Cindy Williams, Shirley of "Laverne & Shirley," Dies at 75

LOS ANGELES, CA — Actress Cindy Williams, who rose to fame as Shirley in "Laverne & Shirley," died after a brief illness, according to the Associated Press. She was 75.

Williams starred in the classic TV sitcom opposite Penny Marshall. According to her family, Williams died Wednesday in Los Angeles.

“The passing of our kind, hilarious mother, Cindy Williams, has brought us insurmountable sadness that could never truly be expressed,” her children Zak and Emily wrote in a statement to the Associated Press. “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 a Golden Globe-nominated actress, appearing in "American Graffiti" by George Lucas and famously lost out to Carrie Fisher for the role of Princess Leia in his "Star Wars" franchise.

Though she appeared in multiple films and sitcoms, it was her turn as the polite and optimistic Shirley that made her a household name. Williams played the straitlaced Shirley to Marshall's more libertine Laverne on the show about a pair of roommates that worked at a Milwaukee bottling factory in the 1950s and 60s.

The strong-willed actresses famously butted heads on the set, but they reunited later in their careers. Marshall died in 2018.

"Laverne & Shirley" was a spinoff of "Happy Days" which aired in 1976 and ran through 1982 when Williams, then pregnant, left the show.

“Laverne & Shirley” was known almost as much for its opening theme as the show itself. Williams' and Marshall's chant of “schlemiel, schlimazel" as they skipped together became a cultural phenomenon and oft-invoked piece of nostalgia.

Williams continued to act for decades after "Laverne & Shirley." She debuted on Broadway in "The Drowsy Chaperone " in 2007. Later, she created and starred in the one-woman show ``Me, Myself & Shirley.''

She was born in Van Nuys and attended Los Angeles City College as a theater major. She is survived by her two children.

As news of her pass spread Monday, colleagues, friends and fans took to social media to share their grief and memories.

"Sad," tweeted Henry Winker, who played Fonzie on "Happy Days," where Williams got her big break. "What a fine and talented human being! RIP"

Michael McKean, who played Lenny on "Laverne & Shirley," shared one of his memories from his time on the show.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.