CNN
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Dynamic actress Cindy Williams, best known for playing the bubbly Shirley Feeney on the beloved sitcom Laverne & Shirley, has died, according to a family statement provided to CNN by a representative. I was 75 years old.
Williams died after a brief illness, said family spokesperson and Williams’ personal assistant Liz Krannis in a statement provided to CNN by her children Zach and Emily Hudson.
“The death of our kind and cheerful mother, Cindy Williams, has brought us an insurmountable grief that we can never truly express,” their statement read. , it is our pleasure and privilege to love her.She was one of a kind, beautiful, generous, with a wonderful sense of humor and a glittering spirit that everyone loves.”
Williams had credits spanning 60 years, but it was her role in the ‘Happy Days’ spin-off ‘Laverne & Shirley’ that made her endearing and famous to millions. .
In the series, she starred opposite the late Penny Marshall, one half of the dynamic friend duo whose adventures were the driving force behind the show, which ran for eight seasons from 1976 to 1983.
Born in Van Nuys, California, Williams took an interest in acting in high school and went on to study drama at Los Angeles City College. Williams’ first professional acting credits included his three-episode arc in the 1969 series “Room 222,” and early 1970s productions such as “Nanny and the Professor” and “Love, American Style.” Includes appearances on other shows.
Williams has worked as a television and film actor, appearing in numerous productions. However, it was after her first appearance in 1975 as Shirley Her Feeny in her “Happy Her Days” that her career began to take shape.
The lighthearted “Laverne & Shirley” was a ratings hit and earned six Golden Globe nominations. Two of them were nominated for Best Comedy Her Series and one for Williams for Best Actress in a Comedy.
Williams has also starred in some outstanding films. Her most notable was her appearance in George Lucas’s 1973 film American Graffiti, for which Williams was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress. The film, which depicts her group of friends spending a night together before she leaves for college, earned her five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture at the 1974 Academy Awards. Williams also appeared in the 1972 George Cukor-directed film Travels with My Aunt, and the 1974 Francis Ford she Coppola-directed The Conversation.
Williams is also an accomplished stage actress with numerous credits. Last year, she hosted her one-woman show, Me, Myself and Shirley, sharing her story through her career on a national tour, and she promised that she’d have at least one date in a series of dates planned for later this year. I had one
Following the news of her passing, friends and fans of Williams took to social media to honor the late actress who left behind a legacy of laughter.
‘Happy Days’ star and director Ron Howard murmured Williams’ “unpretentious intelligence, talent, wit and humanity have inspired every character she has created and anyone she has worked with”.
Henry Winkler, who played Fonzie in “Happy Days,” called Williams “a wonderfully talented human being.” twitter.
“Oh, I loved Cindy Williams,” said Yvette Nicole Brown, who worked with Williams when she guest-starred on a 2016 episode of CBS’ “The Odd Couple.” twitter“She was just as lovely as I’d always imagined her to be.”
Written by actor Jason Alexander twitter: “I didn’t know Cindy Williams, but boy did I adore her work, especially her Laverne and Shirley days for the whimsical, fun-filled joy of watching. That she had a good life.” We pray for her and extend our condolences to those who knew and loved her.”
In a statement, the Williams children added they were proud of their mother for many reasons: “her lifelong mission to save animals, her prolific artistry, her faith.”
“May that laughter continue for everyone, because she wants it,” the statement said. “Thank you for loving our mom, she loved you too.”
