Whatever Happened to Linda Purl, Ashley Pfister on ‘Happy Days’?
What To Know
- Linda Purl is best known for her roles as Ashley Pfister on Happy Days and Helene, Pam’s mother, on The Office, but has had a diverse career in television, film, theater, and music.
- She began her acting career as a child in Japan, trained internationally, and has appeared in numerous TV series and movies from the 1970s to the present, including Matlock, Homeland, and The Bold and the Beautiful.
- In addition to acting, Purl is an accomplished jazz vocalist with several albums, and her personal life has included high-profile marriages and a current relationship with actor Patrick Duffy.
Different generations may know Linda Purl for various roles. For many Boomers and Gen Xers, she is Fonzie’s girlfriend, Ashley Pfister, in Happy Days. For younger audiences, she is Pam’s mom and Michael’s girlfriend in The Office. No matter how you know her, Purl, 70, has had a great career in television, film, theater and even music.
How did Linda Purl get her start?
Born on September 2, 1955, in Greenwich, Connecticut, Purl’s childhood was anything but typical. At just five years old, she moved with her family to Japan, where her father worked in the chemical industry. While there, she trained at the Toho Geino Academy. She performed on stage at Tokyo’s Imperial Theatre, playing roles like Louis in The King and I, Bet in Oliver! and Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker. By 15, Purl returned to the United States and continued her formal training, studying in England before enrolling at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.
Jim Britt/TV Guide/©ABC/Everett Collection
Her early television work came quickly, including a role on the daytime soap The Secret Storm, followed by guest appearances across ’70s television. In 1976, she appeared in the ABC miniseries Eleanor and Franklin as Alice Roosevelt Longworth, and not long after, she played Molly Beaton in The Young Pioneers.
But most viewers first remember Purl from Happy Days, where she played two different characters years apart. In season two, she appeared as Gloria, one of Richie Cunningham’s dates, then returned eight seasons later as Ashley Pfister, Fonzie’s serious girlfriend. Then, in the mid-’80s, Purl landed one of her most high-profile television roles as Charlene Matlock, the daughter of Andy Griffith‘s character in the first season of Matlock. Throughout the late ’80s and ’90s, she stayed busy with series like Under Cover and Robin’s Hoods, as well as an extensive run of made-for-TV movies.
Where is Linda Purl today?
Later on, she appeared on The Office as Helene, Pam’s mother, becoming a romantic interest for Steve Carell‘s Michael Scott. She went on to guest-star in Homeland, True Blood, Major Crimes, Designated Survivor, Hacks and General Hospital. Most recently, she has appeared on The Bold and the Beautiful, where she shares the screen with her real-life partner Patrick Duffy.
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
Alongside acting, Purl built a career as a jazz vocalist. After leaving Matlock, she leaned into music, releasing several albums. In August 2023, she released This Could Be the Start, a collaboration with music director Tedd Firth.
Her personal life has occasionally made headlines, including a brief marriage to Desi Arnaz Jr., which made her the former daughter-in-law of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. She later married screenwriter William Broyles Jr. and then British producer Alexander Cary, with whom she shares a son, Lucius. Since 2020, she has been in a long-term relationship with Duffy, a real-life love story that has delighted longtime TV fans.
Remind 
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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