Penny Marshall, starred in ‘Laverne & Shirley,’ has died at 75

SHARE Penny Marshall, starred in ‘Laverne & Shirley,’ has died at 75
GettyImages_463543358_e1545159578572.jpg

Penny Marshall attends the “SNL” 40th Anniversary Celebration at Rockefeller Plaza on February 15, 2015 in New York City. | Larry Busacca/Getty Images

Actress Penny Marshall, who costarred in the hit ABC sitcom “Laverne & Shirley” and went on to direct such films as “Big” and “A League of Their Own,” Has died. She was 75.

Marshall died from complications from diabetes. She was diagnosed with brain and lung cancer in 2009.

“Our family is heartbroken,” the Marshall family said in a statement.

“Laverne & Shirley,” which ran from 1976 to 1983 on ABC, centered around two single roommates looking for love and just coping with everyday life while working at a fictional Milwaukee brewery in the early 1960s. Marshall’s world-wise Laverne was the perfect foil for the sweet and naive Shirley Feeney played by Cindy Williams. She also had a recurring role on the sitcom “The Odd Couple,” as Myrna Turner, secretary to sportswriter Oscar Madison (played by Jack Klugman).

The sitcoms also gave Marshall her start as a filmmaker. She directed several episodes of “Laverne & Shirley” before making her feature film directorial debut in “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” the 1986 comedy starring Whoopi Goldberg.

Her next film, “Big,” made Marshall the first woman to direct a film that grossed more than $100 million. Her 1988 hit comedy, starring Tom Hanks, was about a 12-year-old boy who wakes up in the body of a 30-year-old New York City man. The film earned Hanks an Oscar nomination.

Marshall reteamed with Hanks for “A League of Their Own,” the 1992 comedy about the women’s professional baseball league begun during World War II. That, too, crossed $100 million, making $107.5 million domestically.

Marshall would also direct the Robert De Niro-Robin Williams vehicle, “Awakenings,” a film which went on to earn a best picture Academy Award nomination. According to Variety, “Marshall was the first woman to direct a film that grossed more than $100 million, the first woman to direct two films that grossed more than $100 million, and she was only the second woman director to see her film Oscar-nominated for best picture.”

Carole Penny Marshall was born Oct. 15, 1943, in the Bronx. Her mother, Marjorie Marshall, was a dance teacher, and her father, Anthony, made industrial films. Their marriage was strained. Her mother’s caustic wit — a major source of material and of pain in Marshall’s memoir — was formative. (One remembered line: “You were a miscarriage, but you were stubborn and held on.”)

“Those words are implanted in your soul, unfortunately. It’s just the way it was,” Marshall once recalled. “You had to learn at a certain age what sarcasm is, you know? When she says it about somebody else, you laughed, but when it was you, you didn’t laugh so much.”

Marshall became a dedicated Los Angeles Lakers fan, and a courtside regular. Her brother Garry Marshall, who died in 2016, was also one of Hollywood’s top comedy directors. Penny Marshall was married to Michael Henry for two years in the 1960s and to the director Rob Reiner from 1971-1981.

The Hollywood community took to Twitter on Tuesday to pay tribute to Marshall, including actor Russell Crowe, who wrote, in part: “She was kind, she was crazy, so talented and she loved movies.”

Marshall is survived by a daughter, actress Tracy Marshall, and a sister, Ronny Hallin.

Contributing: Associated Press

Penny Marshall (left) and Cindy Williams star as Laverne and Shirley (respectively), in the ABC Television Network comedy series, “Laverne & Shirley. | FILE PHOTO

Penny Marshall (left) and Cindy Williams star as Laverne and Shirley (respectively), in the ABC Television Network comedy series, “Laverne & Shirley. | FILE PHOTO

The Latest
Despite getting into foul trouble, which limited him to just six minutes in the second half, Shannon finished with 29 points, five rebounds and two assists.
Cowboy hats, bell-bottoms and boots were on full display Thursday night as fans lined up for the first of his three sold-out shows.
The incident occurred about 3:40 p.m. near Minooka. The horse was successfully placed back into the trailer, and the highway reopened about 40 minutes later. No injuries were reported.
The Hawks conceded the game’s only two goals within the first seven minutes and were shut out for the 12th time this season in a 2-0 defeat Thursday.