Cindy Williams
Encyclopedia
Cynthia Jane "Cindy" Williams (born August 22, 1947) is an American
actress best known for starring in the television situation-comedy series Laverne & Shirley
, in the role of "Shirley Feeney", and for her role as Laurie Henderson in the classic film American Graffiti
.
. She attended Los Angeles City College
. She has appeared in 19 movies.
After college, Williams began her professional career by landing national commercials, which included Foster Grant
sunglasses and TWA
. Her first roles in television, among others, were on Room 222
, Nanny and the Professor
and Love American Style.
She picked up important film roles early in her career: George Cukor
's Travels with My Aunt
(1972); as Ron Howard
's high school sweetheart in George Lucas
's American Graffiti
(1973); and Francis Ford Coppola
's The Conversation
(1974). She auditioned for Lucas's next project, Star Wars
, but lost the role of Princess Leia to Carrie Fisher
.
She portrayed the loyal and fun-loving brewery worker "Shirley Feeney" in the sitcom Laverne and Shirley. from 1976 until 1982. Although praised for her portrayal of Shirley, she left the show after the 2nd episode of the show's eighth and final season, after she became pregnant with her first child. Later she starred in the short-lived 1993-94 sitcom Getting By
. She has guest starred on several television shows, including two episodes of 8 Simple Rules
.
She has performed onstage in the national tours of Grease
, Deathtrap
and Moon Over Buffalo
, and a regional production of Nunsense
. She reunited with her L&S co-star Eddie Mekka
in a November 2008 regional production of the Renée Taylor
-Joseph Bologna
comedy play It Had to Be You
.
Williams made her Broadway debut as daffy "Mrs. Tottendale" in The Drowsy Chaperone
at the Marquis Theatre
on December 11, 2007, succeeding JoAnne Worley in the role originated by Georgia Engel.
She made a guest appearance on illusionist David Copperfield
's first CBS TV special in 1978. She assisted Copperfield in the Zig Zag Girl
and a length-wise sawing-in-half illusions.
Williams was executive producer on the successful Steve Martin
comedy film Father of the Bride
and its sequel.
in 1982, but the marriage ended in divorce in 2000. Together they have two children: Emily Hudson (born 1982) and Zachary Hudson (born 1986).
In late 2009 Ms. Williams was wrongly accused of penning an article in the Washington Post about military pay grades; she was confused with another Cindy.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress best known for starring in the television situation-comedy series Laverne & Shirley
Laverne & Shirley
Laverne & Shirley is an American television situation comedy that ran on ABC from January 26, 1976, to May 10, 1983...
, in the role of "Shirley Feeney", and for her role as Laurie Henderson in the classic film American Graffiti
American Graffiti
American Graffiti is a 1973 coming of age film co-written/directed by George Lucas starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips and Harrison Ford...
.
Early life
Williams was born in Van Nuys, California, to Francesca (née Bellini) and Beachard Williams. She has one sibling, a sister, Carol Ann Williams. She graduated from Birmingham High SchoolBirmingham High School
Birmingham Community Charter High School is a public coeducational high school in the neighborhood/district of Lake Balboa in the San Fernando Valley section of Los Angeles, California, United States...
. She attended Los Angeles City College
Los Angeles City College
Los Angeles City College, known as LACC, is a public community college in the East Hollywood section of Los Angeles, California. A part of the Los Angeles Community College District, it is located on Vermont Avenue south of Santa Monica Boulevard...
. She has appeared in 19 movies.
Career
Foster Grant
Foster Grant, or FosterGrant, is a brand of eyewear founded by Sam Foster in 1919. The FosterGrant brand is a subsidiary company of FGX International, a consumer goods wholesaler with headquarters in Smithfield, Rhode Island, USA....
sunglasses and TWA
Twa
The Twa are any of several hunting peoples of Africa who live interdependently with agricultural Bantu populations, and generally hold a socially subordinate position: They provide the farming population with game in exchange for agricultural products....
. Her first roles in television, among others, were on Room 222
Room 222
Room 222 is an American comedy-drama television series produced by 20th Century Fox Television. The series aired on ABC from September 17, 1969, to January 11, 1974, for 112 episodes...
, Nanny and the Professor
Nanny and the Professor
Nanny and the Professor is a U.S. fantasy situation comedy created by AJ Carothers and Thomas L. Miller for 20th Century Fox Television. During pre-production, the proposed title was Nanny Will Do. The series first aired as a mid-season replacement on January 21, 1970, on ABC and was last telecast...
and Love American Style.
She picked up important film roles early in her career: George Cukor
George Cukor
George Dewey Cukor was an American film director. He mainly concentrated on comedies and literary adaptations. His career flourished at RKO and later MGM, where he directed What Price Hollywood? , A Bill of Divorcement , Dinner at Eight , Little Women , David Copperfield , Romeo and Juliet and...
's Travels with My Aunt
Travels with My Aunt (film)
Travels with My Aunt is a 1972 American comedy film directed by George Cukor. The screenplay by Jay Presson Allen and Hugh Wheeler is based on the 1969 novel of the same name by Graham Greene.-Plot:...
(1972); as Ron Howard
Ron Howard
Ronald William "Ron" Howard is an American actor, director, and producer. He came to prominence as a child actor, playing Opie Taylor in the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show for eight years, and later the teenaged Richie Cunningham in the sitcom Happy Days for six years...
's high school sweetheart in George Lucas
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director, and entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Lucasfilm. He is best known as the creator of the space opera franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...
's American Graffiti
American Graffiti
American Graffiti is a 1973 coming of age film co-written/directed by George Lucas starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips and Harrison Ford...
(1973); and Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is widely acclaimed as one of Hollywood's most innovative and influential film directors...
's The Conversation
The Conversation
The Conversation is a 1974 American psychological thriller film written, produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Gene Hackman...
(1974). She auditioned for Lucas's next project, Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
, but lost the role of Princess Leia to Carrie Fisher
Carrie Fisher
Carrie Frances Fisher is an American actress, novelist, screenwriter, and lecturer. She is most famous for her portrayal of Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy, her bestselling novel Postcards from the Edge, for which she wrote the screenplay to the film of the same name, and her...
.
She portrayed the loyal and fun-loving brewery worker "Shirley Feeney" in the sitcom Laverne and Shirley. from 1976 until 1982. Although praised for her portrayal of Shirley, she left the show after the 2nd episode of the show's eighth and final season, after she became pregnant with her first child. Later she starred in the short-lived 1993-94 sitcom Getting By
Getting By
Getting By is an American sitcom produced by Thomas L. Miller and Robert L. Boyett, with the format created by William Bickley and Michael Warren. The show debuted on ABC's TGIF block, running its first twelve-episode season from March 5, 1993 through May 21, 1993. Shortly after the spring season...
. She has guest starred on several television shows, including two episodes of 8 Simple Rules
8 Simple Rules
8 Simple Rules is an American sitcom that originally aired on ABC from September 17, 2002, to April 15, 2005, with 76 episodes produced over three seasons. It is based on the self-improvement book of the same name. The show starred John Ritter until his death on September 11, 2003...
.
She has performed onstage in the national tours of Grease
Grease (musical)
Grease is a 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical is named for the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as the greasers. The musical, set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School , follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of love,...
, Deathtrap
Deathtrap
Deathtrap may refer to:*Deathtrap , a 1978 play by Ira Levin which received a Tony Award nomination for Best Play*Deathtrap , a 1982 film based on the Levin play*Deathtrap , a plot device in fiction and drama...
and Moon Over Buffalo
Moon Over Buffalo
Moon Over Buffalo is a 1995 comic play by Ken Ludwig set in Buffalo, New York in 1953. This play marked the return of Carol Burnett to the Broadway stage, after 30 years.- Characters :*George Hay, a traveling actor....
, and a regional production of Nunsense
Nunsense
Nunsense is a musical comedy with a book, music, and lyrics by Dan Goggin. Originating as a line of greeting cards, Goggin expanded the concept into a cabaret that ran for 38 weeks, and eventually into a full-length musical...
. She reunited with her L&S co-star Eddie Mekka
Eddie Mekka
Eddie Mekka is an American actor most famous for his role as Carmine Ragusa on the sitcom Laverne & Shirley.-Life and career:...
in a November 2008 regional production of the Renée Taylor
Renee Taylor
Renée Taylor is an American actress, Academy Award nominated writer and one-time director, best-known for having played Fran Drescher's outspoken mother, Sylvia Fine, on the TV series The Nanny.- Career :...
-Joseph Bologna
Joseph Bologna
Joseph Bologna is an American actor.-Life and career:Bologna was born in Brooklyn, New York. He attended Brown University, where he majored in art history. After a hitch with the marines, Bologna was hired to produce and direct Manhattan-based TV commercials.The actor has a long history in film...
comedy play It Had to Be You
It Had to Be You
It Had to Be You may refer to:* It Had to Be You * It Had to Be You * It Had to Be You * It Had to Be You! * It Had to Be You * "It Had to Be You"...
.
Williams made her Broadway debut as daffy "Mrs. Tottendale" in The Drowsy Chaperone
The Drowsy Chaperone
The Drowsy Chaperone is a musical with book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar and music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison. It debuted in 1998 at The Rivoli in Toronto and opened on Broadway on 1 May 2006. The show won the Tony Award for Best Book and Best Score. It started as a spoof of old...
at the Marquis Theatre
Marquis Theatre
The Marquis Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 1535 Broadway in midtown-Manhattan.Situated on the third floor of the Marriott Marquis Hotel, the 1611-seat venue was designed by developer/architect John C. Portman, Jr...
on December 11, 2007, succeeding JoAnne Worley in the role originated by Georgia Engel.
She made a guest appearance on illusionist David Copperfield
David Copperfield (illusionist)
David Copperfield is an Emmy Award-winning American illusionist, and was described by Forbes as the most commercially successful magician in history. Copperfield's network specials have been nominated for 38 Emmy Awards and won a total of 21 Emmys...
's first CBS TV special in 1978. She assisted Copperfield in the Zig Zag Girl
Zig Zag Girl
The Zig-Zag Girl illusion is a magic trick akin to the more famous sawing a woman in half illusion. In the Zig-Zag illusion, a magician divides his or her assistant into thirds, only to have the assistant emerge from the illusion at the end of the performance completely unharmed.Since its invention...
and a length-wise sawing-in-half illusions.
Williams was executive producer on the successful Steve Martin
Steve Martin
Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician and composer....
comedy film Father of the Bride
Father of the Bride (1991 film)
Father of the Bride is a 1991 American comedy film starring Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, George Newbern, Martin Short, B.D. Wong and Kieran Culkin. It is a remake of the 1950 movie of the same name...
and its sequel.
Personal life
Williams was married to Bill Hudson of the musical trio Hudson BrothersHudson Brothers
The Hudson Brothers are an American music group formed in Portland, Oregon in the 1970s and consisting of Bill Hudson, Brett Hudson and Mark Hudson...
in 1982, but the marriage ended in divorce in 2000. Together they have two children: Emily Hudson (born 1982) and Zachary Hudson (born 1986).
In late 2009 Ms. Williams was wrongly accused of penning an article in the Washington Post about military pay grades; she was confused with another Cindy.
Filmography
- Gas-s-s-sGas-s-s-sGas-s-s-s is a 1971 motion picture produced and released by American International Pictures. It was producer Roger Corman's final film for AIP, before leaving to found his own New World Pictures...
(1971) - Drive, He Said (1971)
- Beware! The BlobBeware! The BlobBeware! The Blob is a 1972 sequel to horror science-fiction film The Blob. The film was directed by Larry Hagman. The screenplay was penned by Anthony Harris and Jack Woods III, based on a story by Jack H. Harris and Richard Clair...
(1972) - Travels with My AuntTravels with My Aunt (film)Travels with My Aunt is a 1972 American comedy film directed by George Cukor. The screenplay by Jay Presson Allen and Hugh Wheeler is based on the 1969 novel of the same name by Graham Greene.-Plot:...
(1972) - The Killing Kind (1973)
- American GraffitiAmerican GraffitiAmerican Graffiti is a 1973 coming of age film co-written/directed by George Lucas starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips and Harrison Ford...
(1973) - The ConversationThe ConversationThe Conversation is a 1974 American psychological thriller film written, produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Gene Hackman...
(1974) - Mr. Ricco (1975)
- The First Nudie MusicalThe First Nudie MusicalThe First Nudie Musical is a 1976 American motion picture directed by Mark Haggard and Bruce Kimmel.-Overview:The movie is a comedy starring Cindy Williams and Stephen Nathan. Nathan plays Harry Schechter, heir to a Hollywood studio forced to make a musical comedy porno in order to stave off...
(1976) - More American GraffitiMore American GraffitiMore American Graffiti is the 1979 sequel film to George Lucas's hit film American Graffiti. Whereas the first film followed a group of friends during the summer evening before they set off for college, this film shows us where the characters from the first film end up a few years later.Most of the...
(1979) - Sois belle et tais-toi (1981) (documentary)
- The Creature Wasn't NiceThe Creature Wasn't NiceThe Creature Wasn't Nice is a 1983 U.S. motion picture written and directed by Bruce Kimmel. The movie is a comedy farce satirizing extraterrestrial horror movies such as Alien. It stars Leslie Nielsen in a role similar to those in the farical comedies Airplane and Naked Gun...
(1983) - UFOriaUFOriaUFOria is a science fiction/comedy movie starring Fred Ward, Harry Dean Stanton, Harry Carey, Jr. and Cindy Williams. It was directed by John Binder.The film includes also guest appearances by Peggy McKay, Joe Unger, Hank Worden and Charlotte Stewart....
(1985) - Big Man on Campus (1989)
- Rude AwakeningRude Awakening (1989 film)Rude Awakening is a 1989 comedy film directed by David Greenwalt and Aaron Russo.-Plot:In 1969 New York City, two hippies, Fred Wook and Jesus Monteya, flee the US to avoid arrest by the FBI and hide out in the jungles of Central America...
(1989) - BingoBingo (film)Bingo is a 1991 American family comedy film, released by TriStar Pictures.Bingo, a runaway circus dog saves the life of Chuckie , a young boy who is somewhat an outcast within his family. The two quickly become best friends - skateboarding, playing pinball, and doing math homework together...
(1991) - Meet Wally SparksMeet Wally SparksMeet Wally Sparks is a comedy film released in 1997 by Trimark Pictures. It stars Rodney Dangerfield and was directed by Peter Baldwin.-Plot:...
(1997) - The Biggest FanThe Biggest FanThe Biggest Fan is a film based around the band Dream Street . The main characters are Chris Trousdale and his "Biggest Fan" Debbie Worden...
(2002) - The Legend of William Tell (2006)
- The Last Guy on Earth (2007)
Television work
- The Funny SideThe Funny SideThe Funny Side is an American sketch comedy program that aired on NBC as part of its 1971 fall lineup.-Synopsis:The Funny Side was hosted by Gene Kelly and starred five pairs of actors and actresses who were presented as married couples...
(1971) (cancelled after 3 months) - The Migrants (1974)
- Hawaii Five-OHawaii Five-OHawaii Five-O is an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productions and Leonard Freeman. Set in Hawaii, the show originally aired for twelve seasons from 1968 to 1980, and continues in reruns. The show featured a fictional state police unit run by Detective Steve McGarrett,...
January 1974, season 6, #18. Secret Witness. - Laverne & ShirleyLaverne & ShirleyLaverne & Shirley is an American television situation comedy that ran on ABC from January 26, 1976, to May 10, 1983...
(cast member from 1976–1982) - Laverne & Shirley in the ArmyLaverne & Shirley in the ArmyLaverne & Shirley in the Army is a 1981 Hanna-Barbera cartoon series based on the TV show Laverne & Shirley, with the title characters voiced by Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams. The show aired on Saturday mornings for one season of 13 episodes on ABC...
(1981–1982) (voice) - The Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour (1982–1983) (voice)
- When Dreams Come True (1985)
- Help Wanted: Kids (1986)
- The Leftovers (1986)
- Save the Dog! (1988)
- Tricks of the Trade (1988)
- Just Like Family (1989) (cancelled after a few weeks)
- Perry Mason: The Case of the Poisoned PenPerry MasonPerry Mason is a fictional character, a defense attorney who was the main character in works of detective fiction authored by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason was featured in more than 80 novels and short stories, most of which had a plot involving his client's murder trial...
(1990) - Normal Life (1990) (cancelled after 13 episodes)
- Steel MagnoliasSteel MagnoliasSteel Magnolias is a 1989 American comedy-drama film directed by Herbert Ross that stars Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Dolly Parton, Daryl Hannah and Julia Roberts....
(1990) (unsold pilot) - Menu for Murder (1990)
- Earth Angel (1991)
- Getting ByGetting ByGetting By is an American sitcom produced by Thomas L. Miller and Robert L. Boyett, with the format created by William Bickley and Michael Warren. The show debuted on ABC's TGIF block, running its first twelve-episode season from March 5, 1993 through May 21, 1993. Shortly after the spring season...
(1993–1994) - Escape from Terror: The Teresa Stamper Story (1994)
- The Stepford HusbandsThe Stepford HusbandsThe Stepford Husbands is a 1996 made-for-television sci-fi/horror film inspired by the Ira Levin novel The Stepford Wives. It was directed by Fred Walton with a screenplay by brothers Ken Wheat and Jim Wheat. Donna Mills, Michael Ontkean, Cindy Williams, Sarah Douglas, and Louise Fletcher all...
(1996) - Strip MallStrip MallStrip Mall is a situation comedy that aired on Comedy Central from June 2000 until March 2001.The series, a spoof of prime time soap operas, was set in Van Nuys, California which is series star/creator/executive producer Julie Brown's hometown. The titular "Strip Mall" was the fictional Plaza del...
(2000–2001) - Laverne & Shirley Together Again (2002)
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2004) as Nora Hodges
- DriveDrive (TV series)Drive is a short-lived American action drama television series created by Tim Minear and Ben Queen, produced by Minear, Queen, and Greg Yaitanes, and starring Nathan Fillion, four episodes of which aired on the Fox network in April 2007...
(2007)