Cindy Williams, the beloved actress best known for her portrayal of Shirley Feeney on the hit sitcom Laverne & Shirley, has passed away at the age of 75 due to a brief illness. Her death was announced by her family, who expressed insurmountable sadness at her passing. Williams was a talented actress who had a wide-ranging career in film and television, appearing in notable projects such as George Cukor’s Travels With My Aunt, George Lucas’ American Graffiti, and Francis Ford Coppola’s The Conversation.
Williams’ most iconic role was as Shirley Feeney, the straight-laced and naive roommate of Penny Marshall’s Laverne DeFazio, on Laverne & Shirley. The show, which aired from 1976 to 1983, was a huge success and became a cultural phenomenon, with its self-empowering opening song and the iconic “schlemiel, schlimazel” chant becoming ingrained in popular culture. The show’s popularity was unprecedented, and it remains a staple of 1970s and 80s television.
Despite her success, Williams’ departure from the show in 1983 was tumultuous. After becoming pregnant, she sought to have her working hours curtailed, but her demands were not met, leading her to walk off the set and file a lawsuit against the show’s production company. This led to her appearing infrequently during the final season.
Cindy Williams (Via Cindy Williams/Twitter)
Before her rise to fame on Laverne & Shirley, Williams had a strong foundation in acting, attending Birmingham High School and majoring in theatre arts at LA City College. Her early career consisted of small roles on television shows such as Room 222, Nanny and the Professor, and Love, American Style. A defining role in George Lucas’ American Graffiti cemented her place in the industry, and she went on to appear in numerous projects, including Happy Days and Star Wars (though she lost the role of Princess Leia to Carrie Fisher).
In the decades following Laverne & Shirley, Williams continued to work in television, making guest appearances on shows including 7th Heaven, 8 Simple Rules, and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. In 2013, she and Penny Marshall reunited for a Laverne & Shirley tribute episode on the Nickelodeon series Sam and Cat. Last year, Williams starred in a one-woman stage show, Me, Myself and Shirley, at a theatre in Palm Springs, California.
Williams was married to singer Bill Hudson, of the Hudson Brothers, from 1982 to 2000, with whom she had two children. Despite her passing, Williams’ legacy as Shirley Feeney and her impact on popular culture continue to be celebrated.
