See the 'Happy Days' Cast Then and Now — And Find Out What They're Doing Today!
By the mid-1970s, it was the '50s all over again, with the group Sha Na Na recreating the doo-wop music of the time, the musical Grease going strong on Broadway, the film American Graffiti turning out to be a big screen blockbuster in 1973 and Happy Days cast bringing the era to life on television for 11 seasons from 1974 to 1984, with 255 episodes.
Beginning as an episode of Love, American Style in 1973, it was turned into a series from producer Garry Marshall the following year, bringing along cast members Ron Howard as Richie Cunningham, Marion Ross as his mother and Anson Williams as best pal Potsie Webber.
Not joining them was Harold Gould as Richie's father, Howard, with Tom Bosley, replacing him. Additional actors to join the show included Henry Winkler as Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli, Donny Most as Ralph Malph and Erin Moran as Richie's kid sister, Joanie.
The show about the Cunningham family — with particular focus on the growing friendship between Richie and the "cool kid in town," Fonzie — was a huge success, spawning the spin-offs Laverne & Shirley, Mork & Mindy, Joanie Loves Chachi and Blansky's Beauties, as well as the Saturday morning cartoons Laverne & Shirley in the Army and The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang.
Here, we take a trip back to the 1950s — via the 1970s — to see what happened to the Happy Days gang.
The Happy Days cast then and now
Ron Howard as Richie Cunningham
Ron Howard came to Happy Days as Richie Cunningham with a background that included the movie version of The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1963), the classic TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show (1960 to 1968) and the George Lucas film American Graffiti (1973).
He stayed with the show as its lead character, along with Henry Winkler's Fonzie, for its first seven seasons, and guest starred in the 11th, departing for what became a highly successful directorial and producing career. Between 1977's Grand Theft Auto and 2022's Thirteen Lives, he's directed 27 films. Ron, 69, has been married to Cheryl Alley since 1975 and they have four children, including actress/director Bryce Dallas Howard.
Henry Winkler as Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli
In some ways you could say that Henry Winkler's role as Butchey Weinstein in 1974's The Lords of Flatbush opposite Sylvester Stallone was a warm-up for his role as Fonzie, but no one would have ever expected Arthur Fonzarelli to become the national phenomenon that it did.
His role in season one of Happy Days was supposed to be a low-key, background one, but Winkler's portrayal of the oh-so-cool Fonzie just leapt out to the writers and especially the audience. He stayed with the show for all 11 seasons and definitely suffered from typecasting, although during its run he appeared in some diverse films, such as playing a Vietnam vet suffering from PTSD in Heroes (1977) and the comedy directed by Ron Howard, Night Shift (1982). Offered the chance to get top billing due to his popularity, he refused to do that to Ron.
Cleverly, Winkler diversified in his career. Besides appearing in over two dozen more films, he began working as a producer, including on the original (1985 to 1995) and remake (2016 to 2021) versions of MacGyver.
On top of that, he's starred in many stage productions, co-authored with Lin Oliver a couple of dozen children books focusing on Hank Zipzer, a character, who, like Winkler himself, struggles with dyslexia, which spawned a 2014 to 2016 television series. Most recently, he wrote his memoir, Being Henry: The Fonz ... and Beyond.
In regards to his acting life, Henry, 78, recently achieved a new high with the HBO Max series Barry, on which he plays acting coach Gene Cousineau and for which he won the Primetime Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, and a Critics' Choice Award in the same category. Additionally, there was a Golden Globe Award nomination.
Henry's been married to Stacey Weitzman since 1978 and they have three children.
Anson Williams as Potsie Webber
Anson Williams, 74, was the only Happy Days cast member besides Ron Howard and Marion Ross to make the transition from the pilot for the show on Love, American Style to the series itself. In the first season, Happy Days focused on the adventures of Richie and Anson's Potsie Webber, though it wasn't long before the focus shifted firmly to the Richie/Fonzie friendship.
Prior to the show, he guest starred on Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law; The Paul Lynde Show, Bridget Loves Bernie and Marcus Welby, M.D. Following the series, he made half a dozen appearances on episodic shows, but shifted his focus to directing, most recently overseeing 31 episodes of The Secret Life of the American Teenager between 2008 and 2013.
Additionally, he's had significant success as a businessman and owns several patents. He's been married three times, to Lorrie Mahaffey (1978 to 1986), Jackie Gerken (1988 to 2019) and Sharon MaHarry (2023-).
Donny Most as Ralph Malph
Donny Most's Ralph Malph was the third part of the early friend triangle along with Richie and Potsie on Happy Days during the show's first season. But, like Anson Williams, he took on more of a supportive role as comedy gold was found between Richie and Fonzie.
He made a few guest appearances after the series ended and dabbled in music, though that didn't really go very far. Don, 70, been married to actress Morgan Hart since 1982 and they have two children.
Erin Moran as Joanie Cunningham
Erin Moran, who played Joanie Cunningham, made her acting debut in 1967's Who's Minding the Mint? and followed with several other small roles in movies. She had a featured role in the fourth season of the series Daktari (1968 to 1969), guest starred on 14 other shows and was in the main cast of The Don Rickles Show (1972).
As she grew up as part of the Happy Days cast, Joanie and Scott Baio's Chachi Arcola became boyfriend and girlfriend., the two of them starring in 17 episodes of the spin-off Joanie Loves Chachi (1982 to 1983). After the show, she mostly appeared as herself on documentaries and in reality series such as 2012's Celebrity Ghost Stories.
In her private life, Erin suffered from depression — which she claimed interfered with her getting work — and was negatively impacted by a hard-partying lifestyle. She died in 2017 at the age of 56 from complications of throat cancer. She was married to Rocky Ferguson from 1987 to 1993, and married Steven Fleischmann in 1993.
Scott Baio as Chachi Arcola
Scott Baio, who played Fonzie's cousin Chachi Arcola, starred in Garry Marshall's 1977 series Blansky's Beauties, after which he was brought over to Happy Days where he played Joanie's boyfriend turned husband in the show's final episode. In 1976 he starred in the musical comedy Bugsy Malone and during his Happy Days cast years was in Skatetown, U.S.A., Foxes and Zapped!.
From 1984 to 1990 he played the lead role in Charles in Charge, followed by Baby Talk (1991 to 1992) and the Dick Van Dyke series Diagnosis: Murder (1993 to 1995). His most recent starring role was in See Dad Run (2012 to 2015). Behind the scenes, he directed 36 episodes of Charles in Charge, 11 episodes of Out of This World (1989 to 1991), and a number of other shows.
He's recently taken some heat for some of his political views. He married Renee Sloan in 2007 and they have two children. The actor is now 63.
Marion Ross as Marion Cunningham
Hired as Cunningham matriarch Marion in the show's Love, American Style pilot, Marion Ross was with the Happy Days cast through its entire run. She made her acting debut in the 1953 film Forever Female, and kept on going, appearing in a wide variety of movies and TV shows.
She achieved critical acclaim (and an Emmy nomination) for her role as Sophie Berger on the 1991 to 1993 comedy-drama series Brooklyn Bridge, from Family Ties creator Gary David Goldberg. Marion, now 95, was married to Freeman Meskimen from 1951 to 1969 and Paul Michael from 1988 until his death in 2011. She has two children.
Tom Bosley as Howard Cunningham
Tom Bosley, best known as Cunningham patriarch Howard, was a go-to character actor for movies, television and the stage. His first movie was 1963's Love with the Proper Stranger and his last in 2010's The Back-up Plan.
Beyond guest appearances on shows and TV movies, he was a regular cast member on The Debbie Reynolds Show (1969 to 1970), The Sandy Duncan Show (1972), the animated series Wait Till Your Father Gets Home (1972 to 1974), had a recurring role on Murder, She Wrote (1984 to 1989), and starred in Father Dowling Mysteries (1989 to 1991).
Related: ‘Murder She Wrote’ Cast Secrets, Plus The Latest Clues About the Movie Reboot!
In 1969 he won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for the role of Fiorello La Guardia in Fiorello!. Married to Jean Eliot from 1962 until her death in 1978, he married Patricia Carr in 1980 and was with her until his own death, at age 83, from complications of a staph infection on October 19, 2010.
Pat Morita as Arnold
Pat Morita has the distinction of being so well known for two roles, that of Arnold (actually, Matsuo "Arnold" Takahashi), proprietor of the popular hangout of the same name on Happy Days (on which he only appeared in 26 episodes, though it feels like much more); and the wise mentor Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid films of the 1980s.
A former stand-up comic, after being in the Happy Days cast he acted in many other TV shows and movies, the final being 2005's Down and Derby and American Fusion. Battling alcoholism through much of his life, he died of kidney failure on November 24, 2005 at age 73. He was married three times and has three children.
Al Molinaro as Al Delvecchio
Al Molinaro's Al Delvecchio bought Arnold's and changed its name to Al's on Happy Days. He was part of the Happy Days cast for 146 episodes between 1976 to 1984 and was an audience favorite, particularly with his perennial, "Did I ever tell you about Rosa Coletti?"
Prior to that show, he had a recurring role as Murray the Cop on the 1970 to 1975 TV version of the Neil Simon play The Odd Couple. He brought the character of Al to the spin-off series Joanie Loves Chachi for the 1982 to 1983 season, and also had a starring role in The Family Man (1990 to 1991). He was married twice and has one child. He passed away at age 96 on October 30, 2015 from complications of an infected gallbladder.
Ted McGinley as Roger Phillips
Ted McGinley stepped into the unenviable job of replacing Ron Howard, assumg the role of Cunningham cousin Roger Phillips beginning in Season 8. The writers tried as hard as they could to recreate the Richie/Fonzie magic with Roger, but it just never worked the same way.
He would follow being in the Happy Days cast with roles in nearly 30 films, and enjoy series regular roles as "Ace" on The Love Boat (1983 to 1987), Clay Fallmont on Dynasty (1986 to 1987), Jefferson D'Arcy on Married ... with Children (1989 to 1997), Dr. Charley Shanowski on Hope & Faith (2003 to 2006) and a recurring role on Apple TV+'s Shrinking (2023). Ted, 65, married Gigi Rice in 1991, and they have two children.
Gavan O'Herlihy as Chuck Cunningham
Who the heck is Chuck Cunningham, you ask? Oldest sibling of the Cunningham family, a college student and basketball player who just mysteriously vanished with no mention ever again after 11 episodes of the first two-seasons where he had virtually no dialogue. Irish-American actor Gavan O'Herlihy, who played him in most of those episodes, went on to appear in such films as Superman III and the James Bond film Never Say Never Again (both 1983), Willow (1988), The Shooter (1995) and his final role in Queen of the Redwood Mountains (2021). Married to Juliette O'Herlihy and the father of four, he passed away on September 15, 2021 at the age of 70.
For more classic TV, keep reading…
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