Dana Hill was an American actress best remembered for her role in the comedy film “National Lampoon’s European Vacation.” As a child, she showed real promise in athletics, but that path was cut short when she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 10. While the illness took a toll on her physical stamina, it did nothing to dampen her determination. Even facing strong objection from her father, she chose to pursue acting as a career. Drawing inspiration from Mary Tyler Moore, another actress who lived with diabetes, Dana went on to appear in numerous TV commercials and series by the time she finished school. By age 17, she had made a name for herself with her performance in “Fallen Angel,” where she convincingly played Jennifer Phillips, a 12-year-old victim of molestation. She continued taking on a variety of roles afterward. Notably, the same condition that had ended her athletic ambitions also affected her growth, which allowed her to believably play characters considerably younger than her actual age. At 22, she was forced to step away from acting after diabetes-related kidney damage caused noticeable facial puffiness. Rather than give up, she pivoted to voice acting, building a successful career in that field that she sustained until her death at age 32.
Childhood & Early Years
Dana Hill was born Dana Lynne Goetz on May 6, 1964, in Encino, Los Angeles, into a family with five generations of ties to the film and television industry. Her father, Theodore Arthur “Ted” Goetz, worked as a well-known director and producer of television commercials, while her mother, Sandy Goetz (née Hill), was a homemaker. Dana was the eldest of three children, with two younger brothers, Mathew and Daniel Goetz. Through her father’s earlier marriage to Jane Small, she also had four half-siblings, Beth, Jack, Amy, and Ted, one of whom, Beth, also died young from diabetes-related complications.
As a child, Dana was a strong athlete, excelling in swimming, basketball, and track during grade school. Her first commercial came in 1973, when she appeared alongside Boston Celtics player Dave Cowens spinning a basketball for a YMCA ad. At age 10, she placed third nationally in the 880-yard run and fourth in the mile, but weeks later, she collapsed during a race, and doctors discovered she had Type 1 diabetes.
The diagnosis ended her athletic ambitions. She was put on a strict sugar-free diet and required insulin injections, both of which she resented as a young child, and the disease left lasting effects on her growth and health. Still, her spirit remained unbroken, and by her early teens she had grown drawn to acting, inspired in part by Mary Tyler Moore, who also lived with Type 1 diabetes. She attended the now-closed Cal Prep High School in Van Nuys, graduating in 1981, and during her school years she appeared in plays as well as roughly six commercials and eight TV series.
Career of Dana Hill
Dana made her television debut in 1978 at age 14, playing a Girl Scout in the “Mork the Gullible” episode of “Mork & Mindy.” Her father disapproved, but she remained committed to acting. She adopted her mother’s maiden name, Hill, as her stage name so she could earn roles based on her own talent rather than her father’s industry connections, avoiding any suggestion of nepotism.
In 1979, she appeared in two TV films, as Debbie in “The Paul Williams Show” and Courtney Featherstone in “Featherstone’s Nest,” along with a role as Maggie Joy in the miniseries “The French Atlantic Affair.” The following year, she played Kim Lissick in “The $5.20 an Hour Dream” and Foxy Cooper in “The Kids Who Knew Too Much,” plus single-episode appearances on “ABC Afterschool Special” and “Family.”
Her breakout came in 1981, when at age 17 she played Jennifer Phillips, a 12-year-old molestation survivor, in the TV movie “Fallen Angel,” a role made more convincing by her youthful appearance, a side effect of her diabetes. The performance earned her a Young Artist Award and established her as an actress following the film’s February release. That April, she landed the role of Gabby Gallagher in the CBS sitcom “The Two of Us,” appearing in all 20 episodes of its run beginning April 6.
In 1982, she took on her first dramatic film role as Sherry Dunlap in “Shoot the Moon” and played Frankie Adams in the TV adaptation of Carson McCullers’ “The Member of the Wedding.” She also guest-starred as Libby in an episode of “The Fall Guy” that year, returning to the series in 1983 as Cassie Farraday and again in 1986 as Loser.
In 1983, she starred as Ellie Turner in “Cross Creek,” based on Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’ memoir, and appeared as Willie in an episode of “Magnum, P.I.,” as well as in the TV short “Branagan and Mapes.” In 1984, she played Cindy Lewis in the TV film “Silence of the Heart” and Geraldine “Jellybean” Oxley in a “CBS Schoolbreak Special” episode. That September, she guest-starred as Princess Amanda on “Faerie Tale Theatre,” returning the following year as a guest interviewer.
1985 brought two film roles: the title character in “Waiting to Act” and Audrey Griswold in “National Lampoon’s European Vacation,” released that July and one of her most celebrated performances. In 1986, she appeared in the TV films “Combat Academy” and “Picnic,” the latter earning her an L.A. Drama Critics Circle award. Shortly afterward, her health declined sharply; diabetes-related kidney damage left her face visibly puffy, and casting offers dried up.
Later Career of Dana Hill
Starting in 1987, Dana reinvented herself as a voice actress, since on-screen roles were no longer available to her. She voiced characters in two episodes of “Pound Puppies” and, during 1987-88, voiced Scrappy in 19 episodes of “Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures.” She also contributed to “The Flintstone Kids’ Say No Special,” “The Adventures of Raggedy Ann & Andy,” and “Fantastic Max.”
In 1989, she voiced Marvin in the TV short “Marvin, Baby of the Year,” and in 1990 returned to film work voicing Teddy 2 in “Jetsons: The Movie,” along with voicing Ginger in seven episodes of the CBS sitcom “Sugar and Spice.” In 1991, she made her final on-screen acting appearance as Francy in the TV movie “Final Verdict,” and also voiced Danny in the animated film “Rover Dangerfield.” Around this same period, she voiced Kevin in 14 episodes of “Widget” and Tank Muddlefoot in 11 episodes of “Darkwing Duck,” in addition to work on “The Legend of Prince Valiant” and “Rugrats.”
In 1992, she voiced Jerry Mouse in “Tom and Jerry: The Movie,” her final theatrical film, and continued in television with roles voicing Sparks in “P.J. Sparkles” and Max Goof in “Goof Troop Christmas.” From 1992 to 1993, she voiced Max Goof in 70 episodes of “Goof Troop,” and from 1994 to 1997 voiced Charles in 46 episodes of “Duckman,” regarded as one of her standout later projects. Her final credits included “Timon & Pumbaa” (1995), “What-a-Mess” (1995-96), “The Hot Rod Dogs and Cool Car Cats” (1996), “Adventures from the Book of Virtues” (1996), and “The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper” (1996). Her career came to an end when she fell into a diabetic coma in May 1996.
Major Works of Dana Hill
Dana Hill is most remembered for her role as Audrey Griswold in the 1985 hit “National Lampoon’s European Vacation,” which topped the box office with an opening weekend gross of $12,329,627. She’s also well regarded for her performance as Sherry Dunlap in the 1982 film “Shoot the Moon,” which many critics consider the finest work of her career.
Death & Legacy of Dana Hill
Dana’s health struggles began at age 10 with her Type 1 diabetes diagnosis, and by 22 she faced additional complications, including kidney problems that caused facial puffiness and gastroparesis, a diabetic condition that severely disrupts digestion.
She kept her struggles hidden from her parents, instead depending on close friends to get her to the hospital when needed. Starting around spring 1995, she reportedly began experiencing mood swings and was prescribed antidepressants, and may have drifted from her required diet during this time.
In late May 1996, she slipped into a diabetic coma, followed by a massive paralytic stroke on June 5. She passed away 40 days later, on July 15, 1996, at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, at age 32. She was survived by her parents and all her siblings and half-siblings except Beth. She was cremated at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills, with her ashes given to family members.