Whatever Happened to Cathy Silvers, Jenny Piccalo from ‘Happy Days’?
What To Know
- Cathy Silvers, daughter of comedian Phil Silvers, became a fan favorite as Jenny Piccalo when she joined Happy Days in 1980, after the character was previously only spoken about.
- After Happy Days, Cathy had roles in shows like Foley Square and Cleghorne! before stepping back from acting to focus on family, education, and business.
- She later founded an organic produce delivery service, authored a wellness book, and has occasionally reunited with Happy Days cast members for special occasions.
Does anyone else remember Joanie Cunningham’s best friend, Jenny Piccalo? For the first handful of seasons of Happy Days, she was only spoken about but never seen. But then, in 1980, the character became an on-screen reality, when Cathy Silvers joined the show. She quickly became a fan favorite, especially during that “Joanie and Chachi” era. But what happened to the actress, now 64, after she left the ’50s-set TV show behind?
Who is Cathy Silvers?
Everett Collection
Cathy comes from a Hollywood family. Her father was the famous comedian Phil Silvers, best known for his role as Sergeant Bilko. Phil appeared with his daughter on Happy Days in 1981, playing Jenny’s father, Roscoe. From everything that I’ve read, the taping of that particular episode was an absolute delight for both father and daughter, and it turned out to be one of Phil’s final onscreen appearances.
Growing up in a showbiz family, you would think that Cathy would’ve been on TV since she was a little girl, but that simply wasn’t the case. You see, her parents wanted her to have a normal childhood, even though she had demonstrated a desire to be on stage since she was very young, Cathy was such a ham, in fact, that her family called her “Little Phil”.
In a 1981 issue of TV Guide, Cathy was quick to give credit where credit is due. Way back then, she said, “I get my (comedic) timing from my dad.”
What did Cathy Silvers do after Happy Days?
Kay Shuper / TV Guide / Courtesy Everett Collection
After Happy Days, Cathy landed a recurring gig on the TV series Foley Square from 1985 to 1986, but after that, she took a step back from acting. She got married for the first time in 1988 to Alexander Burnett; the couple had two children together.
In the ’90s, Cathy returned to TV again, costarring on former SNL cast member Ellen Cleghorne‘s short-lived TV show in 1995, Cleghorne! She also had a guest role on Wings and a few other shows during this time, and made an appearance in the 1996 film remake of her dad’s old TV show, Sgt. Bilko, which starred Steve Martin, Dan Aykroyd, and Chris Rock.
She and Alexander Burnett divorced in 1996 and Cathy later married entertainment lawyer David Fulmer in 2001. Together they had two more children and raised a stepchild. Cathy was building a busy and fulfilling family life.
As offers started to slow down a bit, Cathy made a very conscious decision to focus more on her family and pursue her education and business interests. She earned a degree in marketing from American University and started her own business. A dedicated vegan, Cathy founded a service that delivers organic produce from farmer’s markets to customers all across Los Angeles County. She also wrote a book in 2007 called Happy Days Healthy Living, where she shares her tips on health and wellness.
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In 2017, Cathy reunited with her Happy Days cast members to honor and remember Erin Moran at her memorial. Erin passed away that year from cancer at the all-too-young age of 56. At the time, Cathy told US Weekly, “It was very emotional. We were a private family and a public family. It’s an interesting dynamic. It was bittersweet and very loving and a lot of laughter and a lot of tears.”
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