“One of a kind”: Beloved Laverne & Shirley star passes away
Actress Cindy Williams, best known for her role as Shirley on the popular sitcom Laverne & Shirley, opposite Penny Marshall’s Laverne - has died.
Cindy’s children, Zak and Emily Hudson, confirmed the news in a statement through their family’s spokeswoman, Liza Cranis, on Monday. Cindy passed away in Los Angeles after a brief illness.
“The passing of our kind, hilarious mother, Cindy Williams, has brought us insurmountable sadness that could never truly be expressed," Zak and Emily 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 humour and a glittering spirit that everyone loved."
Michael McKean, the sole surviving main cast star of Laverne & Shirley, paid tribute to his former co-star in a statement to the Los Angeles Times, telling them that she “was so talented and so game.”
“When she and Penny were cooking,” he went on, “there’s no one who could touch them. She was a truly kind woman with a big heart and I’m very sad she’s gone.”
McKean, who played Lenny Kosnowski on the hit show, also took to Twitter to reflect on his time with Cindy, offering everyone some insight into what she was like behind-the-scenes.
“Amen,” he concluded, “thank you, Cindy.”
Cindy was also known for her work in George Lucas’ 1973 comedy drama American Graffiti, and Francis Ford Coppola’s 1974 mystery thriller The Conversation. But it was her time spent as Shirley Feeney in the Happy Days spinoff Laverne & Shirley that shot her to stardom.
The show, which in its prime was nominated for Emmy Awards and Golden Globes, ran from 1976-1983. Cindy played the straight-laced Shirley Feeney opposite Penny Marshall's more libertine Laverne Defazio on both Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley. Their characters were roommates working at a bottling factory in Milwaukee during the 50s and 60s.
Penny Marshall passed away in 2018. Her brother, Garry Marshall, was a co-creator for the series. He died in 2016.
The show was beloved for its opening theme almost as much as its content, with Williams’ and Penny’s “schlemiel, schlimazel” chant set to become something of a cultural phenomenon.
It was this theme that American actress Rosario Dawson referenced in her tribute to Williams, responding to a clip from the show when she wrote, “singing this song with so much gratitude for both of you ladies. Absolute gems. United again.”
American filmmaker Nancy Meyers took to Instagram to pay tribute to the late actress, speaking of Cindy’s contribution to Father of the Bride, and her enduring impact, “so sad to hear about Cindy Williams. What few people know is that it was Cindy’s idea to remake Father of the Bride … She changed the course of my life and many others with that idea. And she never took credit for being responsible for that. Pretty unusual in Tinseltown.”
“It can all be accomplished, but you have to always stay yourself,” Cindy once said of her career in an interview with TVParty, “you have to keep your sense of humour. If you get knocked down, you have to get right back up and just keep going.”
Images: Getty