Don’t Forget the Little People: 15 Midgets Who Made it Big in Hollywood (page 2)

Felix Silla

Felix Silla – AFelix Sila – Although the world may not recognize Felix Silla, his characters are some of the most beloved film and television icons of all time.  Primarily working in Hollywood as a stuntman, Felix Silla was the pint sized actor under heaps of foam, hair and metal that brought characters such as Cousin Itt, Twiki the Robot, E.T. and Howard the Duck to life. 

Born outside of Rome, Felix Silla entered snowbushes in the circus where he trained as an expert bareback rider, a tumbler and a trapeze artist.  Although unable to speak a word of English, he was hired by The Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus and came to America in 1955.  It was his abilities as a tumbler that brought him to Hollywood where he set himself up as a stunt double for children.  His first film was 1963’s The Ticklish Affair where he was a stunt double for Billy Mumy.  However, the same year Silla received his first on-screen role where he played a Leprechaun in an episode of Bonanza. 

Felix Silla as the enigmatic Cousin Itt in "The Addams Family."

Silla divided his time between the circus and Hollywood until 1965 when he heard that the producers of The Addams Family were looking for a midget actor to play a brand new character named Cousin Itt.  Coming to the audition, Silla went in to meet the director who simply looked him over and exclaimed “That’s Itt,” gave him a contract and sent Silla on his way, unsure of what the role was even about.  However, despite the fact that The Addams Family was already in its third season, Silla’s performance as the enigmatic hairy creature that squeaked in gibberish became one of the program’s most endearing characters.  Silla would remain as a constant guest star on the program until it ended a year later.  His role in The Addams Family lead to other appearances in programs such as The Monkees, Petticoat Junction, Star Trek, Bewitched and Night Gallery.  Silla also had bit parts in Point Blank and She Freak, but primarily still worked as a stunt double, most notably in Irwin Allen’s disaster films as well as the Planet of the Apes movies.

Felix Silla as Twiki the Robot in "Buck Rogers."

As the 1970’s dawned, like many other midget performers, Silla was hired by Sid and Marty Krofft to perform in their various kids programs, including H.R. Puf’n’stuf and Lidsville.  However, as his notoriety grew in his ability to move rapidly under heavy costumes and makeup, Silla began to get more unique work playing robots, monsters and other assorted oddities.  The first was playing Sam the Seal Boy in Ssssssss, as well as the slimy midget shaman that grows out of a growth on Tony Curtis’ girlfriends’ neck in the cult horror film The Manitou.  However, Silla would get his first regular TV gig playing sarcastic Cylon Lucifer on the cult sci-fi hit Battlestar Galactica.  When Battlestar Gallactica was prematurely cancelled a year later, the props and ships were reused for Buck Rogers in the 21^st Century.  A far bigger hit, Silla joined stars Gil Gerard and Erin Grey to play Twiki the Robot.  Although voiced by legendary voice actor Mel Blanc, Twiki became one of the most recognizable icons of the program, loved by children although despised by adult fans.  Buck Rogers ended in 1981, but Silla would prove to be as busy as ever.

Felix Silla was not only the stunt double for Henry Thomas in "E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial" (1982) but also acted as a stand in for the E.T. puppet in a number of scenes.

Throughout the 80’s Silla primarily worked as a stunt double in George Lucas and Steven Spielberg productions.  For Lucas he played an Ewok and Howard the Duck in all of Howard’s action scenes.  For Spielberg he was the stunt double for Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, as well as doubling for both E.T. and Elliot in E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial.  Silla’s final major motion picture would be playing the Emperor penguin in Tim Burton’s Batman Returns.  Silla finally retired from both stunt work and acting in 1996 at the age of 60.  Yet, with a career that touches on nearly ever major horror and sci-fi franchise, Silla is more active then ever as a popular guest at science fiction conventions and autograph shows world wide.

Kenny Baker with his most famous character, R2-D2 from Star Wars

Kenny Baker – Despite over 60 years in show business, Kenny Baker is not a household name.  However, Kenny Baker is the only midget actor to get his footprints enshrined for eternity at Hollywood’s legendary Grauman’s Chinese Theatre…. well sorta.  Kenny Baker was the little man inside of one of film history’s most iconic characters, R2-D2, through all six of George Lucas’ legendary film series. 

Born in 1937 in Birmingham, England, Baker quit school and entered show business at age sixteen when he joined a traveling midget troupe called Burton Lester’s Midgets.  This lead to a long career as a circus performer where Kenny started originally as a clown, but eventually made his way up the ladder to occasional ringmaster.  Eventually Baker left the circus to become a performer in a British version of The Ice Capades, in which he had the unique opportunity to meet Queen Elizabeth II.  After nine years in the ice show, Baker formed his own midget comedy troupe called The Mini Tones.  It was in the Mini Tones that Baker met another midget performer named Jack Purvis and the pair developed their own song and dance night club act.

In "Return of the Jedi" (1983) Kenny Baker played both R2-D2 and Paploo the Ewok.

When filmmaker George Lucas came to England in the mid-1970’s to begin casting for Star Wars, Baker and Purvis both heard of the casting call for midget actors.  Purvis was awarded the part of the Jawa leader, while Baker gained the plum part of R2-D2.  Fitted in the claustrophobic robot shell, Baker was responsible for operating R2-D2’s controls and sounds, as well as guiding the little robot’s movements via a small control panel within the robot.  Suffering intense heat during location shoots in the desert, as well as continuous technical difficulties related to the control panels, not to mention getting stuck within the R2-D2  unit on a number of occasions, playing R2-D2 was no easy task for the actor.   Furthermore, Baker had his own social difficulties by forming a behind the scenes rivalry with co-star Anthony Daniels who played R2-D2’s constant companion C3PO.  Yet, despite these many difficulties, Kenny Baker endured and managed to give the little robot a unique personality, and made him a favorite for film audiences and would continue to play R2-D2 in both trilogies, as well as other TV appearances, documentaries and special TV commercials.  Baker also doubled in The Return of the Jedi where he played Paploo the Ewok.  For those of us who are not complete Star Wars nerds, Paploo is the Ewok who steals the Speeder Bike and takes a wild ride.  It was also as R2-D2 that Kenny Baker put his “tread marks” down in cement at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre alongside Anthony Daniels in his C3PO suit and David Prowse in his Darth Vader costume in a 1977 ceremony.  No other midget performer has received such a unique honor.

In 1977 Kenny Baker appeared as R2-De at Los Angeles' Grauman's Chinese Theater where he had R2-D2's treads enshrined in the famous courtyard. As a result, Kenny Baker is the only midget actor to leave his "footprints" at Grauman's.

Outside of R2-D2, Kenny Baker’s career has been far and in-between.  He actually made his first film before he even got in the R2-D2 suit in a forgettable 1968 British horror film called Circus of Horrors.  However, he made brief appearances in a number of other notable films such as David Lynch’s The Elephant Man, Jim Henson’s Labyrinth and Academy Award winning film Amadeus.

For years Kenny Baker was a popular guest at autograph shows world wide.  However, in 2008 Baker became ill after a flight home from a Chicago sci-fi convention.  Deemed critical at the time, Baker was not expected to live.  However, Baker fought back and survived the mystery illness.  Yet, due to his health, Kenny Baker has been forced to retire from the convention circuit. But, as long as people are still interested in a story long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away, Kenny Baker will always have a place in the hearts of fans world wide.  Unlike people, droids never die.

Herve Villechaize (1943 - 1993)

Herve Villechaize - Despite being possibly the most recognizable and beloved midget performer in the history of pop culture, a veil of darkness and tragedy falls upon the legacy of Herve Villechaize.  Fondly remembered as Ricardo Montelbaln’s popular sidekick Tattoo on the hit 70’s TV show Fantasy Island, Villechaize’s life was full of anger, depression and substance abuse, which all lead to his suicide in 1994.

Born in Paris in 1943, Herve Villechaize first gained public attention as an up and coming artist.  Studying art and photography at the Beaux-Arts museum, at age 18 Villechaize had the unique honor of being the youngest person ever to have their art displayed at the Museum of Paris.  He possibly also could be the shortest person too have his art displayed their too.  However, Villechaize was remembered as being a temperamental artist, with violent outbursts which resulted in both destruction of his art, as well as a number of suicide attempts during his teenage years.  In 1964 Villechaize packed up his aisle and brushes and sailed to America to try his hand at the New York art scene.  Setting up a studio in Greenwich Village, Villechaize became a recognizable oddity on the streets of New York.  However, soon his interest moved away from art and towards the stage and within time Villechaize was being featured in various off-Broadway productions.

Herve Villechaize as Nick Nack in "The Man with the Golden Gun" (1974)

Herve Villechaize’s first film role was a small part in Conrad Rooks’ Chappaqua opposite such strange co-stars as William S. Burroughs, Alan Ginsberg, Ornette Coleman and Ravi Shankar.  Villechaize continued to appear in various forgettable films in the early 70’s until he finally got his first big break in 1974 when he was cast as Christopher Lee’s malicious servant Nick Nack in the James Bond film The Man With the Golden Gun.  Popular with the movie audience, Villechaize caught the attention of TV mogul Aaron Spelling who had a unique offer for Villechaize.  Spelling was developing a brand new TV series that would be tested in a series of TV movies.  The series, Fantasy Island, would feature Ricardo Montelban as the mysterious Mr. Rourke who welcomed visitors to a mysterious Island in which they could live out their greatest desires.  Mr. Rourke was aided by the pint sized Tattoo.  With his exotic looks and unique accent, Villechaize was perfect for the role.  Villechaize took the role and found pop culture superstardom.  Each week Villechaize opened the program by ringing the tower bell and exclaiming “De plane!  De plane!” which has gone down in history to be one of the most popular TV catch phrases of all time.

Herve Villechaize with Ricardo Montelban on "Fantasy Island." Although his role of Tattoo was beloved by audiences and made him a TV icon, he was not beloved by the "Fantasy Island" cast and crew.

However, while viewers, and especially children, adored Villechaize in the role of Tattoo, life behind the scenes of Fantasy Island was not happy.  Villechaize proved to be difficult to deal with.  Prone to substance abuse, sexually aggressive with female guest stars and explosive and temperamental with the producers, Villechaize became unpopular amongst cast and crew.  Even Ricardo Montelban, famed for his class and easy going nature, had little to do with his co-star.  Yet Villechaize was enjoying new found fame, and became the most famous midget in the world.  Becoming a popular guest star on television programs and talk shows, Villechaize gained his first starring film role in 1982’s The Forbidden Zone.  Villechaize even made headlines when he married model/actress Camille Hagen in 1980, whom he met on the Fantasy Island set. However, as his stardom grew, so did his arrogance and sense of self importance.  In 1983 Villechaize threatened the Fantasy Island producers that he would quit the series if he did not receive the same salary as Ricardo Montelban.  Unfortunately for Villechaize, his plan backfired.  After years of abuse by Villechaize, the producers felt that this was more of a blessing then a threat, and Villechaize was fired from the series.  Tattoo was quickly written out of the show and replaced by rotund British actor Christopher Hewitt, who became Mr. Rourke’s new assistant.  Yet a Tattooless Fantasy Island didn’t appeal to the viewers and the series only lasted one season without Villechaize.  However, getting sacked from Fantasy Island started the downward spiral that would lead to a decade of darkness for the tiny actor.

After getting fired from "Fantasy Isalnd," Herve Villechaize's life was thrust into a downward spiral of drugs, alcohol and donut commericals.

After getting fired from Fantasy Island, Villechaize suddenly found it difficult to get any acting jobs.  His bad reputation, combined with the fact that the public didn’t see him as being anything but Tattoo, resulted in Villechaize receiving little work.  Even the LPA turned their back on him once Villechaize started a well publicized rivalry with Billy Barty.  I mean, if Billy Barty didn’t like you, you truly were screwed.  Furthermore, increased substance abuse and the continuation of his lavish lifestyle despite the lack of a paycheck took a toll on his finances and soon Villechaize was broke.  Eventually his wife, who pretty much just married Villechaize for his money anyways, walked out on him.  By the end of the 80’s Villechaize was reduced to doing Dunkin’ Donut commercials for $500 a week where he was forced to asking for “de plain, de plain” referring to plain donuts instead of aircraft.  The once tiny titan had crashed from greatest heights.

Finally, on September 4, 1993 Villechaize had had enough.  Sitting on the back patio of his West Hollywood home, Villechaize recorded his final words, aimed towards his common-law wife Kathy Self.  He said:

“Kathy, I can’t live like this anymore. I’ve always been a proud man and always wanted to make you proud of me. You know you made me feel like a giant and that’s how I want you to remember me…I’m doing what I have to do…I want everything to go to Kathy…I want everyone to know that I love them.”

In 1993 Herve Villechaize shot himself in the chest while recording a suicide note, capturing his final moments on audio.

Then, with the tape recorder still running, Herve fired a single bullet through his chest.  In his final moments, almost overdramatically, the tape recorder recorded his final words as “It hurts, it hurts…I’m dieing, I’m dieing.”

Kathy Self found Villechaize the next morning.  The world was shocked and heartbroken over the loss of such a beloved television icon.  Perhaps in death Herve Villechaize finally found the peace and acceptance that he desired.  Yet, despite his grizzly end and tainted reputation, Herve Villechaize will forever be one of the most beloved midget icons in pop culture history.

Weng Weng (1957 - 1992)

Weng Weng - Standing at 2 foot, 9 inches, Philippine actor Weng Weng has gone in film history as the smallest person ever to star as the leading actor in any motion picture.  Star of martial arts action/comedies in the early 1980’s, Weng Weng has become a cult figure in recent years, although he never lived to see the international superstar status that he desired.

Born in 1957, Weng Weng spent the first year of his life in an incubator and was not expected to live.  However, when the small child, who was said to be about the size of a small Coke bottle, survived he was proclaimed by his village to be a gift from God.   Nicknamed Weng Weng by his family, the small boy became obsessed by martial art films as a youth and began training in his teens. 

At 2 foot, 9 inches Weng Weng holds the record of being the shortest actor ever to be the leading actor in his own film.

Eventually Weng Weng gained the attention of film producer Peter Caballes who contacted director Bobby Suzrea whose film The Bionic Boy was getting played at drive-ins and low budget theatres in North America.  Caballes devised an idea of Weng Weng being a pint sized Superman but Suzrea turned down the idea.  He wasn’t convinced that Weng Weng had enough charisma to pull off a film of his own, even as a novelty.  Instead he cast him as the villainous Big Time Poppa in a 1978 comedy/action film titled Chopsuey Meets Big Time Poppa.  The film proved popular enough, especially amongst children, and the pair decided to give Weng Weng another shot.  This time they teamed him up with popular Filipino comedian Dolphy in a pair of martial arts films called The Quick Brown Fox and Stariray.  Once again Weng Weng proved to be the standout star of the films.  Thus Caballes and Szrea decided it was time to give Weng Weng his own film.  Borrowing from the James Bond films, Caballas created the pint sized character of Agent 00 for Weng Weng’s first starring role in Fur Yur Height Only.  In it Weng Weng was seen doing things you’d expect Roger Moore or Sean Connery to be doing, including shooting guns, making sweet love to women and kicking enemy agent ass.  However, to the horror of the Filipino film community, Fur Yur Height Only was the only film from the country to be sold to the world market in 1981’s Manila International Film Festival.  Although it never became a hit anywhere, the movie did attract attention as an oddity, and Weng Weng became an international star.  A pair of Agent 00 sequels were made, Agent 00 and The Impossible Kid, as well as a western called The Wild Wild Weng, but the three films never made it out of the Philippines.  However, Weng Weng became a popular figure on the international film scene, appearing at movie festivals and on the talk show circuit.

Weng Weng as Agent 00 in "For Y'ur Height Only" (1981)

Yet, by 1984 the novelty of Weng Weng had worn off.  Caballes grew disinterested in Weng Weng, especially when his wife and co-writer Cora Caballes started a successful career in politics, and Szrea got out of the film business altogether.  Quickly as his film career had started, Weng Weng’s career was over.  Unfortunatly, due to lavish spending habits, Weng Weng had saved little and was soon bankrupt.  Yet, in a twist of fate right out of one of his movies, Weng Weng entered the military and became a paratrooper and eventual real life agent, going on infiltration missions which larger men could not go.  However, some sources say that Weng Weng eventually went insane and developed a Christ complex.  Whatever the case, Weng Weng eventually gained employment as security at the Manila Airport

Legend has it that after his film career Weng Weng worked as a spy for the Phillipean governement and suffered of a Christ complex.

Weng Weng’s story would end in 1992 when he died of heart failure caused by an allergic reaction to crab-meat.  He was only 35.  By this time he had truly faded into obscurity in the minds of Filipino audiences, and wasn’t even a blip on the radar in the international movie scene.  However, when Mondo Madness Videos released Weng Weng’s film on DVD to the North American public for the first time in the mid 2000’s, Weng Weng finally grew as a cult figure to North American film fans.  Adding to his popularity was the release of a music video called Weng Weng Rap by The Chuds, which became an internet sensation in 2007.  Furthermore, Weng Weng will be the subject of an upcoming documentary called In Search For Weng Weng by Australian filmmaker Andrew Leaved.  For more on Leavold’s film, as well as the life and legacy of Weng Weng check out his web-site at http://andrewleavold.blogspot.com.

Zelda Rubinstein (1933 - 2010)

 Zelda Rubinstein – Unlike most midget actors, Zelda Rubinstein entered show business rather late in life, making her first appearance in films in her late 40s.  However, Rubinstein has become one of the classic icons of horror due not only to her memorable role as pint sized psychic Tangina in the Poltergeist films, but for her eerie and haunting voice, which has become one of the most recognizable and oddest voices in the history of horror.

Working most of her life as an archivist, Zelda Rubinstein first entered show business when she returned from a long stint living in Europe.  Immediately her distinctive voice found its way to horror industry, but not in front of the screen.  Rubinstein got the unlikely job of providing the voice for the Flintstones creepy next door neighbor Atrocia Frankenstone in 1980’s The Flintstones Comedy Hour.  Her next project would be in the trashy Munchkin bio-pic Under the Rainbow, but she would finally gain pop culture stardom when she was cast as the creepy psychic Tangina in 1982.  Rubinstein would go on to play the part in the three Poltergeist sequels, as well as be one of the survivors of the famed cursed film which has, reportedly, taken the life of cast and crew over the decades in mysterious deaths.

Zelda Rubinstein as tiny psychic Tangina in "Poltergeist" (1982)

From her role in Poltergeist, Zelda Rubinstein became a popular guest star in numerous television programs, including Jennifer Slept Here, Mr. Belvedere, Matt Houston and Santa Barbara.  Rubinstein also had a memorable cameo in the 80’s hit teen comedy Sixteen Candles.  However, in 1992 Rubinstein got her first regular TV series playing police switchboard dispatcher Ginny Weedon on Pickett Fences.

Zelda Rubinstein as Mrs. Collinwood in "Behind the Mask: The Rise and Fall of Leslie Vernon" (2006)

Yet, because of her iconic performance in Poltergeist, Rubinstein would find further work in the horror genre.  In 2006 Rubinstein teamed up with Linda Blair to host a fifteen episode series for FOX called The Scariest Places on Earth.  Blair was the on screen host, while Rubinstein provided the creepy narration in her haunting distinctive voice.  The same year Rubinstein also made what would be her final screen appearance as the creepy librarian, as well as Leslie Vernon’s first victim, in the horror/mockumentary Behind the Mask:  The Rise of Leslie Vernon.

Rubinstein stayed active in Hollywood throughout her 70′s although primarily as a voice actress for animated series.  However, on January 27th, 2010 Rubinstein died at age 76 from a long illness that effected her lungs and kidneys.  Although her career had been relatively short compared to most of her contemporaries, she managed to carve her own little niche in the horror hall of fame.