Billie Hayes

Billie Hayes (born August 5, 1932) is an American television, film, and stage actress, best known for her comic portrayals of Witchiepoo and Lil' Abner's Mammy Yokum.

Billie Hayes
Hayes c. 1969
Born (1932-08-05) August 5, 1932
Du Quoin, Illinois, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1956–2016
Websitewww.billiehayes.com

Early Years

Billie Hayes was born in the small town of DuQuoin, Illinois. Hayes started working in entertainment at the age of nine when she started tap dancing professionally in local theatres. When she was in her teens, she was working throughout the midwest. After performing her own act in Chicago, she went to New York.

Career

Hayes is an actress best known for her comic portrayal of Witchiepoo on NBC's Sid and Marty Krofft television series H.R. Pufnstuf. Her characteristic cackle and animated physicality were notable during the show's 17-episode run in 1969–70. She reprised this role in The Paul Lynde Halloween Special and the second and final season of The Banana Splits Adventure Hour (September 6-December 13, 1969) on NBC. Hayes portrayed a similar character in other roles, including a 1971 episode of Bewitched ("Hansel and Gretel in Samantha-Land"), Weenie the Genie in the Sid and Marty Krofft program Lidsville, and Maw Weskitt in Episode 39 of the second season of The Monkees ("Hillbilly Honeymoon").

Hayes played Mammy Yokum in the 1956 Broadway musical Li'l Abner,[1] the 1959 film version, and a 1971 TV special. She appeared on the soap opera General Hospital as Robert Scorpio's mentor, "O'Reilly", in 1981 and 1985, and did the voiceover for the character Mother Mae-Eye on the animated series Teen Titans and the character Granny Applecheeks in The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy. Hayes also had a short role in The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald as One-Eyed Sally.

Her first voice role was as a character named Orgoch on the Disney feature film The Black Cauldron in 1985. Other voice work has included roles on cartoons such as The Further Adventures of SuperTed, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Johnny Bravo, W.I.T.C.H., The Batman, TaleSpin, The Brothers Flub, Bubble Guppies, Rugrats, Transformers: Rescue Bots, Duckman, Shrek Forever After, Bonkers, Problem Child, Siegfried and Roy: Masters of the Impossible and Darkwing Duck.

Later years

Hayes is the president of the animal rescue organization Pet Hope, which she founded in 1984 to care for and find homes for abandoned animals. On her personal website, Hayes offers autographed photos for donations to Pet Hope as charity.

References
  1. Li'l Abner at the Internet Broadway Database
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