Cynthia Jane "Cindy" Williams (born August 22, 1947) is a BAFTA and Golden Globe Award nominated American actress best known for starring in the television situation-comedy series Laverne & Shirley, in the role of the eponymous Shirley Feeney.
Williams was born in Van Nuys, California, to John and Lillie Williams. She has a sister Carol Ann Williams. She graduated from Birmingham High School. Among her classmates were famed financier Michael Milken and fellow actress Sally Field. Cindy also attended Los Angeles City College and went on to become a movie actress in the early 1970s. She has appeared in 19 movies, but is best known for starring in the television series Laverne & Shirley.
The handprints of Cindy Williams in front of The Great Movie Ride at Walt Disney World's Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park.
After college she 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.
Williams 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 in 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 became best known for her portrayal, from 1976 until 1982, of loyal and fun-loving brewery worker "Shirley Feeney" in the sitcom Laverne & Shirley. She left the show after she became pregnant with her first child. Later, she would star in the short-lived 1993-1994 sitcom Getting By. She also guest starred on several shows, including two episodes of the sitcom 8 Simple Rules.
Williams 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.
She has performed onstage in the national tours of Grease, Deathtrap and Moon Over Buffalo, and a regional production of Nunsense.
In January 2007, her 2002 appearance on the Opie and Anthony radio show was replayed on XM Radio in a bit called Has-Been Corner. According to the interview, she apparently was not aware of the title of the segment and was blindsided and annoyed by the "has-been" reference.
Williams made her Broadway debut as daffy "Mrs. Tottendale" in the cast of the award-winning musical The Drowsy Chaperone at the Marquis Theatre on December 11, 2007. Williams succeeded JoAnne Worley in the role originated by Georgia Engel.
Recently reported, TV Land President Larry Jones says that Marshall and Williams will soon begin filming a loosely-scripted series pilot together. They’ll be living together in Penny Marshall’s home. Described as a buddy comedy, Penny and Cindy will air on TV Land. Gay Rosenthal Prods. is producing the project while Jim Vallely (The Golden Girls, Arrested Development) is the writer and executive producer.
Cindy was married to Bill Hudson of the musical trio Hudson Brothers in 1981, but it ended in divorce in 2000. Together they have two children: Emily Hudson (born in 1983) and Zachary Hudson (born in 1986). She and her family reside in Los Angeles.
Bill Hudson was previously married to Goldie Hawn and is the father of their two children, Oliver and Kate Hudson.
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