Legend Billy Barty Is Larger Than Life

"(Billy Barty) is one of the last remaining icons of this town."

Actor Danny Woodburn
NBC's "Seinfeld"

From Vaudeville to talkies, he's worked with seven decades of stars. He's shared the screen with the likes of Mickey Rooney, James Cagney, Ruby Keeler, Ginger Rogers, Rod Steiger, Val Kilmer, Ron Howard, Amy Irving and Goldie Hawn. Your grandparents may remember his movies from the '30s and '40s, and you may know him from blockbusters in the '80s and '90s. How many stars can boast that? In fact, he has one of the most prolific Hollywood careers, with more than 200 movies and countless television appearances to his credit.

And through his work in film and television, Billy Barty has become a legendary actor. Barty's also worked tirelessly to change the public's perception of little people. Today, little people are finally taking their rightful role as respected actors, rather than novelties. And "Seinfeld's" Danny Woodburn and "Drew Carey's" Debbie Carrington prove that Barty's work has not been in vain.

Billy The Kid
At 3 feet 9 inches tall, there is no question that Barty is small in stature. But he's got big-time star power. The 76-year-old Barty had the energy of a 20-year-old and the wit of a vaudeville player. And why shouldn't he? Show biz is what he knows best.

Barty started his career at the age of 3, traveling with his sisters on the vaudeville circuit.

"You know, the two-day, three-day traveling down South and up North," Barty tells me. "My mom took care of us backstage and my father kind of managed us."

The siblings' act was musical comedy.

"I played the drums and sang. My younger sister played the violin, and she sang, and she and I used to dance together the old jitterbugs. My older sister was the pianist," Barty says.

But vaudeville was only the beginning. Barty was soon to launch a film career that would span 70 years.

Life Of The Barty
"I started (in movies) in 1927," Barty says of his big break.

His father had Barty audition for a film director outside the gates of the old MGM studios in Hollywood. That audition landed him a small role in the feature "Wedding Blisters" with Hugh Hubert. Barty went on to star as Mickey Rooney's little brother in the famed "Mickey McGuire" comedy shorts.

And in just how many movies has Barty acted? Even he has to stop and think.

"About 200," he says. "Maybe more."

His credits include such charmers as "Willow" with Val Kilmer, "Foul Play" with Goldie Hawn, "Under the Rainbow" and voicing the animated "Rescuers Down Under."

Barty has also visited our living rooms countless times, boasting an impressive list of television credits.

"(I've been in) television from 1946 on through today," Barty tells me. And he isn't kidding.

His resume looks like the history of the medium. Barty has appeared as a star or guest star on "The Colgate Comedy Hour," "The Spike Jones Show," "NBC Comedy Hour," "Rawhide," "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour," "Get Smart," "The Redd Foxx Show," "The Waltons," "Barney Miller," "Charlie's Angels," "Little House on the Prairie," "The Golden Girls" and "Frasier," just to name a few.

Just My Size
"I didn't think about it. It never bothered me," Barty says of his size.

But Barty is well aware that other little people face tremendous challenges from societal misconceptions to their own specialized medical needs.

So in 1957, Barty founded Little People of America, which provided a place where little people could form a community. Then in 1975, Barty established the Billy Barty Foundation.

"(The foundation) provides scholarships and help with medical direction and advice," Barty tells me.

Every year, the foundation raises money through two major events: a celebrity golf tournament in Palm Springs, Calif., and a St. Patrick's Day fund-raiser in Los Angeles.

Corned Beef, Potatoes And Dough
Barty's St. Patrick's Day fund-raiser at the famed Laugh Factory in West Hollywood was a treat. Not only did we get traditional corned beef and potatoes, but laughs as well. Comedians like Jay Mohr and "Seinfeld's" Danny Woodburn turned out to support the cause. All proceeds from the event went to the Billy Barty Foundation.

I caught up with Woodburn before his act.

Woodburn tells me that Hollywood, like society, often pigeonholed actors who are little people. But his career, thanks to people like Barty, is more about him being an actor, rather than being a "sight gag" or stereotype.

"The thing about the 'Seinfeld' shows was that I was perceived just like any other jerky quirky ('Seinfeld') character. (The 'Seinfeld' cast was) all crazy, they're all weird," Woodburn says about the cast of crazy New Yorkers with a penchant for "talking about nothing" and getting into offbeat situations.

But Woodburn, like actress Debbie Carrington, who shared scenes on "Seinfeld," is proof that Hollywood is changing slowly but surely.

Carrington has appeared most recently on "Drew Carey" as Mini-Mimi. Woodburn stars in two new movies, "Flintstones 2: Viva Rock Vegas" and "Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her" with Kathy Baker, Cameron Diaz, Glenn Close and Calista Flockhart.

Perhaps much of the success of these little people can be traced to the groundbreaking work of Barty, who, after 72 years in show business (but who's counting?), is still proving that no matter what your size or shape, it's your attitude that matters most.

As Barty says: "The main barrier (one has) to conquer is the one between your ears."

Photos by Jeff Lorch and
courtesy of the Billy Barty Foundation.

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