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Vale: Cindy Williams

US actor Cindy Williams, best known for Laverne & Shirley, has died.

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US actor Cindy Williams, best known for Laverne & Shirley, has died, aged 75.

She died in Los Angeles on Wednesday after a brief illness, her children said in a statement.

“The passing of our kind, hilarious mother, Cindy Williams, has brought us insurmountable sadness that could never truly be expressed,” Zak and Emily Hudson 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 (pictured right) played Shirley Feeney on 8 seasons of Laverne & Shirley, alongside gifted co-star Penny Marshall (who also died at 75) from 1976 to 1983.

Laverne & Shirley became the most-watched American television program by its third season; in total, it received six Golden Globe nominations and one Emmy nomination.

They first debuted as a comedy double in Happy Days before their own spin-off as two 1950s roommates working on the assembly line at Milwaukee’s Shotz Brewery.

Williams originally rejected the idea of starring in a spin-off but was talked into it, with now-Disney CEO Michael Eisner only showing her screen test to ABC executives, and not others.

Williams would leave the sitcom early in its eighth season after becoming pregnant, but had also been feuding with Marshall, reconciling years later. By the 1980s they both voiced the animated Laverne & Shirley in the Army for 13 episodes.

“When you can find those characters with attitudes who are in sync, they are funny and charming to watch. You see aspects of yourself in the characters’ attitudes,” Williams once said. “Usually in sitcoms, the characters you play are close to you. They are beats within yourself that you really play well.”

Williams had a long list of other credits including Room 222, CHiPs, Cannon, Police Story, Love American Style, Hawaii Five-O, Insight, Nanny & the Professor, Petrocelli, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Touched by an Angel, 8 Simple Rules, Law & Order: SVU, The Odd Couple, Sam and Cat and more.

Films included Travels With My Aunt, American Graffiti, The Conversation, The First Nudie Musical. She also auditioned for Star Wars but lost the part of Princess Leia to Carrie Fisher.

 

Source: LA Times

8 Responses

  1. Really sad news about Cindy Williams.So many of the stars I grew up with in the 70’s have passed away now,which makes you feel sad and old as well.That was also an interesting trivia piece at the end of the article about Cindy auditioning for the part of Princess Leia in Star Wars.I never heard that before,but I think she would have been excellent in the role if she had got the part.

    RIP Cindy Williams.

  2. So sad another brilliant actress gone, not sure the rabbit got the memo of this year being lucky. This was one of the best American shows I never missed. I love how the four of them interacted on the show and I always had a soft spot for Lenny and Sqiggey trying so hard to be hip and cool. RIP Cindy and thanks for the joy you brought to TV.

  4. A great little slapstick comedy of its time. At the time I had a crush of Cindy, but later in life I really grew to admire the body of work that Penny Marshall did behind the screen as a producer and director.

  5. A great serious performance by her in ‘The Conversation’, a film that gets a TV airing here reasonably regularly. The northern hemisphere winter seems to be having very serious effects recently. RIP Madam.

  7. I remember she did some light-hearted 80’s films (maybe Disney, non-animated) such as Help Wanted: Kids and Save the Dog.
    She also produced films, such as Father of the Bride I and II with Steve Martin.

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