Scotland's best loved 'little person' Tommy Totie Reynolds died at home on the 14th of July 2004 surrounded by his family. Best known as Wee Jimmy on BBC Scotland's 'Hoots Mon' Tommy Reynolds career spanned five decades and starred in all three original Star Wars films as well as being a stalwart of the Scottish Panto scene.
The following is an extract from his book "The Wee Man"
"When I returned from shooting Star Wars in Tunisia there was no shortage of work and not a day would go by without my agent calling to offer me a part in a film or a commercial. For the first time in my life I was actually turning work down.
One of the strangest bookings I ever took was towards the end of 1978. I was flown out to the States to take part in a record launch for a famous English rock band. I naturally assumed that I was going out there to perform but I ended working as a waiter. I had no experience whatsoever of the catering trade but I was assured that it didn't matter and for the money they were paying, I didn't complain. I was kitted out in a bell-boy's uniform with one of those pill box hats. Little did I relaise at the time that the hat had to be that shape to accomodate the large bowl of cocaine that was strapped to the top of it. My job was to mingle among the guests and allow them to snort coke from the bowl n my hat. I have never held with drugs and I am sure that had I been arrested I would have spent a long time in some American jail but I was far to busy concentrating on the money. I wasn't the only oddity at that party. There were strippers, mud wrestlers and although I never saw them I had it on good authority that there were a bevvy of beuties offering a very personal service in one of the rooms. The party went on all night and when I got the flight back to London the next morning, I was a thousand dollars better off and had some great stories for the folks back home."
Rest in peace wee man,
fatty.