Little legend: ‘Being 4ft 2in made me a big star’
Being a Little Woman has made her a big star! Despite her size, 4ft 2in Terra Jolé was never going to let herself be sold short...
Growing up, most little girls want to be a princess or a pop star, and I was no different. I’d always loved singing and dancing, making up little plays to perform to my parents.
So I was delighted when, aged five, I’d got the lead role in a school production of
Annie. I practised at home for weeks and had one of those toy dogs that flipped as Annie’s dog, Sandy.
Only, I never got to perform. Just hours before my starring role was meant to start, Mum told me the show had been cancelled. I was devastated.
It wasn’t until years later that Mum told me the truth. ‘The school was scared of your differences – the other adults and parents weren’t comfortable with you being on stage.’ I wasn’t angry or upset – sadly, I was used to it.
You see, I’d been born with achondroplasia dwarfism, and there weren’t many other little people around while I was growing up in Texas. Although my parents – both average-sized – had always been positive and supportive, I was picked on, pushed about and
‘I wasn’t going to give up on my big dreams’
discriminated against because of my 4ft 2in height.
But the way people treated me only made me more determined, and I certainly wasn’t going to give up on my big dreams because of my short stature.
Then, when I was 15, I attended the Little People of America Convention in Denver, Colorado, and met Joe Gnoffo. He was five years older than me and I was smitten. We became pen pals, and I wrote to other friends I’d made at the convention, too. I loved being in touch with people who understood what I’d been through and who I was.
In 2001, when I was 21, despite my mum’s hesitation, I moved to LA to pursue an acting career. Within two months, I’d landed a part in an Austin Powers film as the lead dancer.
‘That’s brilliant!’ my parents exclaimed. It felt like a huge achievement and I loved every minute of it. But it wasn’t long before I discovered that work like that wasn’t going to come along regularly. So, to make ends meet, I took a medical underwriting job, which depressed me.
By 2005, I’d moved back to Texas, where jobs were even tougher to come by. It took a while but I eventually landed a part in Mini Kiss – an impersonation band made up of dwarves. Sure, I’d have to wear make-up and pretend to be the lead singer of the rock band Kiss, Paul Stanley, but at least I’d be performing with a touring group. We worked worldwide at nightclubs, corporate events – it was such a blast. But I wanted people to see me. So, two years later, I invented ‘Mini Britney’. I had costumes made and learned the pop star’s dance routines – I already knew the words to most of her songs.
My first gig was at The Box nightclub in New York, and the crowd loved it! Belting out … Baby One More Time and I’m A Slave 4 You was so empowering.
In fact, it boosted my confidence enough for me to get back in touch with Joe. My act was due to headline in Vegas, and the company I was working for wanted a larger ‘mini’ cast. They were looking for someone who could drum and impersonate Tommy Lee of Mötley Crūe.
I suggested it to Joe, who had pseudoachondroplasia dwarfism, and he jumped at the chance. Being on the road together reignited our spark and we started dating. We went for hikes, visited museums, and Joe taught me poker. If people looked at us strangely, we didn’t notice – we were just happy being together.
But I was always thinking about my next business venture. ‘Reality TV is huge at the moment,’ I said to Joe in 2013. People loved watching women, their relationships with each other, the catty moments. Perhaps we could create something with other little people in the Los Angeles community…
Before long, I was pitching ideas to production companies. I’d already asked some friends if they’d be cast members – we’d seen each other at our best and worst and knew people would be intrigued by us.
They loved the idea and, in May 2014, the first episode of Little Women: LA aired. I was so nervous, but we got a good reception, and it was quickly franchised. I was soon helping with the Atlanta, Dallas and New York spin-offs.
And, while my career was taking off, my personal life did too – just months later, I discovered I was pregnant. Joe and I were over the moon! We learnt early on that our baby had achondroplasia, like me, and later scans revealed she also had hydrocephalus – a build-up of fluid on the brain. It was common in children with that form of dwarfism.
We knew nothing of the condition and were utterly terrified but, when Penelope arrived in March 2015, nothing else mattered. She was perfect. Joe doted on her, and I carried her down the aisle with me when Joe and I married just two months later.
We loved being a family and it put everything into perspective. Our son, Grayson, arrived in August 2016, with the same type of dwarfism as Joe. I wasn’t worried, as Joe and I were well-equipped to help the children with any questions they had while growing up.
In May 2018, Penelope had surgery to fit a magnetic shunt in her brain which would filter the excess fluid into her stomach. I hated seeing my little girl so vulnerable but, thankfully, she’s a fighter. Although there were more hospital trips, she’s started walking and talking – and teasing her brother, too. Now, at 39, Little Women:
LA is still on TV, and I share lots about our life on my YouTube channel – Mini
Mama. It’ll be lovely to look back on that with the kids when they’re bigger.
Recently, Joe pulled out one of the letters I’d written him all those years ago. ‘I can’t believe you kept it!’ I said, touched. It was a reminder that, while I’ve made it big on television, I don’t have any shortcomings in my personal life, either!