Marcia de Rousse as Dr. Ludwig & Stephen Moyer as Bill Compton {image via HBO}

American actress Marcia De Rousse, featured actress on the television series True Blood as Dr. Patricia Ludwig, passed on September 2, 2023 after a long illness. She had reportedly been suffering tremendously recently during her health struggles, and had reportedly took a nasty fall earlier this year.

Ms. LaRousse explained on a Facebook post “Who knew a fall in my doctor’s office would lead to my death? It caused my hiatal hernia to move to an area where it is now dangerous. Can’t eat, can’t breathe, just general misery. Palliative care comes soon, and we wait to turn into hospice and then to die. Thank you all for being great friends. Love to you.”

Ms. De Rousse was born in Doniphan, Missouri, USA in 1953. She died in Altadena, California. Ms. DeRousse was a Little Person (she was 4’4″.) She made her movie debut in Under the Rainbow (1981), which starred Billy Barty (Willow, Legend) as Otto Kriegling and Carrie Fisher (Star Wars, The Blues Brothers as Annie Clark. She had guest roles on The Fall Guy and St. Elsewhere. She appeared in the movie Tiptoes (2002) with Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones, Threshold) and Gary Oldman (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Dark Knight). She appeared in the horror film The Disappointments Room (2016) as Miss Judith.

She did stand-up comedy in her younger days. Like most actors, she preferred live theater to television or movies. She said once, ” I have to do theater every so often or I just go out of my mind.” She did warn would-be actors that Los Angeles is a difficult city to make a living as a theatrical performer. “Theater is my favorite BUT you can’t really make money in LA in theater. It’s really difficult to do. If you want to make a living in theater, you need to be in New York or London or somewhere besides here.”

She was nominated for Best Actress by the Ticketholder’s Awards for her role in the play The Sugar Bean Sisters.

Marcia De Rousse graduated from the University of Missouri. Originally, she planned to become a special education teacher. In an interview, she said “When I went to college, I believed that I was going to teach special ed, I’d really intended to do that but I walked past the theater department one day and walked in and that was it! I thought, “Oh no, this is home. This is where I’m supposed to be.”

She and her mother came to southern California after she graduated from college. She taught in the Pasadena public school system until a chance meeting with Billy Barty, led to a role in Under the Rainbow. Mr. Barty, who founded the Little People of America organization and was the most famous Little Person actor of the 20th century. He played Hugo on Dr. Shrinker, the High Aldwin in Willow (1988), Screwball in Legend (1985), and a host of other roles.

Though she enjoyed teaching, she found being a substitute teacher more convenient for auditions. Though she had comparitively few roles, the ones she did have were ones that horror fans, [and those who can afford to attend plays in the Los Angeles area], will long remember her. Rest in Peace, Ms. De Rousse.

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