Cindy Williams of ‘Laverne & Shirley’ Dies at 75

Cindy Williams, the actress known for her performances on “Laverne & Shirley” and the film “American Graffiti,” died Wednesday after “a brief illness,” according to her family.

A statement from her children, Zak and Emily Hudson, released by spokeswoman Liza Cranis, reads, “The passing of our kind, hilarious mother, Cindy Williams, has brought us insurmountable sadness that could never truly be expressed. 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.”

Williams was 75.

Cynthia Jane Williams was born August 22, 1947, in L.A., spending part of her childhood in Dallas before returning to her hometown.

At first, Williams worked steadily in commercials — including for Foster Grant and TWA. She made her TV debut at the dawn of the ’70s on an episode of the series “My World and Welcome to It” (1970) and “Barefoot in the Park” (1970), and the same year appeared in the film “Gas! Or, It Became Necessary to Destroy the World in Order to Save It (1970).

Her film career heated up quickly, with Williams working in the Larry Hagman-directed “Beware! The Blob” (1972), “Travels with My Aunt” (1972), and “The First Nudie Musical” (1976).

But her breakthrough was as Laurie in George Lucas’ nostalgic surprise smash “American Graffiti” (1973).

Though “American Graffiti” seemed a period piece, it chronicled the events of a wild night just 11 years before the film was released.

In its wake, Williams came back for “More American Graffiti” (1979) and in the meantime was cast as a “fast” girl named Shirley Feeney — along side Penny Marshall’s Laverne DiFazio — on a 1975 episode of the ’50s-set “Happy Days.” That appearance led to a spin-off called “Laverne & Shirley” (1976-1982) — on which Shirley was retooled as a charming square — which went on to become an enduring comedy classic, thanks to the physical humor and chemistry between Williams and Marshall.

In the end, Williams exited after 158 episodes before “Laverne & Shirley” ended.

Post-“Laverne & Shirley,” Williams focused on features and TV movies, among them 1988’s “Tricks of the Trade” with Markie Post and John Ritter and the feature “Big Man on Campus” (1989).

Later TV gigs included on “8 Simple Rules” (2008), “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (2004), “Girlfriends” (2004 & 2005), “Sam & Cat” (2013), and “The Odd Couple” (2016).

Other features in which she appeared included “The Creature Wasn’t Nice” (1981), “UFOria” (1984), “Rude Awakening” (1989), “Bingo” (1991), “Meet Wally Sparks” (1997), “The Biggest Fan” (2005), “Stealing Roses” (2012), and her final film, “Still Waiting in the Wings” (2018).

Developing…