Dana Hill

Dana Hill (born Dana Lynne Goetz; May 6, 1964 – July 15, 1996) was an American actress and voice artist. As a live-action actress, she was known for playing Audrey Griswold in National Lampoon's European Vacation, and also known for her roles in Shoot the Moon and Cross Creek. As a voice actress, she was known for her work as Max Goof in Goof Troop. Hill had diabetes which affected physical growth which meant that she often played children into adolescence and beyond.
== Early life and health issues ==
Dana Lynne Goetz was born on May 6, 1964 in Los Angeles, California, to Sandy Hill and Theodore Arthur "Ted" Goetz, a director of commercials. A diagnosis of Type I diabetes at an early age ended her athletic career; a 1982 article in People magazine reported that Hill, at age 10, had placed third nationwide in the 880-yard run and fourth in the mile run. A few weeks later, she collapsed on the track, which resulted in her medical diagnosis. The diabetes affected her growth and caused lifelong health complications.
== Teen years ==
Despite her father's strong discouragement, Hill's initial work was in commercials (her first job was a 1973 commercial for the YMCA, spinning a basketball on her finger with Boston Celtics center Dave Cowens). However, to avoid the appearance of nepotism, she used her mother's maiden name and devoted herself to acting as a career. She appeared in guest roles on such programs as Family before landing a major role on the 1981–1982 CBS series The Two of Us as Gabrielle "Gabby" Gallagher. While filming this series, the 17-year-old Hill would sometimes be pulled over by the police while driving to the studio because she looked too young to drive.
Her breakthrough role was in the 1981 made-for-TV movie Fallen Angel. The 17-year-old Hill played 12-year-old molestation victim Jennifer Phillips, a role that earned her a Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress in a Television Special.
The Two of Us was an American sitcom starring Peter Cook and Mimi Kennedy which was broadcast from 1981 to 1982. It was produced by CBS as a U.S. remake of the British LWT sitcom Two's Company (1975–1979). Cook played an English butler named Brentwood, who was working for a single American mother, Nan Gallagher (Kennedy). Dana Hill played Nan's twelve-year-old daughter, Gabby.
In 1982, Hill played Sherry Dunlap in Shoot the Moon. The same year, she played Frankie Addams, the lead character in the made-for-TV adaptation of The Member of the Wedding, co-starring with Pearl Bailey. In 1983, she starred with Rip Torn and Mary Steenburgen in the film Cross Creek, a semi-biographical story about Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, author of The Yearling.
In 1982 and 1983, Hill made two guest appearances in the TV series The Fall Guy. In season 1, episode 18 "Child's Play", she played a young girl called Libby. In season 2, episode 20 "P.S. I Love You" she had the role of 21-year-old stuntwoman Cassie Farraday. In 1983, she made a guest appearance on Magnum, P.I. in the episode "Basket Case". She played Willie, a 13-year-old foster child who joined Magnum's youth basketball team.
At age 19, she starred in a 1984 CBS Schoolbreak Special titled Welcome Home, Jellybean, playing Geraldine "Jellybean" Oxley, a 12-year-old developmentally disabled girl whose parents take her out of an institution so she can experience a normal home life. The same year, she appeared in Shelley Duvall's 1980s children's TV series Faerie Tale Theatre, playing the princess in an episode titled "The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers".
In 1986, she had another role in the TV series The Fall Guy. She appeared in the episode "Tag Team".
Hill also played as a celebrity guest on the game show Body Language, hosted by Tom Kennedy.
== Film roles ==
The producers of the 1983 movie National Lampoon's Vacation were planning a sequel, but Anthony Michael Hall declined to reprise his role as son Rusty Griswold, choosing instead to do the film Weird Science. The producers decided to recast the roles of both Griswold children, and so for National Lampoon's European Vacation, Hill was chosen to replace Dana Barron, the original actress who portrayed Audrey.
Hill appeared as Sergeant Andrea Pritchett with George Clooney in Combat Academy (also known as Combat High), a 1986 film from the producers of Police Academy.
== Voice acting ==
Beginning in 1987, she provided the voice for Scrappy, the orphan mouse, on eight episodes of Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures. She also provided the voice of Toots in the episode "The Bright Eyes Mob" for Pound Puppies. She was Teddy-2 in Jetsons: The Movie (1990); from 1989–1991 she voiced Buddy on the animated children's television show Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears, in 1991 was the voice of Tank Muddlefoot on Darkwing Duck and in 1992–1993 was the voice of Max on Goof Troop. She was also the speaking voice of Tim (Tom's proclaimed twin brother) in Tom and Jerry Kids. Her voice was featured as Jerry Mouse in Tom and Jerry: The Movie, Norton in the DIC cartoon What-a-Mess, Charles Duckman in Duckman until her death in 1996. Following Hill's passing, Pat Musick replaced her as Charles and numerous characters in the Nickelodeon show Rugrats. She was also a semi-regular panelist on the 1990s version of To Tell the Truth.
== Death ==
Hill slipped into a diabetic coma in May 1996 and suffered a massive paralytic stroke the following month. On July 15, 1996, Hill died at age 32.
== Filmography ==
=== Film ===
Year	Title 	Role 	Notes
1981	Fallen Angel 	Jennifer Phillips	
1982	Shoot the Moon 	Sherry Dunlap 	
1983	Cross Creek 	Ellie Turner 	
1985	Waiting to Act 	Dana 	
1985	National Lampoon's European Vacation	Audrey Griswold 	
1990	Jetsons: The Movie 	Teddy 2 	Voice
1991	Rover Dangerfield 	Danny 	Voice
1992	Tom and Jerry: The Movie 	Jerry Mouse 	Voice; final film role
=== Television ===
Year 	Title 	Role 	Notes
1978 	Mork & Mindy 	Girl Scout 	Episode: "Mork the Gullible"
1979 	The Paul Williams Show 	Debbie 	TV film
1979 	Featherstone's Nest 	Courtney Featherstone 	TV film
1979 	The French Atlantic Affair 	Maggie Joy 	TV miniseries
1980 	The $5.20 an Hour Dream 	Kim Lissick 	TV film
1980 	The Kids Who Knew Too Much 	Foxy Cooper 	TV film
1980 	ABC Afterschool Special 	Michelle Mudd 	Episode: "What Are Friends For?"
1980 	Family 	Martha 	Episode: "Smarts"
1981 	Fallen Angel 	Jennifer Phillips 	TV film
1981–82 	The Two of Us 	Gabrielle 'Gabby' Gallagher 	Main role; 20 episodes
1982 	The Member of the Wedding 	Frankie Addams 	TV film
1982, 1983, 1986	The Fall Guy 	Libby, Cassie Farraday, Loser 	Episode: "Child's Play", "P.S. I Love You", "Tag Team"
1983 	Magnum, P.I. 	Willie 	Episode: "Basket Case"
1983 	Branagan and Mapes 	Gussie Mapes 	TV short
1984 	CBS Schoolbreak Special 	Geraldine 'Jellybean' Oxley 	Episode: "Welcome Home, Jellybean"
1984 	Silence of the Heart 	Cindy Lewis 	TV film
1984, 1985 	Faerie Tale Theatre 	Princess Amanda, Guest Interviewee	Episode: "The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers", "Grimm Party"
1986 	Picnic 	Millie Owens 	TV film
1986 	Combat Academy 	Sgt. Andrea Pritchett 	TV film
1987 	Pound Puppies 	Toots / Colin 	Voice; 2 episodes
1987–1988 	Mighty Mouse the New Adventures 	Orphan Scrappy / Kid Mouse 	Voice; regular role; 19 episodes
1988 	The Flintstone Kids' Just Say No Special 	Stoney 	Voice; TV film
1988 	The Adventures of Raggedy Ann & Andy 	Raggedy Dog 	Voice
1988 	Fantastic Max 	XS 	Voice; episodes: "Cooking Mother's Goose", "From Here to Twinkle, Twinkle", "Boo Who?"
1989 	Marvin, Baby of the Year 	Marvin Miller 	Voice; TV short
1990 	Bobby's World 	Markie 	Regular Role; 4 episodes
1990 	Sugar and Spice 	Ginger 	Regular role; 7 episodes
1990, 1991 	Adventures of the Gummi Bears 	Buddy Gummi 	Voice; episodes: "Return to Ursalia", "The Rite Stuff"
1990–91 	Widget 	Kevin 	Voice; regular role; 14 episodes
1991 	Final Verdict 	Francy 	TV film
1991 	Darkwing Duck 	Tank Muddlefoot 	Voice; recurring role; 11 episodes
1991 	The Legend of Prince Valiant 	Young Valiant 	Voice; episode: "The Gift"
1991–94 	Rugrats 	Various 	Voice; recurring role; 8 episodes
1992 	P.J. Sparkles 	Sparks 	Voice; TV film
1992 	Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 	Foster Fenwick 	Voice; episode: "Too Hot to Handle"
1992–93 	Goof Troop 	Max Goof 	Voice; main role; 70 episodes
1993 	Bonkers 	Timmy 	Voice; episodes: "Fistful of Anvils", "I Oughta Be in Toons"
1994 	Beethoven 	Timmy / Bully 	Voice; 2 episodes
1994–97 	Duckman 	Charles 	Voice; main role; 46 episodes
1995 	Timon & Pumbaa 	Nefu 	Voice; Episode: "Unlucky in Lesotho" / "Rafiki Fables: Rafiki's Apprentice"
1995–96 	What-a-Mess 	Norton / Archbishop of Canterbury 	Voice; 4 episodes
1996 	The Hot Rod Dogs and Cool Car Cats 	Hot Rod 	Voice; regular role; 7 episodes
1996 	Adventures from the Book of Virtues 	Joe Harper 	Voice; episode: "Work"
1996 	The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper	Wee Willie Winkle 	Voice; 1 episode
== References ==
== External links ==
* Dana Hill at Find a Grave
* Dana Hill at IMDb
Category:Non-Fanon
Category:1960s births
Category:People
Category:Real life
Category:Actresses
Category:Voice actresses