Roz Kelly
Encyclopedia
Roz Kelly is an American actress, perhaps best known for playing Arthur "Fonzie
" Fonzarelli's (Henry Winkler
) girlfriend Carol "Pinky" Tuscadero on the hit television series Happy Days
.
, Soupy Sales
, Andy Warhol
, Cream
, Leonard Cohen
, Neil Diamond
and photographer Diane Arbus
.
) who also dated "Fonzie" in a later episode. Just as Arthur Fonzarelli insisted on being called "Fonzie" or "the Fonz", Carol insisted on being called "Pinky", and usually dressed in attire to match. Pinky was slated to be Fonzie's long-term girlfriend after her initial appearances in episodes #64–66 and, in fact, commercials for the next season even began promoting Kelly's new character. When discord occurred among Kelly, the cast and producers, her character was dropped; she was only mentioned briefly in two later episodes: where her sister Leather came into town to start a fresh life from reform school; and when Fonzie was out of town at a demolition derby
with Pinky.
- a short-lived 1977 Happy Days spin-off. Kelly also played guest roles on Starsky and Hutch
(1975), Match Game '76 (1976), The Paul Lynde Halloween Special
(1976), Baretta
(1978), Kojak
(1978), The Love Boat
(1978), The Dukes of Hazzard
(1979), Charlie's Angels
(1980) and Fantasy Island
(1982). Her role in Starsky and Hutch was created when star Paul Michael Glaser
(Starsky) planned to quit at the start of the third season, with Kelly's character, Officer Linda Baylor, intended to fill his place. However, Glaser was persuaded to stay, and Kelly's character ultimately only appeared in one episode, Fatal Charm.
Her characters on these other shows never reached the level of cult fame that "Pinky" gave her. So closely identified was she with the character that she was billed as Roz "Pinky Tuscadero" Kelly for her appearance in The Paul Lynde Halloween Special
.
During this period, Kelly also appeared as a celebrity panelist on such game shows as Match Game
and Hollywood Squares
.
Kelly also played roles in low budget movies throughout the late 1970s/early 1980s including: The Owl and the Pussycat
; Greetings
; You've Got to Walk It Like You Talk It; You'll Lose That Beat; Okay Bill; The Female Response; American Pop
; New Year's Evil
; and Full Moon High
. These movies were indicative of her career that was based on a lot of potential, but limited exposure due to lack of distribution. Most of these small parts emphasized her body and highly sexual demeanor.
Kelly appeared as a guest of The Jenny Jones Show
episode focusing on "Whatever Happened to Your Favorite Television Stars", along with What's Happenings Danielle Spencer.
, of half Irish and half Jewish ancestry. Kelly spends her time in upstate New York with her family and friends. Her hobbies include sewing and writing poetry. Although not officially retired from acting, she has not worked in the film genre in over a decade. To this day, fans of Happy Days recognize her as "Pinky" and she remains amazed at her cult following and the number of people who actually know her as Roz Kelly, considering the rather small screen career she has had. She has often said sarcastically that those people scare her.
On November 29, 1998, she was arrested for firing a 12-gauge shotgun into the living room window of a neighbor's house after a car alarm woke her up; she also shot the neighbor's car and another car nearby. The neighbor was not home at the time. She pleaded no contest
to the charge of firing into the house and was sentenced to three years' felony probation on October 20, 2000. Kelly was also ordered to receive psychiatric counseling and pay restitution as ordered by the probation department.
On October 27, 2000, she was sentenced to 120 days in jail after pleading 'no contest' to charges stemming from an August 20, 2000, arrest for hitting a man with her cane. She was given credit for the 98 days that she had already spent in jail awaiting sentencing, thus avoiding having to spend any more time in jail.
She is known as Roxie to her family and friends.
Fonzie
Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli is a fictional character played by Henry Winkler in the American sitcom Happy Days . He was originally a secondary character, but eventually became the lead...
" Fonzarelli's (Henry Winkler
Henry Winkler
Henry Franklin Winkler, OBE is an American actor, director, producer, and author.Winkler is best known for his role as Fonzie on the 1970s American sitcom Happy Days...
) girlfriend Carol "Pinky" Tuscadero on the hit television series Happy Days
Happy Days
Happy Days is an American television sitcom that originally aired from January 15, 1974, to September 24, 1984, on ABC. Created by Garry Marshall, the series presents an idealized vision of life in mid-1950s to mid-1960s America....
.
Before Happy Days
Before Happy Days, Roz Kelly worked as a staff photographer for New York Magazine, where she took pictures of both unknowns and celebrities, including Jimi HendrixJimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, Soupy Sales
Soupy Sales
Soupy Sales was an American comedian, actor, radio-TV personality and host, and jazz aficionado. He was best known for his local and network children's television show, Lunch with Soupy Sales; a series of comedy sketches frequently ending with Sales receiving a pie in the face, which became his...
, Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
, Cream
Cream (band)
Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...
, Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
, Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
and photographer Diane Arbus
Diane Arbus
Diane Arbus March 14, 1923 – July 26, 1971) was an American photographer and writer noted for black-and-white square photographs of "deviant and marginal people or of people whose normality seems ugly or surreal." A friend said that Arbus said that she was "afraid.....
.
Happy Days
On Happy Days, Kelly played Carol "Pinky" Tuscadero, the older sister of Leather Tuscadero (singer Suzi QuatroSuzi Quatro
Susan Kay "Suzi" Quatro is an American singer-songwriter, bass player, and actor.She scored a string of hit singles in the 1970s that found greater success in Europe and Australia than in her homeland, and had a recurring role on the popular American sitcom Happy Days.-Music:Quatro began her...
) who also dated "Fonzie" in a later episode. Just as Arthur Fonzarelli insisted on being called "Fonzie" or "the Fonz", Carol insisted on being called "Pinky", and usually dressed in attire to match. Pinky was slated to be Fonzie's long-term girlfriend after her initial appearances in episodes #64–66 and, in fact, commercials for the next season even began promoting Kelly's new character. When discord occurred among Kelly, the cast and producers, her character was dropped; she was only mentioned briefly in two later episodes: where her sister Leather came into town to start a fresh life from reform school; and when Fonzie was out of town at a demolition derby
Demolition derby
Demolition derby is a motorsport usually presented at county fairs and festivals. While rules vary from event to event, the typical demolition derby event consists of five or more drivers competing by deliberately ramming their vehicles into one another...
with Pinky.
Beyond Happy Days
Beyond Happy Days, Kelly reprised her Pinky role on episode 1 of Blansky's BeautiesBlansky's Beauties
Blansky's Beauties is an American sitcom which aired on the ABC network in 1977. The main character of the series was introduced in an episode of Happy Days.-Synopsis:...
- a short-lived 1977 Happy Days spin-off. Kelly also played guest roles on Starsky and Hutch
Starsky and Hutch
Starsky and Hutch is a 1970s American cop thriller television series that consisted of a 90-minute pilot movie and 92 episodes of 60 minutes each; created by William Blinn, produced by Spelling-Goldberg Productions, and broadcast between April 30, 1975 and May 15, 1979 on the ABC...
(1975), Match Game '76 (1976), The Paul Lynde Halloween Special
The Paul Lynde Halloween Special
The Paul Lynde Halloween Special was a Halloween-themed television special starring Paul Lynde broadcast October 29, 1976 on ABC. It featured guest stars Margaret Hamilton in her first reprisal of her role as The Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz. Also guest starring are Billie Hayes...
(1976), Baretta
Baretta
Baretta is an American detective television series which ran on ABC from 1975 to 1978. The show was a milder version of a successful 1973–74 ABC series, Toma, starring Tony Musante as chameleon-like, real-life New Jersey police officer David Toma...
(1978), Kojak
Kojak
Kojak is an American television series starring Telly Savalas as the title character, bald New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theo Kojak. It aired from October 24, 1973, to March 18, 1978, on CBS. It took the time slot of the popular Cannon series, which was moved one hour earlier...
(1978), The Love Boat
The Love Boat
The Love Boat is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24,1977, until May 24,1986.The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain...
(1978), The Dukes of Hazzard
The Dukes of Hazzard
The Dukes of Hazzard is an American television series that aired on the CBS television network from 1979 to 1985.The series was inspired by the 1975 film Moonrunners, which was also created by Gy Waldron and had many identical or similar character names and concepts.- Overview :The Dukes of Hazzard...
(1979), Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels is a television series about three women who work for a private investigation agency, and is one of the first shows to showcase women in roles traditionally reserved for men...
(1980) and Fantasy Island
Fantasy Island
Fantasy Island is the title of two separate but related American fantasy television series, both originally airing on the ABC television network.-Original series:...
(1982). Her role in Starsky and Hutch was created when star Paul Michael Glaser
Paul Michael Glaser
Paul Michael Glaser is an American actor and director, perhaps best known for his role as Detective David Starsky on the 1970s television series Starsky and Hutch; he also appeared as Captain Jack Steeper on the 1999 to 2005 NBC series Third Watch.-Early life:Glaser, the youngest of three...
(Starsky) planned to quit at the start of the third season, with Kelly's character, Officer Linda Baylor, intended to fill his place. However, Glaser was persuaded to stay, and Kelly's character ultimately only appeared in one episode, Fatal Charm.
Her characters on these other shows never reached the level of cult fame that "Pinky" gave her. So closely identified was she with the character that she was billed as Roz "Pinky Tuscadero" Kelly for her appearance in The Paul Lynde Halloween Special
The Paul Lynde Halloween Special
The Paul Lynde Halloween Special was a Halloween-themed television special starring Paul Lynde broadcast October 29, 1976 on ABC. It featured guest stars Margaret Hamilton in her first reprisal of her role as The Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz. Also guest starring are Billie Hayes...
.
During this period, Kelly also appeared as a celebrity panelist on such game shows as Match Game
Match Game
Match Game is an American television game show in which contestants attempted to match celebrities' answers to fill-in-the-blank questions...
and Hollywood Squares
Hollywood Squares
Hollywood Squares is an American panel game show in which two contestants play tic-tac-toe to win cash and prizes. The "board" for the game is a 3 × 3 vertical stack of open-faced cubes, each occupied by a celebrity seated at a desk and facing the contestants...
.
Kelly also played roles in low budget movies throughout the late 1970s/early 1980s including: The Owl and the Pussycat
The Owl and the Pussycat (film)
The Owl and the Pussycat is a 1970 romantic comedy film directed by Herbert Ross and starring Barbra Streisand and George Segal. Barbra Streisand plays the role of a somewhat uneducated actress, model and part-time prostitute. She temporarily lives with an educated aspiring writer . Their...
; Greetings
Greetings (film)
Greetings is a 1968 film directed by Brian De Palma. The film, which featured a young Robert De Niro in his first major role, is a satirical film about men avoiding the Vietnam War draft....
; You've Got to Walk It Like You Talk It; You'll Lose That Beat; Okay Bill; The Female Response; American Pop
American Pop
American Pop is a 1981 American animated musical drama film produced and directed by Ralph Bakshi. The film tells the story of four generations of a Russian Jewish immigrant family of musicians whose careers parallel the history of American popular music....
; New Year's Evil
New Year's Evil (film)
New Year's Evil is a 1980 American slasher film starring Roz Kelly and Kip Niven, directed by Emmett Alston. The original music score is composed by W. Michael Lewis and Laurin Rinder...
; and Full Moon High
Full Moon High
Full Moon High is a 1981 horror comedy film written and directed by Larry Cohen. It involves a high school werewolf that tries to keep his secret. He also ignores his girlfriend's sexual advances because it's "his time of the month".-Plot summary:...
. These movies were indicative of her career that was based on a lot of potential, but limited exposure due to lack of distribution. Most of these small parts emphasized her body and highly sexual demeanor.
Kelly appeared as a guest of The Jenny Jones Show
The Jenny Jones Show
The Jenny Jones Show is an American syndicated daytime tabloid talk show that was hosted by comedian/actress/singer Jenny Jones. It was produced by Telepictures and was distributed by Warner Bros. Television Distribution...
episode focusing on "Whatever Happened to Your Favorite Television Stars", along with What's Happenings Danielle Spencer.
Personal life
Kelly was born in Mount Vernon, New YorkMount Vernon, New York
Mount Vernon is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It lies on the border of the New York City borough of The Bronx.-Overview:...
, of half Irish and half Jewish ancestry. Kelly spends her time in upstate New York with her family and friends. Her hobbies include sewing and writing poetry. Although not officially retired from acting, she has not worked in the film genre in over a decade. To this day, fans of Happy Days recognize her as "Pinky" and she remains amazed at her cult following and the number of people who actually know her as Roz Kelly, considering the rather small screen career she has had. She has often said sarcastically that those people scare her.
On November 29, 1998, she was arrested for firing a 12-gauge shotgun into the living room window of a neighbor's house after a car alarm woke her up; she also shot the neighbor's car and another car nearby. The neighbor was not home at the time. She pleaded no contest
Nolo contendere
is a legal term that comes from the Latin for "I do not wish to contend." It is also referred to as a plea of no contest.In criminal trials, and in some common law jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant neither admits nor disputes a charge, serving as an alternative to a pleading of...
to the charge of firing into the house and was sentenced to three years' felony probation on October 20, 2000. Kelly was also ordered to receive psychiatric counseling and pay restitution as ordered by the probation department.
On October 27, 2000, she was sentenced to 120 days in jail after pleading 'no contest' to charges stemming from an August 20, 2000, arrest for hitting a man with her cane. She was given credit for the 98 days that she had already spent in jail awaiting sentencing, thus avoiding having to spend any more time in jail.
She is known as Roxie to her family and friends.