Dana Hill

• Name — Dana Hill • Birth Name — Dana Lynne Goetz • Born — 6 May 1964 • Birthplace — Los Angeles, California, U.S. • Died — 15 July 1996 • Place of death — Burbank, California, U.S. • Other Names — Dana Hill-Goetz • Occupation — Actress • Years Active — 1978–1996 • Known for — Audrey Griswold in National Lampoon's European Vacation, Max Goof in Goof Troop • Television — See below

Dana Lynne Goetz was born on May 6, 1964, in the neighborhood of Encino in Los Angeles, California, to Theodore Arthur "Ted" Goetz, a director of commercials, and Sandy Hill. Excelling at swimming, basketball, and track, Hill placed third nationwide in the 880-yard run and fourth in the mile run at the age of ten. A few weeks later, she collapsed on the track, after which she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Standing under 5 feet 2 inches (1.57 metres), the disease caused her to stop growing for two years before being detected. Neglecting the disease at first, Hill adopted a sugar-free diet and daily insulin shots after being hospitalized many times. Hill gave up athletics after her physical strength deteriorated from the diabetes. Inspired by Mary Tyler Moore, Hill acted in theatrical productions in Cal Prep High School in Van Nuys, and several commercials. Hill graduated in 1981.

Hill landed a major role in The Two of Us (1981–1982) as Gabrielle "Gabby" Gallagher. While filming this series, the 16-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 television film Fallen Angel. The 16-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. 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. She starred with Rip Torn and Mary Steenburgen in the 1983 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". After being cast as Audrey Griswold in National Lampoon's European Vacation, Hill acted in a few roles on television before quitting due to a deteriorating appearance caused by her kidneys. At the age of 22, an agent persuaded her to do voice acting after watching her performance in the Los Angeles stage production of Picnic.

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, and Charles Duckman in Duckman until her death in 1996. She was also a semi-regular panelist on the 1990s version of To Tell the Truth. Hill also was a celebrity guest on the game shows Hot Potato (hosted by Bill Cullen), Body Language (hosted by Tom Kennedy) and on the 1990 version of To Tell the Truth.

Casting directors stopped hiring Hill as her body deteriorated over time. In 1996, Hill started to take antidepressants to combat mood swings. After being hospitalized for suffering a stomach disease and mood swings many times, Hill entered a diabetic coma in May, followed by a massive stroke on June 5. Hill died on July 15, at age 32 at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, and her remains were cremated.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1978 — Mork & Mindy — Girl Scout — Episode: "Mork the Gullible" • 1979 — The Paul Williams Show — Debbie — TV film • Featherstone's Nest — Courtney Featherstone • The French Atlantic Affair — Maggie Joy — TV miniseries • 1980 — The $5.20 an Hour Dream — Kim Lissick — TV film • The Kids Who Knew Too Much — Foxy Cooper • ABC Afterschool Special — Michelle Mudd — Episode: "What Are Friends For?" • Family — Martha — Episode: "Smarts" • 1981 — Fallen Angel — Jennifer Phillips — TV film • 1981–1982 — The Two of Us — Gabrielle "Gabby" Gallagher — Main role; 20 episodes • 1982 — The Member of the Wedding — Frankie Addams — TV film • 1982–1986 — The Fall Guy — Libby, Cassie Farraday, Loser — 3 episodes • 1983 — Magnum, P.I. — Willie — Episode: "Basket Case" • Branagan and Mapes — Gussie Mapes — TV short • 1984 — CBS Schoolbreak Special — Geraldine "Jellybean" Oxley — Episode: "Welcome Home, Jellybean" • Silence of the Heart — Cindy Lewis — TV film • 1984–1985 — Faerie Tale Theatre — Princess Amanda, Guest Interviewee — 2 episodes • 1986 — Picnic — Millie Owens — TV film • Combat Academy — Cadet Sergeant Andrea Pritchett • 1987 — Pound Puppies — Toots / Colin — Voice, 2 episodes • 1987–1988 — Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures — Orphan Scrappy / Kid Mouse — Voice, 19 episodes • 1988 — The Flintstone Kids' Just Say No Special — Stoney — Voice, TV film • The Adventures of Raggedy Ann and Andy — Raggedy Dog — Voice • Fantastic Max — XS — Voice, 3 episodes • 1989 — Marvin, Baby of the Year — Marvin Miller — Voice, TV short • 1990 — Bobby's World — Markie — Voice, 4 episodes • Sugar and Spice — Ginger — 7 episodes • 1990–1991 — Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears — Buddy Gummi — Voice, 2 episodes • Widget — Kevin — Voice, 14 episodes • 1991 — Final Verdict — Francy — TV film • Darkwing Duck — Tank Muddlefoot — Voice, 11 episodes • The Legend of Prince Valiant — Young Valiant — Voice, episode: "The Gift" • 1991–1994 — Rugrats — Various Characters — Voice, 8 episodes • 1992 — P.J. Sparkles — Sparks — Voice, TV film • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles — Foster Fenwick — Voice, episode: "Too Hot to Handle" • Goof Troop — Max Goof — Voice, main role; 70 episodes • 1993–1994 — The Pink Panther — Additional voices — Voice • Sonic the Hedgehog — Baby T Young Sally • 1993 — Bonkers — Timmy — Voice, 2 episodes • Droopy, Master Detective — Additional Voices — Voice • 1994 — Beethoven — Timmy / Bully — Voice, 2 episodes • 1994–1997 — Duckman — Charles — Voice, main role; 46 episodes • 1995–1996 — What-a-Mess — Norton / Archbishop of Canterbury — Voice, 4 episodes • 1996 — The Hot Rod Dogs and Cool Car Cats — Hot Rod — Voice, 7 episodes • Adventures from the Book of Virtues — Joe Harper — Voice, episode: "Work"; Posthumous release • The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper — Wee Willie Winkle — Voice, episode: "Leave It to Casper"; Posthumous release