Hervé Villechaize (1943-1993) was a French-born dwarf actor best known for his portrayal of Tattoo on the television series Fantasy Island. On Sesame Street, in the 1970s, Villechaize performed Oscar the Grouch as a pair of legs peeping out from a trash can, for scenes which required the Grouch to be mobile. These appearances began in the second season and included the 1978 Hawaii episodes.
Caroll Spinney recalled the Grouch's other half:
Outside of Fantasy Island and Sesame Street, Villechaize played Nick Nack, the murderous henchman to Scaramanga, in the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun. His other movie credits included such varied titles as The Gang Who Couldn't Shoot Straight (with Paul Benedict), Seizure, Forbidden Zone, and Airplane II: The Sequel. His brother, Patrick Villechaize, directed episodes of the French co-production of Fraggle Rock.
Sources
- ↑ Spinney, Caroll. The Wisdom of Big Bird. p. 61