Penny Marshall Dies: ‘Laverne & Shirley’ Star Was 75

Penny Marshall, a director and actress who became a household name when she starred on the sitcom Laverne & Shirley, has died. She was 75.

“Our family is heartbroken over the passing of Penny Marshall,” her family said in a statement. “Penny was a girl from the Bronx, who came out West, put a cursive ‘L’ on her sweater and transformed herself into a Hollywood success story. We hope her life continues to inspire others to spend time with family, work hard and make all of their dreams come true.”

Marshall’s publicist Michelle Bega told the New York Daily News her client passed away peacefully on Monday at her home in the Hollywood Hills. Bega said Marshall’s death was caused by complications from diabetes.

Marshall was born on Oct. 15, 1943, and grew up in New York City.

Her family has a long history in the entertainment industry. Her father Anthony W. Marshall was a producer. Her sister Ronelle “Ronny” Hallin produced the TV series Happy Days and Valerie.

Her brother Garry Marshall created Laverne & Shirley, which was a runaway hit and aired on ABC from 1976 to 1983. The sitcom co-starred Cindy Williams as Shirley Feeney, Laverne’s co-worker at a Milwaukee brewery.

After the series ended, Penny went on to direct Tom Hanks in Big, which earned her the distinction of becoming the first woman to helm a movie that grossed more than $100 million.

“For me it was just something to do,” Marshall told People in 1996, reflecting on how she went from acting to directing. “If I failed, I had my excuse: I was an actress, not a director.”

She also directed Jumpin’ Jack Flash, A League of Their Own and The Preacher’s Wife.

Marshall wrote a memoir titled My Mother Was Nuts in 2012, and shared surprising details about her life.

She told Vulture one of the reasons she penned the book was stop the tabloids from writing about her demise.

“I figured, why not? And to say, ‘Hey, I’m not sick! I’m alive!’ Because rags keep writing that crap: Pray for her,” she shared. “I don’t like talking about myself even though I wrote a book about myself. I did it! That’s it! That’s good to know.”

Marshall was married twice — to her college sweetheart Michael Henry in the 1960s and to director Rob Reiner in the 1970s. Both marriages ended in divorce.

The actress and director is survived by her daughter Tracy, her sister Ronny and three grandchildren.