Judith Eva Barsi (June 6, 1978 – July 25, 1988) was an American child actress. She began her career in television, making appearances in commercials and television series, as well as the 1987 film Jaws: The Revenge. She also provided the voices of Ducky in The Land Before Time and Anne-Marie in All Dogs Go to Heaven, both released after her death. She and her mother, Maria, were killed in July 1988 in a double murder–suicide committed in their home by her father, József Barsi.
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Early life
Judith Eva Barsi was born in Los Angeles County, California, on June 6, 1978, the daughter of József Istvan and Maria Barsi.
Career
Maria Barsi began preparing her daughter to become an actress when Judith was five. Barsi's first role was in Fatal Vision (1984), playing Kimberley MacDonald. She went on to appear in more than seventy commercials and guest roles on television. As well as her career in television, she appeared in the film Jaws: The Revenge (1987). She provided the voices of Ducky in The Land Before Time (1988), and Anne-Marie in All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989).
By the time she began fourth grade, Barsi was earning an estimated $100,000 per year (equivalent to $272,000 in 2025) allowing her family to buy a three-bedroom house in West Hills, Los Angeles. As she was short for her age—3 ft 8 in (112 cm) at age 10—she began receiving hormone injections at UCLA to encourage her growth. Her petiteness led casting directors to cast her in roles as children who were younger than her actual age. Her agent Ruth Hansen was quoted in the Los Angeles Times as saying that when she was ten, "she was still playing 7, 8 (years of age)."
