'Laverne & Shirley' star Cindy Williams dead at 75 - CNN

CNN  — 

Cindy Williams, the dynamic histrion known champion for playing the bubbly Shirley Feeney connected the beloved sitcom “Laverne & Shirley,” has died, according to a connection from her family, provided to CNN by a representative. She was 75.

Williams died aft a abbreviated illness, said the connection from her children Zak and Emily Hudson, provided to CNN by household spokesperson and Williams’ idiosyncratic adjunct Liz Cranis.

“The passing of our kind, hilarious mother, Cindy Williams, has brought america insurmountable sadness that could ne'er genuinely beryllium expressed,” their connection read. “Knowing and loving her has been our joyousness and privilege. She was 1 of a kind, beautiful, generous and possessed a superb consciousness of wit and a glittering tone that everyone loved.”

Williams had credits spanning six decades, but it was her relation connected “Happy Days” spin-off “Laverne & Shirley” that endeared her to millions and made her a household name.

On the series, she starred other the precocious Penny Marshall arsenic 1 fractional of a dynamic person duo whose adventures powered the show, which ran for 8 seasons from 1976-1983.

Born successful Van Nuys, California, Williams’ involvement successful acting passim precocious schoolhouse led her to studying theatre astatine Los Angeles City College, according to a biography provided by her family. Some of Williams’ archetypal nonrecreational acting credits see a three-episode arc connected the 1969 bid “Room 222” and appearances connected different shows, similar “Nanny and the Professor” and “Love, American Style,” successful the aboriginal 1970’s.

Williams went connected to go a prolific moving tv and movie actor, appearing successful dozens of titles. But it was aft she archetypal appeared arsenic Shirley Feeney connected “Happy Days” successful 1975 that her vocation began to instrumentality shape.

The lighthearted “Laverne & Shirley” proved to beryllium a ratings deed and earned six Golden Globe nominations, including 2 for champion drama bid and 1 for Williams successful the champion histrion successful a drama category.

Williams besides appeared successful respective standout films. Most notably, she starred successful George Lucas’ 1973 movie “American Graffiti,” which earned Williams a British Academy Film Awards information for champion supporting actress. The film, astir a radical of friends who walk 1 chaotic nighttime unneurotic earlier leaving for college, went connected to beryllium nominated for 5 Oscars, including champion picture, astatine the 1974 Academy Awards. Williams besides had roles successful acclaimed films “Travels with My Aunt” by George Cukor’ successful 1972 and “The Conversation” from manager Francis Ford Coppola successful 1974.

Williams was besides an accomplished signifier actress, with a agelong database of credits. Last year, she took her one-woman show, “Me, Myself and Shirley,” wherever she shared stories from passim her career, connected a nationalist tour. She had astatine slightest 1 bid of dates scheduled for aboriginal this year.

Upon quality of her passing, Williams’ friends and fans took to societal media to grant the precocious actress, who near a bequest of laughter.

“Oh however I loved Cindy Williams,” Yvette Nicole Brown, who worked with Williams successful 2016 erstwhile she impermanent starred successful an occurrence of CBS’s “The Odd Couple,” shared connected Twitter. “She was arsenic beauteous arsenic I ever imagined she’d be.”

Actor Jason Alexander wrote connected Twitter: “I did not cognize Cindy Williams but lad did I adore her work, particularly the wacky joyful comic pleasance of watching her Laverne and Shirley days. I commune she had a bully beingness and nonstop my sympathy to those who knew and loved her.”

Williams’ children added successful their connection that they were arrogant of their parent for galore reasons – “her lifelong ngo to rescue animals, her prolific artistry, her faith” among them – but “most of all, her quality to marque the satellite laugh!”

“May that laughter proceed successful everyone, due to the fact that she would privation that,” the connection said. “Thank you for loving our Mom, she loved you too.”