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Cynthia Jane Williams (August 22, 1947 – January 25, 2023) was an American actor. She is best known for her role as Shirley Feeney on the television sitcoms Happy Days (1975–1979), and Laverne & Shirley (1976–1982). She also appeared in American Graffiti (1973), The Conversation (1974), Mr. Ricco (1975), and More American Graffiti (1979).
Williams wrote and acted at a church during childhood and later acted in productions at Birmingham High School; she graduated in 1965, a year behind Sally Field. She attended Los Angeles City College where she majored in theater.
Williams accompanied an actor-friend from Los Angeles City College who needed a scene partner for the audition and was also accepted at The Actors Studio West, but rarely attended due to acting commitments. Williams picked up important film roles early in her career: George Cukor's Travels with My Aunt (1972); as Laurie Henderson, Ron Howard's character's high school sweetheart in George Lucas's American Graffiti (1973) for which she earned a BAFTA nomination as Best Supporting Actress; and Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation (1974). She auditioned along with thousands of others, for Lucas's Star Wars for the role of Princess Leia, but Leia was ultimately played by Carrie Fisher because Lucas wished to cast unknowns, as in American Graffiti.
Williams met Penny Marshall, first on a double date, and later at Francis Ford Coppola's Zoetrope company. The company hired them as comedy writers, because "they wanted two women" on a prospective TV spoof for the Bicentennial. While the two were writing for Zoetrope, Penny Marshall's brother, Garry Marshall, called to ask if they would like to make an appearance on an episode of Happy Days, a television series he produced.
In 1975, Williams was cast as a fun-loving brewery bottle capper, Shirley Feeney, in an episode of Happy Days with Penny who played her best friend and roommate Laverne De Fazio. The girls were cast as "sure-thing" dates of Richie and Fonzie (Henry Winkler). Their appearance proved so popular that Garry Marshall commissioned a spin-off series for the characters of Shirley and Laverne. Williams continued her role on the very successful Laverne & Shirley series from 1976 until 1982. At one point during its run, the series was the number one rated show on television. Williams was praised for her portrayal of Shirley Feeney. She left the show after the second episode of the show's eighth and what would become its final season, after she became pregnant with her first child. The show's various producers were not enthusiastic that Williams was pregnant. Williams and co-star Penny Marshall had also been feuding for quite some time on the set long before Williams became pregnant. (They would reconcile many years later.) The success of the TV series led to a short-lived Saturday morning animated series Laverne & Shirley in the Army (1981–82), created by Hanna-Barbera.
In 1979, she reprised her role of Laurie from American Graffiti in its sequel, More American Graffiti.
In 1985, Williams starred in the ABC sitcom pilot Joanna, which aired as a special on April 30 of that year. The premise involved Williams's character, Joanna, following her boyfriend from Los Angeles to New York, though he leaves her for another woman. Joanna then decides to stay in New York, becoming the operations manager of a trucking company. The pilot was not picked up as a series. That same year, Williams starred in the sci-fi comedy film UFOria alongside Fred Ward and Harry Dean Stanton, a movie which was already completed in 1981.
In 1990, Williams starred in an unsold pilot for CBS that was adapted from the 1989 film Steel Magnolias. Williams was cast as M'Lynn Eatenton, the role that was played by Sally Field in the film. Also in 1990, Williams returned to series TV in the short-lived sitcom Normal Life and, a couple of years later, reunited with former Laverne & Shirley producers Thomas L. Miller and Robert L. Boyett to star in their family sitcom Getting By (1993–94). She guest-starred on several television shows, including two episodes of 8 Simple Rules.
Williams performed onstage in the national tours of Grease, Deathtrap, and Moon Over Buffalo as well as a regional production of Nunsense. She reunited with her Laverne & Shirley co-star Eddie Mekka in a November 2008 regional production of the Renée Taylor-Joseph Bologna comedy play It Had to Be You.
She made her Broadway debut as daffy Mrs. Tottendale in The Drowsy Chaperone at the Marquis Theatre on December 11, 2007, succeeding Jo Anne Worley in the role which was first played on Broadway by Georgia Engel.
Williams reunited with Penny Marshall on the TV series Sam & Cat in the episode "#SalmonCat" (2013). In 2015, her memoir Shirley, I Jest! (co-written with Dave Smitherman) was published. In the same year, Williams engaged in celebrity branding for the home care service Visiting Angels."Visiting Angels Tailored in Home Care Featuring Cindy Willams." I Spot.TV
Williams was a Roman Catholic.
Williams was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles.
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Personal life
Williams married Bill Hudson of the musical trio The Hudson Brothers in 1982. They had two children before divorcing in 2000.
Death
Williams died in Los Angeles on January 25, 2023, at age 75, following a brief illness.
Filmography
Film
+ List of Cindy Williams film credits 1970 Gas-s-s-s Marissa 1971 Drive, He Said Manager's Girlfriend 1972 Beware! The Blob Randy's Girl 1972 Travels with My Aunt Tooley 1973 The Killing Kind Lori Davis 1973 American Graffiti Laurie Henderson Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role 1974 The Conversation Ann 1975 Mr. Ricco Jamison 1976 The First Nudie Musical Rosie 1979 More American Graffiti Laurie Henderson Bolander 1983 The Creature Wasn't Nice Annie McHugh 1985 UFOria Arlene Stewart 1985 The Joy of Natural Childbirth Herself 1989 Big Man on Campus Diane Girard 1989 Rude Awakening June Margolin 1991 Bingo Natalie Devlin 1997 Meet Wally Sparks Emily Preston 2002 The Biggest Fan Debbie's Mom 2006 The Legend of William Tell Jillian 2012 Stealing Roses Rose Also associate producer 2018 Waiting in the Wings: Still Waiting Rosie 2020 Canaan Land Talk Show Guest
Television
+ List of Cindy Williams television credits 1969–1971 Room 222 Rhoda Zagor / Rita Zagor 3 episodes 1970 My World and Welcome to It Lydia No. 2 Episode: "Child's Play" 1970 Barefoot in the Park Agnes Episode: "The Marriage Proposal" 1971 Nanny and the Professor 2nd Coed Episode: "The Art of Relationships" 1971 The Funny Side Teenage Wife 6 episodes 1971 Getting Together Cathy Episode: "Cathy's Clown" 1973 Love, American Style Karen Brown / Naomi Brubaker 2 episodes 1974 Hawaii Five-O Sue Reynolds Episode: "Secret Witness" 1974 The Migrants Betty Television film 1974 Cannon June Bowers Episode: "The Stalker" 1975 Insight Flora Episode: "Somewhere Before" 1975 Police Story Joanna Episode: "Test of Brotherhood" 1975–1979 Happy Days Shirley Feeney 5 episodes 1976 Petrocelli Carol Janssen Episode: "Survival" 1976–1982 Laverne & Shirley Shirley Feeney 159 episodes
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy (1978)1977 Saturday Night Live Velocity / Self Episode: "Live from Mardi Gras" 1978 Suddenly, Love Regina Malloy Television film 1979–1980 CHiPs Cindy Williams 2 episodes 1981–1982 Laverne & Shirley in the Army Shirley Feeney (voice) 13 episodes 1982 Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour Shirley Feeney (voice) Episode: "The Speed Demon Get-Away Caper" 1985 When Dreams Come True Susan Matthews Television film 1985 Joanna Joanna Weston Television film 1986 Help Wanted: Kids Lisa Burke Television film 1986 The Leftovers Heather Drew Television film 1988 Save the Dog! Becky Television film 1988 Tricks of the Trade Catherine Television film 1990 Rita Sue Bliss Television film 1990 Normal Life Anne Harlow 13 episodes 1990 Steel Magnolias M'Lynn Eatenton Television film 1990 Menu for Murder Connie Mann Television film 1991 Earth Angel Judith Television film 1993–1994 Getting By Cathy Hale 31 episodes 1994 Wandamae Episode: "A Bolt from the Blue" 1995 Wanda Walden Television film 1995 The Laverne & Shirley Reunion Herself Television special 1995 The Magic School Bus Gerri Poveri (voice) Episode: "Ups and Downs" 1996 Touched by an Angel Claire Episode: "Jacob's Ladder" 1996 The Stepford Husbands Caroline Knox Television film 1996 Hope & Gloria Connie Carlucci Episode: "Come Back Lil' Tina" 1999 Sue Ellen Caldwell Television film 2000–2001 Strip Mall Herself 6 episodes 2000–2002 For Your Love Ronnie 3 episodes 2001 Son of the Beach Bobbi Episode: "Grand Prix" 2001 The Brothers García Mrs. Barbacoa Episode: "The Student Buddy" 2001 The Weakest Link Herself Classic TV Stars Edition No. 2 2002 Herself / Shirley Feeney Television special 2002 7th Heaven Vice Principal Val Episode: "The Enemy Within" 2002 Less than Perfect Joan Casey Episode: "Meet the Folks" 2003 8 Simple Rules Mary Ellen Doyle 2 episodes 2004 Nora Hodges Episode: "Sick" 2004–2005 Girlfriends Lisa James 2 episodes 2007 Drive House Mother 3 episodes 2012 Strawberry Summer Ruth Yates Television film 2012 Are We There Yet? Erin Episode: "The Thanksgiving Episode" 2013 Sam & Cat Janice Dobbins Episode: "#SalmonCat" 2016 The Odd Couple Vivian Episode: "Taffy Days" 2016 A Dream of Christmas Jayne 'The Angel' Television film
External links
Categories: 1947 Births, 2023 Deaths, 20th-century American Actresses, 21st-century American Actresses, Actresses From Los Angeles, American Film Actresses, American Roman Catholics, American Television Actresses, American Voice Actresses, Birmingham High School Alumni, Hudson Family, Los Angeles City College Alumni, People From Van Nuys, Los Angeles
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