Cindy Williams

Williams, best known for her role as Shirley in the hit sitcom Laverne & Shirley, died on January 25 at age 75 following a brief illness. She starred on Laverne & Shirley from 1976 to 1982, appearing in 158 episodes, according to IMDB, and earned a Golden Globe nomination. Garry Marshall first pitched the show to ABC, recalling in 2000 there were “no shows about blue-collar girls on the air.” Williams was well known for her chemistry with co-star Penny Marshall, who died in 2013. Williams said the two had a sort of telepathy, stating: “If there were an Olympic event for comedy, I think we'd take the gold.” The two secured starring roles in their own show after becoming fan favorites as minor characters on the sitcom Happy Days. Williams’ successful run on Laverne & Shirley ended early: She was pregnant at the time and her character was written off the show, leaving Laverne on her own for much of the final season. She sued Paramount for $20 million to be paid for the episodes she would miss; the case was settled out of court for an unknown amount. Though Williams was best known for her sitcom work, she had a successful film career. She starred in three particularly acclaimed films from important directors: George Cukor’s Travels with My Aunt (1972), George Lucas’s American Graffiti (1973) and Francis Ford Coppola’s The Conversation (1974).