Cindy Williams dies aged 75
The movie world is in mourning on Monday with the news that beloved actress Cindy Williams has passed away.
The actress – best known for her role as Shirley Feeney on the hit sitcom Laverne & Shirley – has died aged 75 after a brief illness, according to AP.
His children Zak and Emily Hudson released a statement released by family spokeswoman Liza Cranis.
Passed away: The theater world is in mourning on Monday with the news of the death of beloved actress Cindy Williams
“The passing of our lovable and hilarious mother, Cindy Williams, has brought us an insurmountable sadness that could never truly be expressed,” the statement began.
“Knowing and loving her has been our joy and our privilege. She was one of a kind, beautiful, generous and had a brilliant sense of humor and a sparkling wit that everyone loved,’ the statement concluded.
Williams was born in Los Angeles in 1947 and spent her childhood writing and performing at Birmingham High School, where she was classmates with Sally Field and Michael Ovitz.
Passing: “The passing of our hilarious loving mother, Cindy Williams, has brought us an insurmountable sadness that could never truly be expressed,” the statement began
She started acting in the early 1970s with guest spots on TV shows like Barefoot in the Park and Room 222 before being cast by legendary director George Cukor in Travels With My Aunt in 1972.
She then landed the role of Laurie, Steve’s girlfriend from Ron Howard, in George Lucas’ American Graffiti, which earned her a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
Williams then starred in director Francis Ford Coppola’s Best Picture nominated The Conversation in 1974.
Early roles: She started acting in the early 1970s with guest spots on TV shows like Barefoot in the Park and Room 222 before being cast by legendary director George Cukor in Travels With My Aunt in 1972.
She first met Penny Marshall on a double date before they were both hired by Coppola’s American Zoetrope to write a TV parody for the American Bicentennial.
Marshall’s brother Garry Marshall brought her in for a guest appearance on his hit TV series Happy Days before Williams and Marshall were cast as Shirley Feeney and Laverne DeFazio on the hit series Laverne & Shirley.
The series – created by Lowell Ganz, Garry Marshall and Mark Rothman – followed the main characters’ misadventures as single women throughout the 1950s and 1960s.
Double date: She first met Penny Marshall on a double date before they were both hired by Coppola’s American Zoetrope to write a TV parody for the American Bicentennial
Laverne and Shirley: Marshall’s brother Garry Marshall brought her in for a guest appearance on his hit TV series Happy Days before Williams and Marshall were cast as Shirley Feeney and Laverne DeFazio on the hit series Laverne & Shirley
