming.
He was cremated, and his ashes were scattered into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Los Angeles. In the years since his death, his life and career have continued to fascinate fans. The 2018 HBO film My Dinner with Hervé, starring Peter Dinklage, revisited his story and introduced him to a new generation.
Remind 
1970s Fall TV
September 2023
Take a trip back to the ’70s by looking at the TV Guide Magazine Fall Preview primetime lineups.
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