Patty Maloney, an actress whose 30-plus year career included memorable turns on Little House on the Prairie, Syd & Marty Krofft‘s Far Out Space Nuts, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century and the Star Wars Holiday Special, has died. Her passing was confirmed via a post on the official Syd & Marty Krofft Facebook page. She was 89.
Maloney stood 3 feet 11 inches and weighed about 60 pounds. Her stature and pantomime stills meant she often worked in costume. And work she did, with memorable roles on some of the most popular TV shows of the ’70s an ’80s.
On her first series, the actress played the furry and funny Honk on the Kroffts’ Far Out Space Nuts, a character who spoke only in horn-like honks. The show was a Saturday morning staple for kids in the ’70s, especially via syndication. She also appeared on 13 episodes of The Krofft Superstar Hour and other of the duo’s shows.
“It is with great sorrow we announce that Krofft legend Patty Maloney has passed away,” read a post on the Krofft Facebook page. “She was involved in many Krofft shows, most notably her role as Honk from Far Out Space Nuts. We send our condolences to her family and assure her legacy will live on!”
Maloney was often paired with Billy Barty, who was a part of the American zeitgeist in the ’70s. The duo worked together not just on ABC’s Cheryl Ladd: Scenes from a Special (pictured above), but also on the 1981 Chevy Chase-Carrie Fisher film Under the Rainbow — about the munchkins’ lives as they filmed The Wizard of Oz, The Love Boat, Trapper John, M.D., Charlie’s Angels, the syndicated show Short Ribbs and The Bay City Rollers Meet the Saturday Superstars.
One of Maloney’s most memorable sci-fi characters is Tina, the gold-hued counterpart to Buck’s wisecracking robot Twiki on Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. She guested on three episodes of the popular NBC show starring Gil Gerard and Erin Gray.
In 1978, she played the little wookie Lumpy in the so-bad-it’s-good Star Wars Holiday Special.
She a more conventional role on Little House, where she was again paired with Barty in a Season 9 episode entitled “Little Lou.” The actress played the wife of Barty’s character, who died giving birth.
Maloney was also in Ernest Saves Christmas, had a five-episode arc on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, voiced Darla in Hanna-Barbara & King World’s animated Little Rascals as well as a character called Blue Eyes on The Smurfs, played an alien on Married…With Children and appeared on Star Trek: Voyager, Nash Bridges and My Name Is Earl.
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