Judith Barsi

For much of the 1980s, waif-like Judith Barsi was one of the most recognizable child stars in show business. Her tiny stature that was an ongoing issue, and at one point she was put on growth hormones. But ironically, it was that very quality that launched her career; she was discovered at a skating rink in California, mistaken for a three-year-old when she was already over five. Over the following years, little Judith kept a schedule that would have been challenging for an adult. She appeared in over 70 commercials and had numerous guest-starring roles in some of the best-known TV series of the era, including sitcoms "Punky Brewster" and "Growing Pains." In time, Barsi was making six figures and supporting her family. She had parts in live-action movies like 1987's "Jaws: The Revenge," but the work that gave her the greatest pleasure was voicing characters in the animated features "The Land Before Time" and "All Dogs go to Heaven." She was already dreaming of a lifelong career as a voiceover artist when, after years of hideous abuse at the hand of her father, she was murdered by him around her 10th birthday. Her mother was also gunned down, and the two were buried together. "All Dogs Go To Heaven" was released a year-and-a-half later. The song that played over the closing credits was dedicated to little Judith.