Cindy Williams, best known for her role on the 1970s sitcom “Laverne & Shirley,” has died at the age of 75. Her death followed a brief illness and was reported to have been peaceful, as per her assistant Liza Cranis.
Williams rose to fame with Penny Marshall as the stars of “Laverne & Shirley,” a spinoff of “Happy Days,” which ran from 1976 to 1983. The show followed two young single women who worked at a Milwaukee brewery in the 1950s, and Williams played Shirley Feeney, the upbeat and demure complement to Marshall’s brash Laverne DeFazio. The show was a huge success and was among the highest-rated shows in the country for several years. Williams appeared in more than 150 episodes, but left in the final season after on-set tensions with Marshall.
Before her role in “Laverne & Shirley,” Williams had a successful acting career, appearing in films such as George Lucas’ “American Graffiti” and Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Conversation.” Williams also auditioned for the role of Princess Leia in the “Star Wars” franchise, a part that eventually went to Carrie Fisher.
Later in her career, Williams had guest appearances on popular television shows such as “Law and Order: SVU” and “7th Heaven,” and earned several stage credits, including the Broadway production of “The Drowsy Chaperone.” Despite her success in other endeavors, she was best known for her role as Shirley on “Laverne & Shirley.”
Born in Van Nuys, California, Williams became interested in acting during high school and went on to attend Los Angeles City College, where she majored in theater arts. She worked at a pancake house and the Whisky a Go Go nightclub in Hollywood before starting her acting career. Her early television roles included parts on “Room 222,” “Nanny and the Professor,” and “Love, American Style.”
Williams is survived by her children, Emily and Zak Hudson, who described their mother as “one of a kind” with a sense of humor and “glittering spirit.” She was married to musician Bill Hudson, but the marriage ended in divorce.
In her 2015 memoir “Shirley, I Jest! A Storied Life,” Williams reflected on her role as Shirley and how the character was an embodiment of her own life, with the fear of never achieving the comforts of modern life. She described Shirley as an optimist, kindhearted, repressed, temperamental, and fun-loving person.
Cindy Williams’ death marks the end of an era, as she was one of the most beloved actresses of the 1970s. Her role in “Laverne & Shirley” and other film and television appearances have cemented her place in history as one of the most talented and unforgettable actresses of her time. She will be deeply missed by her fans and her family.
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