Actress Dana Hill was born Dana Goetz on May 6, 1964 in Los Angeles,
California. Her father was a director of commercials, and landed Dana her first
job. To get roles on her own merit and not because of her father, Dana took her
mother's maiden-name, Hill, as her professional name. She soon graduated from
commercials to guest spots on popular television shows such as "Family," and by
1981 was appearing as regular cast member of CBS', "The Two of Us."
Diagnosed with childhood diabetes, which impeded her growth, Dana was able to
convincingly play roles younger than her years. It was the role of a child targetted
by a pornographer in the highly-rated made-for-television movie, "Fallen Angel,"
that would bring Dana her first taste of critical and professional success. (Her
performance garnished her a Best Actress win at the Third Annual Youth in Film
Awards.) In 1982, she gave what might be the best performance of her career, in
the critically acclaimed feature, "Shoot The Moon." Starring as the oldest daughter
in a family torn apart by divorce, Dana's gut-wrenching performance is nothing
short of electrifying. By the middle 1980s, Dana had been nominated for numerous
young actress awards for her film and television work.
In addition to her impressive film work, Dana also appeared on stage. In 1982,
she starred alongside Tony Award-winner Pearl Bailey, in the acclaimed live NBC
theater presentation of "The Member of the Wedding." For her performance in "Picnic,"
she won the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award, and was a co-star in the Pasadena
Playhouse production of "The Steel Magnolias."
Several features and TV-movies followed throughout the 1980s, until health problems
forced Dana to move on to voice-over work. Dana was a regular voice in the popular
series "Duckman," and throughout the early 1990s, was featured in a host of other
TV-shows and features.
Sadly, Dana's illness took its toll on her body. In 1996, her diabetes worsened
and she slipped into a diabetic coma. She suffered a stroke and passed away on
July 15, 1996. She was 32 years old.
For more detailed
information on Dana's life, check the Articles page.
To read more about her
impressive body of work, check out the Filmography.
Articles
| Filmography
| Pictures
| Links
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