Laverne & Shirley star Cindy Williams dead at 75 MGG

Cindy Williams of Laverne & Shirley fame has died aged 75. Her family informed the Associated Press, via Deadline, that the actress passed away on Wednesday after a brief illness.

Cindy Williams’ two children Emily and Zak Hudson issued a statement expressing their grief at the unfortunate demise of their mother. “The passing of our kind, hilarious mother, Cindy Williams, has brought us insurmountable sadness that could never truly be expressed,” their statement read, which was communicated via a spokesperson. The statement further continued, “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.”

Cindy Williams in Laverne & Shirley

Cindy Williams rose to fame as Shirley of Laverne & Shirley. Williams appeared opposite Penny Marshall who essayed the role of Laverne DeFazio. The show, which was a spinoff of Happy Days, premiered on ABC in January 1976, and emerged as a smash hit. The characters of Laverne and Shirley first appeared in Happy Days which was created by Penny’s brother George Marshall. But, they soon received their own spinoff with the series. The show followed the lives of two lower-class workers who worked at the Shotz Brewery in Milwaukee. Laverne & Shirley finished as the Number 3 series in all of primetime throughout the 1975-76 season.

The show went on to become one of the most popular and successful comedies of the decade. It aired a total of 175 episodes, before coming to a wrap in 1983. It should be noted that Cindy Williams won a Golden Globe nomination in 1978 for her role as Shirley. She also directed an episode of the series in 1981.

Cindy Williams in films

In her acting career, Cindy Williams featured in a number of films as well. She played a hippie in the 1972 movie Travels With My Aunt starring Maggie Smith. She appeared in two Best Picture Oscar nominees in her lifetime – George Lucas’ American Graffiti, where she played the role of Laurie, the girlfriend of Ron Howard’s Steve, and Francis Ford Cappola’s The Conversation.