Cindy Williams Dead: Laverne & Shirley Star Dies at Age 75

Cindy Williams, who rose to stardom on the sitcom Laverne & Shirley, has died at age 75 following a brief illness.

“The passing of our kind, hilarious mother, Cindy Williams, has brought us insurmountable sadness that could never truly be expressed,” the actress’ children, Zak and Emily Hudson, said in a statement to Associated Press on Monday, January 30. “Knowing and loving her has been our joy and privilege. She was one of a kind, beautiful, generous and possessed a brilliant sense of humor and a glittering spirit that everyone loved.”

According to Williams’ family, the California native died in her home on Wednesday, January 25, after battling an unspecified sickness.

Williams is best known for starring in George Lucas’ American Graffiti and Francis Ford Coppola’s The Conversation in the ’70s. She continued to make a name for herself by playing Shirley in the Happy Days spinoff, Laverne & Shirley, where she performed alongside Penny Marshall from 1976 to 1983.

The Golden Globe nominee later booked roles on the small screen in shows including Getting By, Strip Mall, Girlfriends, The Odd Couple and A Dream of Christmas. Meanwhile, in film, Williams made her last appearance in 2018’s Waiting in the Wings: Still Waiting.

The Room 222 alum married Bill Hudson from the Hudson Brothers trio in 1982. The pair, who expanded their family with daughter Emily and son Zachary, called it quits in 2000.

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Williams previously opened up about how she approached the roles that made her a household name, telling The Los Angeles Times in 1993, “When you can find those characters with attitudes who are in sync, they are funny and charming to watch. You see aspects of yourself in the characters’ attitudes. Usually in sitcoms, the characters you play are close to you. They are beats within yourself that you really play well.”

At the time, Williams also reflected on how she stayed true to herself amid the fame. “I come from such a normal background,” she added. “I’ve had bizarre times in my life. I was a hippie in the ’60s. But basically, I’m real normal. I like to go around the house at bedtime and turn off all the lights. Sometimes I even take the hangers back to the dry cleaners so they can use them again.”

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