Current:Home > Stocks'Laverne & Shirley' actor Cindy Williams dies at 75-InfoLens
'Laverne & Shirley' actor Cindy Williams dies at 75
View Date:2024-12-23 14:28:39
LOS ANGELES — Cindy Williams, who played Shirley opposite Penny Marshall's Laverne on the popular sitcom "Laverne & Shirley," has died, her family said Monday.
Williams died in Los Angeles at age 75 on Wednesday after a brief illness, her children, Zak and Emily Hudson, said in a statement released through family spokeswoman Liza Cranis.
"The passing of our kind, hilarious mother, Cindy Williams, has brought us insurmountable sadness that could never truly be expressed," the statement 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 also starred in director George Lucas' 1973 film "American Graffiti" and director Francis Ford Coppola's "The Conversation" from 1974.
But she was by far best known for "Laverne & Shirley," the "Happy Days" spinoff that ran on ABC from 1976 to 1983 that in its prime was among the most popular shows on TV.
Williams played the straitlaced Shirley to Marshall's more libertine Laverne on the show about a pair of roommates that worked at a Milwaukee bottling factory in the 1950s and 60s.
Marshall, whose brother, Garry Marshall, co-created the series, died in 2018.
"Laverne & Shirley" was known almost as much for its opening theme as the show itself. Williams' and Marshall's chant of "schlemiel, schlimazel" as they skipped together became a cultural phenomenon and oft-invoked piece of nostalgia.
veryGood! (1557)
Related
- Denzel Washington teases retirement — and a role in 'Black Panther 3'
- North Korea appears to construct walls near DMZ, satellite images reveal
- Hawaii Five-0 actor Taylor Wily dead at 56
- Inside Charlie’s Queer Books, an unapologetically pink and joyful space in Seattle
- Hurricane forecasters on alert: November storm could head for Florida
- Taylor Swift sings 'thanK you aIMee,' performs with Hayley Williams at Eras Tour in London
- Travis Kelce joins Taylor Swift onstage during surprise Eras Tour appearance in London: Watch
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Wing Woman (Freestyle)
- Tua Tagovailoa tackle: Dolphins QB laughs off taking knee to head vs. Rams on 'MNF'
- Sha'Carri Richardson wins 100-meter final to earn spot on U.S. Olympic team
Ranking
- Krispy Kreme is giving free dozens to early customers on World Kindness Day
- Wisconsin judge to weigh letting people with disabilities vote electronically from home in November
- Young gay Latinos see a rising share of new HIV cases, leading to a call for targeted funding
- Mining the Sun: Some in the Wyoming Epicenter of the Coal Industry Hope to Sustain Its Economy With Renewables
- Tuskegee University closes its campus to the public, fires security chief after shooting
- Sculpt, Support, and Save 70% on Spanx Leather Leggings, Tennis Skirts, Sports Bras, Shapewear & More
- As U.S.-supplied weapons show impact inside Russia, Ukrainian soldiers hope for deeper strikes
- Powerball winning numbers for June 22 drawing: Jackpot now worth $84 million
Recommendation
-
Jennifer Lopez Gets Loud in Her First Onstage Appearance Amid Ben Affleck Divorce
-
Joe Burrow walks runway at Vogue World Paris, gets out of his comfort zone
-
'Coney Island stew': Mermaid Parade kicks off summer by embracing the weird
-
Stock market today: Asian shares lower after Wall Street closes another winning week
-
Why the US celebrates Veterans Day and how the holiday has changed over time
-
Caeleb Dressel's honesty is even more remarkable than his 50 free win at Olympic trials
-
Federal prosecutors recommend to Justice Department that Boeing be criminally prosecuted
-
Taylor Swift's Mom Andrea Reacts to Live Debut of thanK you aIMee at London Concert