Judith Barsi

Judith Eva Barsi (June 6, 1978 - July 25, 1988) was an American child actress of the 1980s. She began her career in television, making appearances in commercials and television shows, and later appeared in the films Jaws: The Revenge, The Land Before Time, and All Dogs Go to Heaven, providing the voice for animated characters in the latter two. She and her mother, Maria, were killed in July 1988 as a result of a double murder–suicide perpetrated in their home by her father, József.
== Family history ==
Barsi’s father, József, fled Communist Hungary after the 1956 Soviet occupation. He relocated to New York in 1964, and then to California,[2] where he met Maria Virovacz, also a Hungarian immigrant escaping the Soviet occupation.[1] They married and moved to Los Angeles, California where, on June 6, 1978, Barsi was born.[3]
== Career ==
Maria Barsi began grooming her daughter to become an actress, and at the age of five, she was discovered at a skating rink.[1] Barsi's first role was in Fatal Vision, playing Kimberley MacDonald. She went on to appear in more than seventy commercials and guest roles on television.[4] As well as her career in television, she appeared in several films, including Jaws: The Revenge, and provided the voices of Ducky in The Land Before Time, and Anne-Marie in All Dogs Go to Heaven.
By the time she started fourth grade, Barsi was earning an estimated $100,000 a year, which helped her family buy a three-bedroom house in West Hills, Los Angeles.[5] As she was short for her age—she stood 3 ft 8 in (1.12 m) at age 10[1]—she began receiving hormone injections at UCLA to encourage her growth. Her petiteness led casting directors to cast her as children that were younger than her actual age. Her agent was quoted in The Los Angeles Timesas saying that when she was ten, "she was still playing 7, 8."[1]
== Aftermath ==
Barsi’s final film, All Dogs Go to Heaven, in which she provided the speaking voice of Anne-Marie, was released in November 1989.[13] Don Bluth, the director of The Land Before Time and All Dogs Go To Heaven, described her as "absolutely astonishing. She understood verbal direction, even for the most sophisticated situations,"[14] and he intended to feature her extensively in his future productions.[15] The end credits song "Love Survives" was dedicated in her memory.
== Filmography ==
Year 	Title 	Role 	Notes
1984 	Fatal Vision 	Kimberly (age 3) 	Miniseries
1984 	Jessie 	Katie 	Episode: "Valerie's Turn"
1985 	Kids Don't Tell 	Jennifer Ryan 	Television movie
1985 	Do You Remember Love 	Kathleen 	Television movie
1985 	Knots Landing 	Bratty Girl 	Episode: "#14 with a Bullet"
1985 	The Twilight Zone 	Gertie 	Segment: "A Little Peace and Quiet"
1985 	There Were Times, Dear 	Molly Reed 	Television movie
1985 	The Fall Guy 	Little Girl 	Episode: "Escape Claus"
1986 	Remington Steele 	Laurie Beth Piper 	Episode: "Suburban Steele"
1986 	Punky Brewster 	Anna 	2 episodes
1986 	Trapper John, M.D. 	Lindsay Christmas 	Episode: "Life, Death and Dr. Christmas"
1986 	Cheers 	Child #1 	Episode: "Relief Bartender"
1986 	Cagney & Lacey 	Shauna Bard 	Episode: "Disenfranchised"
1986 	The New Gidget 	Little Girl 	Episode: "It's Only Rock & Roll"
1986 	Eye of the Tiger 	Jennifer Matthews 	
1986 	The Love Boat 	Christmas Angel 	Episode: "The Christmas Cruise: Part 2"
1987 	Destination America 	Amy 	Television movie
1987 	Slam Dance 	Bean 	
1987 	Jaws: The Revenge 	Thea Brody 	
1987–88	The Tracey Ullman Show 	Little Girl / Karen 	2 episodes
1988 	St. Elsewhere 	Debbie Oppenheimer 	Episode: "The Abby Singer Show"
1988 	Growing Pains 	Young Carol 	Episode: "Graduation Day"
1988 	ABC Afterschool Special 	Billie Foster 	Episode: "A Family Again"; Released posthumously
1988 	Princess Atta (1988 film)	Princess Atta (voice)	Released posthumously
1988 	The Land Before Time 	Ducky (voice) 	Released posthumously
1989 	All Dogs Go to Heaven 	Anne-Marie (voice) 	Released posthumously
1992 	Growing Pains 	Young Carol 	Episode: "The Last Picture Show, part 2" (archive footage from "Graduation Day")
Category:1978 births
Category:1988 deaths
Category:Actresses from Los Angeles, California
Category:American child actresses
Category:American film actresses
Category:American voice actresses
Category:Disney people
Category:Hanna-Barbera people
Category:The Land Before Time
Category:All Dogs Go to Heaven
Category:Oliver the Kitten films
Category:Oliver & Company
Category:The Pebble and the Penguin
Category:Don Bluth people
Category:Thames Television people
Category:American people of Hungarian descent
Category:20th-century American actresses
Category:American television actresses