Far Out Space Nuts` Star Patty Maloney Dies at 89

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Actress Patty Maloney, who stood at just 3 feet 11 inches tall and brought the characters Honk from the TV show ‘Far Out Space Nuts‘ and Lumpy, Chewbacca’s son, in the much-missed ‘Star Wars Holiday Special’, has passed away. She was 89 years old.

Maloney, who had endured multiple strokes throughout her life, passed away on Monday at a hospice facility located in Winter Park, Florida, as confirmed by her brother Dave Myrabo to The Hollywood Reporter. In his words, “For someone small in stature but big in ambition, she accomplished everything she desired.

I had the privilege of collaborating with the extraordinary 3-foot-10 performer Billy Barty in numerous projects. We graced the screen together in the 1981 film “Under the Rainbow,” featuring Chevy Chase, as well as episodes of “Little House on the Prairie,” “Charlie’s Angels,” “The Love Boat,” “Trapper John, M.D.” and many more.

In a single season (1975-76), the comedy series “Far Out Space Nuts” aired on CBS, featuring Bob Denver and Chuck McCann as hapless maintenance workers who found themselves inadvertently traveling through space. The character Maloney’s furry companion, Honk, didn’t talk but instead communicated via a horn atop its head.

In the year 2007, Hal Erickson, in his book titled ‘Sid and Marty Krofft: A Critical Study of Saturday Morning Children’s Television 1969-1993’, expressed admiration for a performer who managed to express an entire spectrum of emotions through dance and mime in the production ‘Honk’. Remarkably, she did this without uttering a single word of dialogue and with her facial expressions completely hidden.

Few found anything related to “The Star Wars Holiday Special,” which was broadcast a week before Thanksgiving in 1978 on CBS, particularly appealing. This special featured actors from “Star Wars” alongside celebrities such as Bea Arthur, Art Carney, and Harvey Korman.

George Lucas is said to have expressed, “A few years following its release, if I had the time and a sledgehammer, I would locate every unauthorized copy of the program and destroy them.

In the heart of the family-oriented storyline, I stepped into the shoes of Chewbacca’s son, a role initially brought to life by Peter Mayhew in the first “Star Wars” movie. This particular episode even presented Chewbacca’s father and spouse for the first time.

She recounted in a 2008 interview that her Lumpy costume was constructed entirely from human hair, making it exceptionally warm. I distinctly remember working on The Towering Inferno, performing a stunt there, and afterward heading to Stan Winston’s studio for the face fitting since he was responsible for the makeup and electronic components in the headpiece.

Patricia Ann Maloney was born on the 17th of March, 1936, in Perkinsville, New York. Tragically, her father passed away when she was only 7 years old. From then on, she grew up in Winter Park under the care of her mother, Kay, and her stepfather, Jerry, who worked as an accountant.

Maloney showcased his talents at a traveling circus, specifically with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, and furthered his education at the University of Florida.

In the year 1961, she tied the knot with Joseph Vitek, a print worker residing in Chicago. However, following his demise due to melanoma in 1968, her friends encouraged her to revisit her performing career as a means of coping with her sorrow.

She functioned as a puppeteer in the 1972 film adaptation of the Krofft brothers’ live puppet show, titled “Fol-de-Pol”, which was set at a medieval fair. Simultaneously, Barty was involved, and in 1976, they both landed roles in a pilot for a CBS sitcom named “Don’t Call Us“, where Jack Gilford and Marty King portrayed the owners of a talent agency.

They frequently appeared on a 1978-79 NBC variety show, which was produced by The Bay City Rollers and hosted by them. Later, they collaborated once more in a 1982 CBS special that starred Cheryl Ladd.

She also appeared for the Kroffts on Brady Bunch and Donny & Marie variety shows.

In my gaming resume, you’ll find I’ve starred in some classic titles like ‘The Ice Pirates’ (1984), ‘Swing Shift’ (1984), and ‘Ernest Saves Christmas’ (1988). I’ve also been part of the cast for TV shows such as ‘Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman’, ‘Rhoda’, ‘Buck Rogers in the 25th Century’, ‘Married… With Children’, ‘Star Trek: Voyager’, ‘Nash Bridges’, and ‘My Name Is Earl’.

She also did voice work and operated the Crypt Keeper puppet on HBO’s Tales From the Crypt.

Apart from her brother, she also has surviving relatives: her nieces Jennifer and Laura, as well as her brother-in-law, Vic.

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2025-04-01 21:55