Cindy Williams

In the two-hour solo portion of her interview, Cindy Williams (1947-2023) talks about her early years acting in high school and her first television work on Room 222 with director James L. Brooks. She describes her early film career, appearing in the critically acclaimed features American Graffiti directed by George Lucas and The Conversation directed by Francis Ford Coppola. She recounts being cast on Happy Days as "Shirley Feeney" along with her writing partner Penny Marshall as "Laverne DeFazio," and the characters quickly being spun off into their own series, Laverne & Shirley. Williams recalls many aspects of that show, including its humor, fan reaction, the fame that resulted from the show, and leaving the show in 1982 before its run was over. She discusses her post-Laverne & Shirley career, including appearing in the pilot for Steel Magnolias, the series Getting By, and appearing on Broadway in The Drowsy Chaperone. She concludes the solo portion of her interview by discussing her then-current projects, advice to aspiring actors, and her legacy in television. Nancy Harrington conducted the interview on August 7, 2013 in Hollywood, CA.

In the hour-and-a-half joint portion of their interview, Cindy Williams and Penny Marshall (1943-2018) outline how they met and began writing together. They speak of how Laverne & Shirley came about, and Williams' initial hesitancy to commit to the series. They chronicle the show's physical comedy bits, their on-screen chemistry, and their co-stars, including Michael McKean and David L. Lander as "Lenny" and "Squiggy." They detail various reunion shows, reuniting on the series Sam & Cat, and their friendship over the years. Amy Harrington conducted the interview on August 7, 2013 in Hollywood, CA.