Amy Roloff

Amy Roloff was an American actress, author, and activist who first rose to prominence when her family was featured on a groundbreaking TLC reality show that set out to depict dwarfism in an everyday way. Throughout the next decade plus, audiences watched as Roloff and her family went through triumphs and tragedies alike, through marriages, divorces, and deaths. Born Amy Knight on September 17, 1964 in Michigan, Roloff was born with a type of dwarfism called achondroplasia. She stands at four feet, two inches tall. After attending Central Michigan University, Roloff began a career as a preschool teacher, while also donating her time and efforts to philanthropic causes related to the dwarfism community. In 1987, she married Matt Roloff, a fellow dwarf with a career in computer software sales. In 1990, she gave birth to twin boys: one twin, Jeremy, was of average height, while the other, Zach, was born with achondroplasia. Over the next seven years, Roloff gave birth to a daughter, Molly, and another son, Jacob, both of whom were of average height. In 2004, the family were approached by TLC to be the subjects of a reality program. Two years later, "Little People, Big World" (TLC, 2006-2012, 2013-) premiered to positive reviews and massive ratings. The show continued on for another five seasons, before TLC announced its cancellation in 2012. In the meantime, the network began airing a limited spinoff series, "Little People, Big World: Wedding Farm" (TLC, 2012), which centered around the Roloff family's efforts to turn their pumpkin farm into a year-round tourist attraction. The six-episode series was such a big hit that TLC soon announced that "Little People, Big World" would return for a seventh season in 2013. The ensuing years saw the three eldest Roloff children marrying and starting families of their own (save for Jacob, who left home at age 18 and refused to participate any further in the show), while the Roloffs' marriage ended in divorce in 2016.