Cindy Williams, Stage Actor and LAVERNE & SHIRLEY Star, Passes Away At 75

Cindy Williams, a star of stage and screen and one half of the iconic duo, "Laverne & Shirley" has passed away at the age of 75.

According to Variety, Williams died in Los Angeles on Jan. 25 following a brief illness. The news was posted on Williams' official website.

In a statement, Williams' children wrote, "The passing of our kind, hilarious mother, Cindy Williams, has brought us insurmountable sadness that could never truly be expressed...Knowing and loving her has been our joy and privilege. She was one of a kind, beautiful, generous and possessed a brilliant sense of humor and a glittering spirit that everyone loved."

Although best known for her role as Shirley Feeney, Cindy Williams is a versatile actress and comedienne whose stage credits include the national tour of Grease playing Miss Lynch, the national tour of Deathtrap with Elliot Gould, The Female Odd Couple with Joanne Worley, Steel Magnolias as Ouiser Boudreaux and, in 2007, she made her Broadway debut in the role of Mrs. Tottendale in the award-winning musical The Drowsy Chaperone.

Born in Van Nuys, California, Cindy became interested in acting during high school. After graduation she attended L.A. City College where she majored in Theatre Arts. After leaving college, she landed her first television roles on Room 222, Nanny and the Professor and Love, American Style. Some guest-starring roles include Law & Order: SVU, 7th Heaven and 8 Simple Rules. Other appearances include starring in an episode of The Odd Couple for CBS, A Dream of Christmas for Hallmark Channel and Sam and Cat for Nickelodeon.

Her first film was for Roger Corman in GAS-S-S-S with Talia Shire and Ben Vereen. She appeared in Travels with My Aunt with Maggie Smith, directed by George Cukor, and The Conversation with Gene Hackman, directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Next, she co-starred with Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss and Harrison Ford in American Graffiti directed by George Lucas, a low-budget film that went on to become a box office smash and film classic.

She appeared as Rev. Mother Mary Regina in Nunsense and Nunset Boulevard: The Nunsense Hollywood Bowl Show. Cindy appeared in Menopause: The Musical in Las Vegas for three years, then reprised her role at the Ogunquit Playhouse in Maine. She also co-starred in the premiere of Middletown with Don Most, Didi Conn and Adrien Zmed at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas and at The Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, Pennsylvania. Most recently, Williams was seen touring the nation in her one-woman show, Me, Myself, & Shirley.

Williams is the recipient of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a TV Land award for Fan Favorite as well as winning Best Actress at the L.A. Comedy Film Festival for the Indy film Stealing Roses. Cindy also garnered a BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) nomination for best supporting actress in American Graffiti. Cindy's book Shirley, I Jest!: A Storied Life was released to much critical acclaim.

Photo Credit: Amy Pasquantonio