One of the most legendary little people in Hollywood history, Billy Barty stood 3 feet 9 inches, and his career ran from his toddler years to his 70s.
Barty broke into the business through his father who was a machinist for Columbia Pictures. When he was 3 years old, Barty was given a bit role in the movie "Wedded Blisters" and went on to play babies in a several films including "Gold Diggers of 1933," and the 1934 version of "Alice in Wonderland." Barty also worked with another pint-sized star, Mickey Rooney, in the "Mickey McGuire" series, as well as "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
Other notable films that featured Barty include "W.C. Fields and Me," the Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn comedy "Foul Play," and the disastrous comedy "Under the Rainbow," loosely based on the behind-the-scenes shenanigans during the making of "The Wizard of Oz," also starring Carrie Fisher.
Barty did a lot of TV work right when the medium started to take off, making guest appearances on "Peter Gunn," "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," children's shows like "Sigmund and the Sea Monsters," and of course, "Little House on the Prairie," where he played two different characters in two different episodes — Lou Bates in 1982's "Little Lou" and Owen in 1979's "Annabelle," respectively.
In addition to his acting career, Barty was the founder of Little People of America, which helped people with dwarfism. He also helped draft the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990.
Barty died on December 23, 2000, at the age of 76.
