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Patty Dworkin (born Patricia Dworkin, May 9, 1952, Detroit, Michigan; died February 17, 2017, New York City) was an American actress, voice actress, and later a prominent New York theater publicist.12 She is known in the Ghostbusters community for her small role as the Woman at Party in Ghostbusters (1984),3 and more broadly for a career spanning Broadway, network television, animated film voice work, and, in her later years, theater public relations.
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Dworkin was born in Detroit and raised in Southfield, Michigan.2 She began performing early, attending Cass Tech, Detroit's well-regarded performing arts high school.2 She went on to study at Interlochen Arts Camp and earned a degree in musical theater from the University of Michigan, graduating with honors.2
Dworkin launched her acting career in regional theater, working with the Kenley Players, a popular Midwestern summer stock company based in Ohio.2 That foundation led to Broadway, where she appeared in three productions: See Saw, Shenandoah, and Sly Fox.2 It was during a touring production of Sly Fox alongside Jackie Gleason that ABC casting executives took notice and offered her a contract, prompting her move to Los Angeles.2
She also accumulated significant regional theater credits at the Actors Theater of Louisville (including the Humana Festival) and The Cleveland Playhouse.4
After relocating to Los Angeles under her ABC contract, Dworkin appeared in episodes of numerous network series across the late 1970s and 1980s, including The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Dynasty, Happy Days, Delta House, Eight Is Enough, Shirley, One Day at a Time (1981), Three's Company (1984), and Night Court (1986).21 She later returned to television with a guest role in Law & Order (1996).1
Her film credits include the animated anthology Heavy Metal (1981), in which she provided voice work,1 Airplane II: The Sequel (1982), and Mr. Mom (1983).4 She also worked extensively in television commercials, representing brands including Ford, Airwick, Kleenex, and Snuggles Fabric Softeners.2
After stepping back from acting, Dworkin co-founded Andrew E. Freedman Public Relations in New York with her husband Andrew.2 The firm represented notable theater personalities including actress Margo Martindale, singer and actress Eartha Kitt, and composer Stephen Schwartz.2 The firm also handled publicity for prestigious institutions such as the Circle in the Square theater (where Dworkin served on the board of directors) and the Yale School of Drama.2
Dworkin appeared in Ghostbusters (1984) in a brief credited role as the Woman at Party,3 visible in Chapter 17 of the film, informally titled "Who Brought the Dog?" The scene depicts the Ghostbusters being called to a hotel in midtown Manhattan, where the ghost Slimer is terrorizing guests and staff at a party.
Patty Dworkin died on February 17, 2017, at her home in New York City.2 She was 64. The cause of death was breast cancer, as confirmed by her husband Andrew.2 She is survived by her husband and their sons Alexander and Christopher.4
Some content on this page was researched using the Ghostbusters Wiki on Fandom.
IMDb, "Patty Freedman," accessed 2026-06-13. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0245441/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4
Variety, "Patty Freedman, Publicist and Former Actress, Dies at 64," February 2017. https://variety.com/2017/film/people-news/patty-freedman-dead-publicist-dworkin-1201996164/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14
Spook Central, "Ghostbusters Screen Credits," https://www.spookcentral.tk/sclib/ghostbusters-screen-credits (transcription of Ghostbusters (1984) end credits as shown in the film): "Woman at Party | Patty Dworkin." Also confirmed in the Ghostbusters Press Kit (Columbia Pictures, 1984): "Woman at Party . . . . PATTY DWORKIN." ↩ ↩2
Deadline, "Patty Freedman Dies: Theater Publicist and Actress Was 64," February 2017. https://deadline.com/2017/02/patty-freedman-obituary-andrew-freedman-public-relations-1201970875/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3
