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The beloved character actress known for her roles in Far Out Space Nuts, Little House on the Prairie, and the Star Wars Holiday Special, died Monday, March 31, in hospice care after suffering multiple strokes, her brother Dave Myrabo told the outlet.
“For a little person growing up in a big world, she did everything she wanted to do,” Myrabo said.
Born Patricia Ann Maloney on March 17, 1936, in the tiny town of Perkinsville, New York, she later moved to Winter Park, Florida, with her mother and stepfather after her father died when she was just 7 years old.
Standing 3 feet 11 inches tall, Maloney forged an extraordinary path in Hollywood. As a child, she performed in carnivals and with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, showcasing her talent and showmanship early on.
She eventually became a staple of 1970s television, appearing on popular shows like Donny & Marie and Little House on the Prairie, and portraying iconic characters such as alien Honk in Far Out Space Nuts, Chewbacca’s son, Lumpy, in the Star Wars Holiday Special, and Darla Hood in the animated version of The Little Rascals. In 1996, she made a memorable appearance on Star Trek: Voyager.
Other credits included her role as Tina, a robot waitress, in Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, and as a Halloween witch in Rhoda. She also played one of Santa’s elves in the holiday classic Ernest Saves Christmas.
In 2010, Maloney was diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration, a condition that made reading scripts increasingly difficult.
News of her passing sparked a wave of tributes from fans and fellow performers alike.
“RIP to consummate entertainer Patty Maloney, 89, one of Hollywood’s most successful little people,” author Matthew Rettenmund wrote on X.
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