Erin Moran, the actress who played Joanie Cunningham on the sitcom Happy Days has died. She was 56.
The Associated Press confirmed the passing, indicating that Moran was found unresponsive on Saturday afternoon by authorities in Indiana after they got a call just after 4 PM ET. No cause of death has been revealed at this time and an autopsy is pending.
The actress rose to fame in the ’70s after appearing as Ron Howard’s Richie Cunningham’s little sister on Happy Days. The show ran for 11 season, with Moran portraying Joanie from 1974 to 1984. She also reprised her role in the short-lived 1982 series Joanie Loves Chachi alongside Scott Baio, which lasted two seasons.
Her acting credits include Family Affair, The Smith Family, Gunsmoke, The Love Boat, Murder, She Wrote, Diagnosis Murder, Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star and The Bold and the Beautiful. Her last project was the 2010 film Not Another B Movie.
Upon hearing the news of her passing, Henry Winkler who played Fonzie and Ron Howard tweeted their condolences.
