Patricia Anne Maloney (March 17, 1936 – March 31, 2025) was an American actress.
Early life Maloney was born in Perkinsville, New York, and was raised in Winter Park, Florida, by her mother and stepfather. Standing and weighing , she performed in carnivals and circuses in her youth. She married Joseph Vitek in 1961. During their marriage, she worked as a keypunch operator at Clipper Carloading in Chicago. After Vitek died from melanoma in 1968, her friends encouraged her to return to performing as a way to deal with grief.
Career Maloney was best known as Honk from Far Out Space Nuts, as Lumpy from the Star Wars Holiday Special, and as Darla Hood from the animated TV series version of The Little Rascals. She appeared in Star Trek: Voyager in 1996.
She was often a guest on the 1970s variety series Donny & Marie, and portrayed the robot waitress Tina in the Buck Rogers in the 25th Century episode "Cruise Ship to the Stars" and Twiki in the episode "Space Vampire".
In 1977 she appeared in the episode "Ida Works Out" on Rhoda as a witch on Halloween looking for a costume party in Rhoda's apartment building.
From 1982, she was also an animation voice actor, worked on the Monopoly game show pilot as Rich Uncle Pennybags/Mr. Monopoly, and even operated the Crypt Keeper puppet on Tales from the Crypt. Maloney appeared in Ernest Saves Christmas with California native Buddy Douglas as Santa's two elves. In 2011, she appeared as herself in Hanlet: Episode 4 – Attack of the Phantom Special, an independent documentary film about the making of Star Wars Holiday Special.
Another of her voice roles was in 1988, alongside Jeff Cohen, Glynis Johns, and Casey Kasem in the movie Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School as Tanis the Mummy.
Illness and death In 2010, Maloney was diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration, a visual impairment which severely limited her ability to read scripts and other textual matter. After suffering several strokes, she died in Winter Park on March 31, 2025, at the age of 89.
Filmography
Film +YearTitleRoleNotes1978The Lord of the RingsVoice1981Under the RainbowRosie1984The Ice PiratesWaitress1984Swing ShiftLaverne1988Ernest Saves ChristmasThisbe1991The Addams FamilyLois Addams1999Twin Falls IdahoJune
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1973Don't Be Afraid of the DarkCreatureTelevision film1974Punch and JodyMrs. Stilts1975Far Out Space NutsHonk9 episodes1976Don't Call UsSylviaTelevision film1976, 1977The Brady Bunch HourVarious roles2 episodes1977Mary Hartman, Mary HartmanSkipper5 episodesCharlie's AngelsTinkle BelleEpisode: "Circus of Terror"RhodaWitchEpisode: "Ida Works Out"1978Star Wars Holiday SpecialLumpyTelevision filmThe Love BoatDottie WarrenEpisode: "The Little People"The Krofft Superstar HourVarious roles13 episodes1979–1980Buck Rogers in the 25th CenturyTwiki / Tina3 episodes1981Side ShowThelma TinyTelevision film1982Little House on the PrairieAlice BatesEpisode: "Little Lou" Madame's PlacePatty, the SecretaryEpisode: Pilot1982–1983The Little RascalsDarla31 episodes1984Trapper John, M.D.MeganEpisode: "A Little Knife Music"Pryor's PlaceDumb #1Episode: "Voyage to the Planet of the Dumb"The SmurfsBlue Eyes2 episodes1985Amazing StoriesAlienEpisode: "Fine Tuning"1985–1986Dumbo's CircusDink the Koala Bear81 episodes1986BarnumOlder Tom ThumbTelevision filmZoobilee ZooErgoEpisode: "Close Encounters of a Zooble Kind"1987ThrobLittle WomanEpisode: "Death Be Not Weird"Out of This WorldBaby NeilEpisode: "Baby Talk"1988CircusMaggieTelevision filmScooby-Doo and the Ghoul SchoolTanis the Mummy (voice)1990Married... with ChildrenAlienEpisode: "Married... with Aliens"1995LegendZorelda TombsEpisode: "Clueless in San Francisco"A.J.'s Time TravelersB.I.T.33 episodes1996Star Trek: VoyagerLittle WomanEpisode: "The Thaw"1997PearlMaggieEpisode: "Billy Returns"The New Batman AdventuresMrs. Segar (voice)Episode: "Double Talk"1998Nash BridgesTriciaEpisode: "The Tourist"2005My Name Is EarlWoman with ChimneyEpisode: "Teacher Earl"
References
External links
Star Wars Holiday Special site Short Persons Support page