Herve Villechaize, the diminutive actor whose shout, "The plane, the plane" greeted arriving guests on TV's "Fantasy Island," committed suicide Saturday. He was 50.
Villechaize, who left behind a note and tape recording saying he was despondent over health problems, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, said publicist David Brokaw.The 3-foot-11-inch Villechaize played Tattoo, the comical sidekick to Ricardo Montalban's Mr. Rourke on "Fantasy Island," which ran on ABC from 1978 through 1984.
His robust shout, "The plane, the plane," which announced the arrival of another planeload of "Fantasy Island" guests, became a national catch phrase in the 1980s.
Villechaize, who was born in Paris, studied to be a painter, but turned to acting after moving to New York.
He was a supporting player onstage and in films during the 1960s and 1970s before landing a role in a "Fantasy Island" TV movie in 1977.
"I considered his contribution to `Fantasy Island' as one of the keys to the success that the show enjoyed," Montalban said.