Cynthia Jane Williams, professionally known as Cindy Williams, was born in 1947 in Van Nuys, California. She grew to 5'4" and weighed 105 pounds during her early years on Laverne & Shirley. Williams was the daughter of Francesca Bellini and Beachard Williams, an electronic technician, who grew up in reduced circumstances with her sister, Carol Ann Williams, and older half-brother, Jim, from her mother's first marriage.
As a child, Williams dreamed of becoming an actress and used to create and perform her own plays. She even wished that Debbie Reynolds would discover her in one of those amateur shows and whisk her away to Hollywood. Her father's imitations of comics like Jackie Gleason and Milton Berle also sparked her interest in show business. Williams worked as a waitress while auditioning for commercials, television guest spots, and feature films.
Her first big break came when she tap danced with Gene Kelly, although she accidentally stepped on his foot, leaving her embarrassed. She landed important film roles early in her career, including Travels with My Aunt (1972) and American Graffiti (1973),for which she earned a BAFTA nomination as Best Supporting Actress.
However, her career inexplicably hit a lull after those initial successes. She was set up in a writing team with Penny Marshall and the girls were called to do a stint as two fast girls on Happy Days (1974). The public received them warmly, and Cindy and Penny soon got their own show, referred to everywhere as "Shirley Feeney".
Williams earned a Golden Globe nomination as Best Actress in 1978 and left the show in 1982, pregnant with her daughter Emily. She was married to Bill Hudson, who had previously been married to actress Goldie Hawn, and they had a son, Zachary, in 1986. They divorced in 2000.
After leaving Laverne & Shirley, Williams made a few movies and co-produced "The Father Of The Bride" movies with Hudson. She did Jenny Craig commercials and acted on guest spots on the TV show For Your Love (1998) and reunited with Penny Marshall several times on television. In 2015, her memoir, Shirley, I Jest! (co-written with Dave Smitherman),was published.
Cindy Williams died at the age of 75 following a brief, undisclosed illness in 2023.
