Who was Patty Maloney on Little House on the Prairie? Tributes pour in as actress dies at 89

Patty Maloney, the beloved actress who had a long and wide-ranging career in Hollywood and television, passed away on March 31 at the age of 89.

Maloney’s brother, Dave Myrabo, spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about the actress’s death, revealing that she passed away in a hospice after suffering multiple strokes over several years.

Patty Maloney, who was 3-foot-11 tall, was known for her guest appearance on NBC’s Little House on the Prairie. Maloney played the role of Alice Bates in the ninth and last season of the historical drama in 1982. As per Woman’s World, Maloney’s character, who appeared in episode 5 of the ninth season, titled “Little Lou,” as the wife of Lou Bates who dies during childbirth, was much loved and remembered.

Tributes for Patty Maloney

Maloney’s frequent collaborators, Sid and Marty Krofft, paid tribute to the late actress on their socials, writing:

“It is with great sorrow we announce that Krofft legend Patty Maloney has passed away. She was involved in many Krofft shows, most notably her role as Honk from Far Out Space Nuts. We send our condolences to her family and assure her legacy will live on!”

Frank DeCaro, who appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, also took to Instagram to mourn Maloney. DeCaro posted an image of Maloney in her Honk costume from Far Out Space Nuts to pay tribute to the actress’ prominent role.

Podcaster Scott Michaels wrote on Instagram:

“Big Sadness: I just got word that little Patty Maloney has died at 89. Patty, on the right, was in Far Out Space Nuts, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and Don't Be Afraid of the Dark!”

While reminiscing Maloney’s storyline on Little House on the Prairie, a fan took to Reddit to pay homage to the actress, writing:

“Patty Maloney, may all of your roads be smooth as you ride into the setting sky in your Little House wagon.”

Patty Maloney's notable appearances

In her early years, Maloney got her start in the performing arts while working at carnivals and a circus.

She is especially remembered for playing Chewbacca’s son, Lumpy, in the 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special alongside Peter Mayhew, who reprised his role as Chewbacca. Speaking about her role during a 2008 interview with Scott Kirkwood commemorating the 39th anniversary of the special, Maloney reminisced:

“It was a lot of hard work, but it was also a lot of fun. It was great to be involved with all of the other characters, too.”

Maloney also revealed details about her Lumpy costume, which was made of real human hair. She said:

“It wasn't that uncomfortable, it was just extremely warm, very very warm. There was hardly any place to really breathe because the mouth needed to be closed a lot of the time...I remember a couple of times when I had to run up the steps of the tree, up from the downstairs while being chased, and run up the tree into my room... they had someone standing there that would open the mouth for me and put a straw through so that I could breathe and get some oxygen, some good clean oxygen!”

The actress is also known for playing Honk in Sid and Marty Krofft's Far Out Space Nuts. According to Forbes, Maloney also worked on Mary Hartman, The Brady Bunch Variety Hour, and Charlie’s Angels and teamed up with Sid and Marty Krofft for the one-season-long The Bay City Rollers Show.

Patty Maloney undoubtedly impacted many with her work in television and film throughout the years, and her performances especially touched the hearts of fans and industry co-workers.