De Treaux made her screen debut at a young age, appearing as one of the three sinister creatures in the television horror film Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (1973). The role required extensive prosthetic work, and special adaptations were made to accommodate her size and mobility. Following this early success, she continued performing on stage, including appearances at the Dickens Faire, and also worked in television commercials.
In 1980, De Treaux served as a stand-in for the child actress in Little Miss Marker. That same year, she became involved with a San Francisco–based musical group called the Medflies. During one of the group’s performances in Los Angeles, she was noticed by filmmaker Steven Spielberg. This encounter led to her involvement in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, in which multiple performers were used to bring the alien character to life through suit work and physical performance.
De Treaux later appeared in the cult horror film Ghoulies (1985), where her performance stood out even among critics who were otherwise dismissive of the film. She returned to the stage in 1989, performing in Divinas Palabras by Ramón del Valle-Inclán in a Los Angeles production staged by The Bilingual Foundation for the Arts.
In 1990, she was featured as a model in Daphne and Apollo, Los Angeles, a photographic work by Joel Peter Witkin. Her artistic sensibility and personal writings also left a lasting impression beyond film and theater. She was a close friend of author Armistead Maupin, whose novel Maybe the Moon was heavily influenced by De Treaux’s diaries; the book’s protagonist, Cadence Roth, draws directly from her life and perspective.
Personal Life
De Treaux stood 31 inches tall and had dwarfism. She developed an interest in acting at the age of thirteen and was known for her creativity, including making many of her own clothes. She graduated from San Leandro High School in California in 1978.
She died on November 28, 1990, at the age of 31, from respiratory and heart complications at the North Hollywood Medical Center. She is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills.
Filmography
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Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (1973) – Creature (television film)
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Little Miss Marker (1980) – Stand-in
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E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) – Performer
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Ghoulies (1984) – Greedigut
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Rockula (1990) – Bat Dork
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The Linguine Incident (1991) – Camile
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Ted & Venus (1991) – Park Bench Lover (final film role)
