The Tragic Story of Erin Moran From ‘Happy Days’
For many fans, Erin Moran will always be remembered as Joanie Cunningham, Richie’s sassy little sister on Happy Days who eventually got her own spinoff show with her love interest Chachi, played by Scott Baio. Unfortunately, behind the scenes, Moran’s life was full of struggles including lawsuits, divorce and health issues.
Erin Marie Moran was born on October 18, 1960, in Burbank, California, and raised in nearby North Hollywood. One of six children, her mother encouraged her interest in acting from an early age, signing her with a talent agent when she was just five years old. Soon, Moran was appearing in commercials and landing small television parts. By the time she was seven, she was cast in the adventure series Daktari, and later made film appearances alongside stars like Debbie Reynolds in How Sweet It Is!
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She also popped up on My Three Sons, Family Affair and The Waltons, before getting her big break in 1974, at just 13 years old, when she began appearing as Joanie Cunningham on Happy Days . Moran later said that producers pressured her to lose weight and play up a more mature image as she grew older, something that left her uneasy but was sadly all too common for young actresses at the time. Moran’s character was so popular that she was given her own spin-off, Joanie Loves Chachi, in 1982 alongside Scott Baio. She admitted later that she had only reluctantly agreed, wishing instead to stay with Happy Days. The show lasted just one season, and by 1983, she was back on the original series for its final year.
Afterward, Moran struggled to find her footing in Hollywood. She guest-starred on shows like The Love Boat, Murder, She Wrote and Diagnosis: Murder and appeared in the cult sci-fi horror film Galaxy of Terror, but never found a big role again.
In 2011, Moran joined fellow cast members Marion Ross, Don Most, Anson Williams, and the estate of Tom Bosley in a lawsuit against CBS over unpaid merchandising revenues from Happy Days. The group argued that they were owed millions, while the network claimed it only amounted to a few thousand dollars each. The case drew lots of attention, but ultimately, it ended in a settlement that paid each actor $65,000.
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Moran’s personal life was equally turbulent. She married Rocky Ferguson in 1987, divorcing six years later, before marrying Steven Fleischmann later that same year. She spoke candidly about depression, as well as the difficulty of adjusting to life after her child stardom. In 2010, she lost her California home to foreclosure and was reported to be living with her husband in Indiana. In late 2016, Moran began to experience symptoms of throat cancer. Her health declined rapidly, and on April 22, 2017, she was found unresponsive at her home in Corydon, Indiana. She was only 56 years old. An autopsy confirmed her cause of death was complications from stage-four throat cancer. Toxicology tests showed no drugs or illegal substances in her system and her husband later revealed in a letter that her cancer had spread more aggressively than anyone had realized.
Where to watch Happy Days
Happy Days is currently available to stream on Pluto TV and Paramount+. Select episodes also air on classic television networks including Catchy Comedy and MeTV.
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1970s Fall TV
September 2023
Take a trip back to the ’70s by looking at the TV Guide Magazine Fall Preview primetime lineups.
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