Erin Moran, who played Joanie Cunningham in Happy Days, dies aged 56.

[BIAD]

For some, she was their 'TV sister' and in the world of make-believe, Joanie ticked all
the boxes of being part of a Americana family. RIP.

Erin Moran, who played Joanie Cunningham in Happy Days, dies aged 56.

'Erin Moran, who played Joanie Cunningham in the sitcoms Happy Days and Joanie
Loves Chachi, has died aged 56.



Police in Harrison County, Indiana, said the former child star was found unresponsive
after authorities received an emergency call. The cause of her death has not been determined.

Californian-born Moran began acting in TV and movies before she was 10 years old and joined
the cast in Happy Days as Joanie, the kid sister to Ron Howard's Richie Cunningham, in 1974.

Her other co-stars included Tom Bosley and Marion Ross as Joanie's parents and Henry Winkler
as the loveable tough guy Arthur "The Fonz" Fonzarelli.

"What happened with all of us was like we were this family," Moran told Xfinity in 2009. "It was so
surreal with all the cast members. They were my family, get it?"

The show was set in 1950s Milwaukee and became a long-running hit. Howard and Winkler were
the show's biggest stars, but the smiling, freckle-faced Moran also became popular.

In 1982, she was paired off with fellow Happy Days performer Scott Baio in the short-lived spin-off
Joanie Loves Chachi. Moran returned to Happy Days in 1984, the show's final season.

On news of her death, Howard tweeted: "Such sad sad news. RIP Erin. I'll always choose to
remember you on our show making scenes better, getting laughs and lighting up TV screens."...'
SOURCE:

[guohua]

Sorry, never seen Happy Days until I read your thread and my husband had me watch some of the series on computer.

How Sad, Only 56 years old. That is Go Very Young.
R I P

I find her death a mystery, someone called 911 after they found her unresponsive.
Found her Where?
My husband thought she was married.
Just sad.

[BIAD]

Sorry, never seen Happy Days until I read your thread and my husband had me watch some of the series on computer.

How Sad, Only 56 years old. That is Go Very Young.
R I P

I find her death a mystery, someone called 911 after they found her unresponsive.
Found her Where?
My husband thought she was married.
Just sad.

Yeah, the Happy Days series became quite a big hit here in Britain and after the small part of
'Fonzi' became a lead character, the television show and merchandising grew into an almost
Beatles-like phenomena for youngsters of a certain age.

The expression 'Jump the shark' came from this series, when Arthur Fonzarelli (Fonzi played
by Henry Winkler) water-skied in an area with a confined shark to show his bravery.



Many believed this silly scene was just to much for a character's belief status and so was born
the phrase to imply the ridiculousness script writers will go to, to garner ratings.

Joanie was the stereotypical sister that never strayed into risque situations and to be candid,
these days would be perceived as a side-character, someone who was their to create the accepted
fifties family sample.

From what I read, Erin Moran fell on hard times and after being married to Rocky Ferguson and
divorcing him in 1993, she then married Steve Fleischmann. The tabloids hint that Moran struggled
with a booze and drugs addiction and had fallen on hard times.

[guohua]

@"BIAD" 
Thank You for the back ground.
Many people don't really know, but 95% of the population of China didn't have a TV until 1985 then maybe 45% had a TV and it only ran Approve Programs, yes Approve By The Central Committee.
Opera and Ballet Dancing and Singing, Mostly Praising The Military and Common Worker.
Sorry, I am not trying to derail your thread.

I'm sorry she had a hard life, but it does fail back to Self-Control and Self-Esteem.

[Mystic Wanderer]

This is very sad news.

I grew up watching Happy Days, and watched "Joanie" as she grew up too. 
Her death will be mourned by many.

Rest in Peace Erin