‘Laverne & Shirley’: Henry Winkler Set the Record Straight on Penny Marshall & Cindy Williams Relationship
What To Know
- Henry Winkler refuted rumors of a difficult relationship between Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams on the set of Laverne & Shirley.
- Despite reports of on-set disagreements and claims that Marshall’s character received more attention, Winkler emphasized the duo’s talent for physical comedy and their strong partnership.
- Laverne & Shirley, a successful Happy Days spinoff that aired from 1976 to 1983, is now available for streaming on Pluto TV.
Laverne & Shirley star Henry Winkler set the record straight on Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams‘ relationship behind the scenes of the Happy Days spinoff.
During an appearance on the Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal podcast, Winkler fielded a question about whether Marshall and Williams were a “nightmare.” The Fonzie actor insisted, “No, that’s not true.”
“They started as a guest couple on our show,” Winkler explained during the January 2024 encore episode from 2015. “I dated one, and Richie dated Shirley. I dated Laverne. And the girls were so incredible together. You know, one of the great acting partners of my life was Ron Howard. We could do a three-page scene. We could memorize it, improvise it, and shoot it in 20 minutes, three times. And these young ladies, they were so connected in their humor and so yin and yang. They were so the opposite of each other.”
Winkler added, “And then they went on to do their own show, and they each had an opinion, that is true. But what came out was some of the best slapstick comedy since Lucy. Honest to God. Great physical comedians, both of them. Great physical comedians. And they worked together like bread and butter.”
After the characters Laverne DeFazio and Shirley Feeny debuted in episodes of Happy Days, they snagged their own spinoff. Laverne & Shirley premiered in 1976 and aired for eight seasons until 1983.
The 2006 book, Happier Days: Paramount Television’s Classic Sitcoms, 1974-1984, by Marley Brant, reported that Williams stormed off the set within the first two months filming for the series. The actress also reportedly claimed that Marshall’s character got “all of the show’s attention.” Additionally, show creator Garry Marshall said it was common for the Happy Days cast to overhear fighting on the Laverne & Shirley set, as the sound stages were back-to-back on the Paramount lot.
Marshall died at 75 in 2018, while Williams also died at 75 in 2023.
Laverne & Shirley, streaming on Pluto TV