Whatever Happened to Chuck Cunningham from ‘Happy Days’?
From 1974 to 1984, Happy Days was one of the most popular shows on U.S. network television, and it was certainly a favorite of mine. I can still remember the original TV Guide Magazine ad for the program, word-for-word: “Those were the days of the 1950s … filled with innocence and the promise of even better days to come.” Well, maybe it should have said “better days for most” because something very odd and very unfortunate happened to the eldest member of the Cunningham clan. Simply put: Chuck Cunningham vanished without a trace.
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Chuck Cunningham appeared on the first two seasons of Happy Days. In the first season, he was played by Irish actor Gavan O’Herlihy; during the second, Randolph Roberts showed up to take over the role. Chuck was a basketball player, and originally, shared a room with Richie, until he went off to college. After season two, Chuck was never seen again, and in future seasons, Richie and Joanie were treated as the only Cunningham children.
As much as I loved the Cunningham family, I idolized the Fonz. At least for the first few seasons, I really thought he was about as cool as you could get. He passed the TV Guide and Dynamite Magazine test, as he was on the cover at least twice for both magazines. But sadly, it turns out that the Fonz was actually responsible, in a weird kind of way, for big brother Chuck’s disappearance.
As the show developed and the writers started really exploring the relationship dynamics between the characters, it became clear to all that the Fonz could become something of a pseudo-big brother to Richie Cunningham. All that was getting in the way was the real big brother, who never really had much to do in any of the plot lines anyway.
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O’Herlihy saw the writing on the wall midway through the first season and asked to be let out of his contract. And it wasn’t a bad decision. Gavan had a great career with roles in films like Superman III, Never Say Never Again, as well as Ron Howard’s Willow. He was also part of the cast of the highly acclaimed TV miniseries Lonesome Dove. And in the 1980s, he traveled to England, where he was cast in a successful British TV series called We’ll Meet Again.
Charmed by the U.K., Gavan made the decision to focus less on his career and more on really experiencing all that life had to offer. Speaking to Molly Snyder for OnMilwaukee.com in 2013, he said, “I’m tucked in away from the business, though occasionally something drops from the ether. I’m certainly not on the hunt.”
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Until his passing in 2021, Gavan made the U.K. his home, first living on a houseboat, then in a lighthouse, and finally settling down on a farm in The Cotswolds, a range of hills in England.
As for the season two Chuck, Randolph Roberts? Personally, nothing against Randolph, but Gavan will always be the real Chuck Cunningham to me. He’s the guy I think of when I hear the term “Chuck Cunningham Syndrome” which is used to describe a TV show that pretends a family member never existed.
Randolph didn’t work in the entertainment industry all that long. Ultimately, he ended up working in the field of higher education. Talk about a change of careers! However, before he left Hollywood, he did land the leading role in a film called Wicked, Wicked, and a smaller but not insignificant role in the sci-fi classic Logan’s Run.
Remind 
1974 (50 Years Ago)
January 2024
In this time capsule issue of ReMIND Magazine we look back 50 years ago to 1974!
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