“Laverne and Shirley” star Cindy Williams has died at 75.
Williams played the straight woman (meaning straight faced) to Penny Marshall’s Laverne. It’s hard to believe they’re both gone. The show as an enormous hit for eight seasons in the 70s and 80s. “Laverne and Shirley” was part of Garry Marshall’s mini empire, spun off from “Happy Days.” Williams appeared on the original show too.
Her movie career included George Lucas’s beloved “American Graffiti,” and Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Conversation.” She was married for 18 years to Bill Hudson, of the Hudson Brothers, after he was married to Goldie Hawn. That means their two children are half siblings of Kate and Oliver Hudson.
Shirley was cute as a button, and made a little nuts by Laverne’s over the top mischief. The actresses didn’t always get along when they were filming but they had a pretty good friendship after it was all over.
Condolences to her family and friends. So sorry.
