Cindy Williams obit

‘Laverne & Shirley’ star Cindy Williams dead at 75

 She was not on the list.

Cindy Williams, who played Shirley opposite Penny Marshall’s Laverne on the popular 1970s sitcom “Laverne & Shirley,” has died, her family said Monday.

Williams died in Los Angeles at age 75 on Jan. 25 after a brief illness, her children, Zak and Emily Hudson, said in a statement released through family spokeswoman Liza Cranis.

“The passing of our kind, hilarious mother, Cindy Williams, has brought us insurmountable sadness that could never truly be expressed,” the statement said. “Knowing and loving her has been our joy and privilege. She was one of a kind, beautiful, generous and possessed a brilliant sense of humor and a glittering spirit that everyone loved.”

Williams also starred in director George Lucas’ 1973 film “American Graffiti” — a role for which she received a BAFTA Best Supporting Actress nomination — and director Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Conversation” from 1974.

But she was by far best known for the ratings hit “Laverne & Shirley,” the “Happy Days” spinoff that ran on ABC from 1976 to 1983 that, in its prime, was among the most popular shows on TV.

Golden Globe-nominated Williams played the straitlaced Shirley to Marshall’s more libertine Laverne on the show, which depicted roommates who were blue-collar workers at a Milwaukee bottling factory in the 1950s and ’60s.

“We sort of had telepathy,” Williams said of working with Marshall in a 2013 interview for the TV Academy Foundation. “If we walk into a room together and if there’s something unique in the room, we’ll see it at the same time and have the same comment about it. We were always just like that.”

Creator Garry Marshall — Penny’s brother, who died in 2016 — discovered a niche that he was ready to explore.

“There are no shows about blue-collar girls on the air,” he said in a 2000 interview with the Television Academy. He recalled how he sold the concept to then-ABC honcho Fred Silverman.

“He said, ‘It’s on! What’s its name?’” Marshall recalled. “I said, ‘Laverne & Shirley.’ ‘Good, I love it!’”

Williams and Penny Marshall, who died in 2018 at age 75, were reportedly heavily involved in the show’s quality, even doing some rewrites themselves.

“We had a litmus test, which was if the script made Penny and me laugh out loud. That’s what we were going for … to make the studio audience laugh out loud, then we figured it would translate to the audience at home,” Williams said once in a TVParty.com interview. “So, if it made us laugh out loud at rehearsal, then we knew it was good to go. When it didn’t, we would rewrite it, or try and put things in that made it funny. Once we got the show on its feet and started moving around, we would add things, add lines, and ad lib. The whole cast would.”

She also marveled at what the show got away with humor-wise, as its censor was a born-again Christian, according to California-born Williams.

“Great guy, but he just wouldn’t let us say things, so it made the show even better, because it made us have to invent words and phrases around those limitations,” she said in a 2021 interview. “We couldn’t just refer to certain words for our saucy humor. We had to resort to what I would call risqué church camp humor.

“We would substitute the word [sex] for ‘vodeo doe,’” she added, referring to the show’s popular made-up phrase for carnal doings. “We always thought that our born-again Christian sensor made ‘Laverne & Shirley’ funnier, because it involved clean humor, which everybody really enjoys whether they know it or not.”

“Laverne & Shirley” was known almost as much for its opening theme as the show itself. Williams’ and Penny’s chant of “schlemiel, schlimazel” as they skipped together became a cultural phenomenon and oft-invoked piece of nostalgia.

Over her career, Williams appeared in numerous well-known television series and made-for-TV films, including “Lois & Clark: The Adventures of Superman,” “Touched By an Angel,” “7th Heaven,” “CHiPs,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “Police Story,” “Cannon,” “Love, American Style,” “Room 222” and “Hawaii Five-0.”

She reportedly even auditioned to play Princess Leia in George Lucas’ 1977 sci-fi classic “Star Wars,” but the part went to Carrie Fisher.

“It can all be accomplished, but you have to always stay yourself. You have to keep your sense of humor,” she said of her career’s highs and lows in the TV Party interview. “If you get knocked down, you have to get right back up and just keep going.”

Williams became pregnant and subsequently only appeared in a couple of episodes during the final season of “Laverne & Shirley.” In 1982, she wound up suing Paramount for $20 million, according to the Hollywood Reporter, in order to get paid for the full season. She settled for an undisclosed amount and Penny Marshall was left to star solo until the show’s end.

According to her official website, she also hit the boards and toured with stage productions including “Grease,” “Deathtrap” (featuring Elliot Gould) and “Steel Magnolias.” She made her Broadway debut in 2007 in the musical “The Drowsy Chaperone,” which won five Tony Awards.

Williams was married to Bill Hudson of the famed Hudson Brothers from 1982 until their 2000 divorce.

Henry Winkler, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael McKean and Ron Howard are among the notable figures in Hollywood remembering Cindy Williams, who died at the age of 75.

Henry Winkler, who met Williams while playing Fonzie on Happy Days – the show that kicked off Laverne & Shirley, shared in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, “Cindy has been my friend and professional colleague since I met her on the set of Happy Days in 1975. Not once have I ever been in her presence when she wasn’t gracious, thoughtful and kind. Cindy’s talent was limitless. There was not a genre she could not conquer. I am so glad I knew her.”

Jamie Lee Curtis took to her Instagram, writing, “Cindy was AMAZING! Such a great, natural comedian. So wide open. Such a sad loss.”

Ron Howard tweeted, “Her unpretentious intelligence, talent, wit & humanity impacted every character she created & person she worked with. We were paired as actors on 6 different projects. American Graffiti a couple of dramas & then Happy Days & Laverne and Shirley Lucky me. RIP, Cindy.”

Yvette Nicole Brown, who says she met Williams when she appeared on an episode of The Odd Couple, said on Twitter, “I hate this so much. I just hate it! Oh how I loved Cindy Williams. When I was blessed to meet her on the set of The Odd Couple she was as lovely as I always imagined she’d be.”

Backstage, Season 1: I'm offstage waiting for a cue. The script's been a tough one, so we're giving it 110% and the audience is having a great time. Cindy scoots by me to make her entrance and with a glorious grin, says: "Show's cookin'!". Amen. Thank you, Cindy.

—    Michael McKean (@MJMcKean) January 31, 2023

In 1985 she starred in the sci-fi comedy UFOria alongside Fred Ward and Harry Dean Stanton, a movie that was already completed in 1981 but not released until 1985.

In 1990, Williams returned to series TV in the short-lived sitcom Normal Life and, a couple years later, reunited with former Laverne & Shirley producers Thomas L. Miller and Robert L. Boyett to star in their family sitcom Getting By (1993–94). She guest starred on several television shows, including two episodes of 8 Simple Rules.

Williams performed onstage in the national tours of Grease, Deathtrap, and Moon Over Buffalo, and a regional production of Nunsense. She reunited with her Laverne & Shirley co-star Eddie Mekka in a November 2008 regional production of the Renée Taylor-Joseph Bologna comedy play It Had to Be You.

 

Filmography

Film

Year     Title            Role            Notes

1970    Gas-s-s-s        Marissa           

1971    Drive, He Said            Manager's Girlfriend   

1972            Beware! The Blob            Randy's Girl      

1972    Travels with My Aunt            Tooley 

1973    The Killing Kind            Lori Davis   

1973            American Graffiti            Laurie Henderson            Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role[2]

1974    The Conversation            Ann     

1975    Mr. Ricco   Jamison           

1976    The First Nudie Musical            Rosie   

1979    More American Graffiti  Laurie Henderson Bolander         

1983    The Creature Wasn't Nice            Annie McHugh          

1985    UFOria            Arlene Stewart           

1985    The Joy of Natural Childbirth            Herself

1989    Big Man on Campus            Diane Girard 

1989    Rude Awakening            June Margolin          

1991    Bingo            Natalie Devlin  

1997    Meet Wally Sparks            Emily Preston

2002    The Biggest Fan            Debbie's Mom

2006    The Legend of William Tell            Jillian   

2012    Stealing Roses   Rose            Also associate producer

2018    Waiting in the Wings: Still Waiting            Rosie   

2020    Canaan Land    Talk Show Guest     

Television

Year     Title            Role            Notes

1969–1971            Room 222      Rhoda Zagor / Rita Zagor   3 episodes

1970    My World and Welcome to It            Lydia #2            Episode: "Child's Play"

1970            Barefoot in the Park            Agnes            Episode: "The Marriage Proposal"

1971    Nanny and the Professor            2nd Coed            Episode: "The Art of Relationships"

1971    The Funny Side            Teenage Wife  6 episodes

1971    Getting Together            Cathy            Episode: "Cathy's Clown"

1973    Love, American Style            Karen Brown / Naomi Brubaker            2 episodes

1974    Hawaii Five-O Sue Reynolds            Episode: "Secret Witness"

1974    The Migrants            Betty            Television film

1974    Cannon            June Bowers            Episode: "The Stalker"

1975    Insight            Flora            Episode: "Somewhere Before"

1975    Police Story    Joanna            Episode: "Test of Brotherhood"

1975–1979            Happy Days    Shirley Feeney 5 episodes

1976            Petrocelli          Carol Janssen            Episode: "Survival"

1976–1982            Laverne & Shirley            Shirley Feeney 159 episodes

Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy (1978)[2]

1977            Saturday Night Live            Velocity / Self            Episode: "Live from Mardi Gras"

1978            Suddenly, Love            Regina Malloy            Television film

1979–1980            CHiPs            Cindy Williams            2 episodes

1981–1982            Laverne & Shirley in the Army            Shirley Feeney (voice)            13 episodes

1982    Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour    Shirley Feeney (voice)            Episode: "The Speed Demon Get-Away Caper"

1985    When Dreams Come True     Susan Matthews            Television film

1985    Joanna            Joanna Weston            Television film

1986    Help Wanted: Kids            Lisa Burke            Television film

1986    The Leftovers            Heather Drew            Television film

1988    Save the Dog!            Becky            Television film

1988    Tricks of the Trade            Catherine            Television film

1990    Perry Mason: The Case of the Poisoned Pen            Rita Sue Bliss            Television film

1990    Normal Life      Anne Harlow 13 episodes

1990    Steel Magnolias            M'Lynn Eatenton            Television film

1990    Menu for Murder            Connie Mann            Television film

1991    Earth Angel   Judith            Television film

1993–1994            Getting By        Cathy Hale     31 episodes

1994    Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman            Wandamae            Episode: "A Bolt from the Blue"

1995    Escape from Terror: The Teresa Stamper Story            Wanda Walden            Television film

1995    The Laverne & Shirley Reunion            Herself            Television special

1995    The Magic School Bus      Gerri Poveri (voice)            Episode: "Ups and Downs"

1996            Touched by an Angel            Claire            Episode: "Jacob's Ladder"

1996    The Stepford Husbands            Caroline Knox            Television film

1996    Hope & Gloria            Connie Carlucci            Episode: "Come Back Lil' Tina"

1999    The Patty Duke Show: Still Rockin' in Brooklyn Heights Sue Ellen Caldwell            Television film

2000–2001            Strip Mall     Herself            6 episodes

2000–2002            For Your Love            Ronnie            3 episodes

2001    Son of the Beach            Bobbi            Episode: "Grand Prix"

2001    The Brothers García            Mrs. Barbacoa            Episode: "The Student Buddy"

2002            Laverne & Shirley: Together Again            Herself / Shirley Feeney            Television special

2002    7th Heaven Vice Principal Val            Episode: "The Enemy Within"

2002    Less than Perfect            Joan Casey            Episode: "Meet the Folks"

2003    8 Simple Rules            Mary Ellen Doyle            2 episodes

2004    Law & Order: Special Victims Unit            Nora Hodges            Episode: "Sick"

2004–2005            Girlfriends         Lisa James   2 episodes

2007    Drive            House Mother 3 episodes

2012            Strawberry Summer            Ruth Yates            Television film[30]

2013    Sam & Cat       Janice Dobbins            Episode: "#SalmonCat"

2016    The Odd Couple            Vivian            Episode: "Taffy Days"

2016    A Dream of Christmas            Jayne 'The Angel'            Television film