For 10 years, Happy Days ruled the airwaves.
In that time, the show introduced the world to many hilarious and unforgettable characters.
Sadly, a number of cast members have died in the years since the show ended, but their
performances live on.
The core family of Happy Days was anchored by father Howard Cunningham.
The down-to-earth, hardworking hardware-store owner could always be relied on to keep his
head in the midst of chaos.
And though conservative Howard had little in common with cool, motorcycle-riding Fonzie,
he came to welcome him as a member of the family.
Howard Cunningham was played by Tom Bosley, best known at the time as a Tony-winning Broadway
star and a featured player in films such as Yours, Mine and Ours.
Following his successful run in Happy Days, he returned to the stage as another famous dad.
In Beauty and the Beast, he starred as Belle’s father, Maurice.
The Chicago-born actor also found success in other TV series like Murder, She Wrote
and The Father Dowling Mysteries, in which the Jewish actor played against type as a
Catholic priest.
Bosley died in 2010 from lung cancer.
His former co-stars lovingly recalled the man they considered a member of their family.
Ron Howard has said: "A great father and husband, and a wonderful
artist, Tom led by example, and made us all laugh while he was doing it.
My last conversations with Tom reflected the love of life and peace of mind that he always
maintained throughout his full and rewarding life.
I miss him already."
Under the stage name "Pat," Noriyuki Morita played Arnold Takahashi, the proprietor of
Arnold's Drive-In.
"I speak Japanese, Chinese, Korean, a little Hungarian…"
"Well tell me something. What do you consider yourself?"
"Good looking."
The diner hangout was where Richie, Potsie, Ralph, and their friends and girlfriends would
go for a milkshake and a heart-to-heart.
Fonzie was also known to hold court in the men's room.
Arnold was a constant presence, offering advice along with his burgers.
Morita overcame several challenges early in life, including a childhood battle with spinal
tuberculosis that left him immobilized in the hospital for years.
By the time he was well enough to be released, World War II was underway, and distrust of
Japanese Americans ran high.
Morita and his family spent time in internment camps until the war ended.
After working in data processing for many years, Morita decided to try his hand at acting,
and landed roles in movies and TV series such as Sanford and Son and M*A*S*H prior to joining Happy Days.
The actor went on to even greater fame as the wise karate teacher Mr. Miyagi in the
original 1984 The Karate Kid.
The role earned him an Oscar nomination, but it also marked the peak of his career.
Morita made appearances in various movies and TV shows, but the lack of representation
of Asian actors in Hollywood limited his opportunities.
Sadly, so did his alcoholism.
The actor's struggles and eventual death from liver failure in 2005 was the subject of a
documentary called More Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story.
Child star Erin Moran played Joanie Cunningham, Richie's wisecracking younger sister.
Over the show's decade-long run, viewers watched as Joanie grew up and became more prominent
in the storylines.
She eventually fell for Fonzie's cousin, Chachi Arcola, and the two got their own sitcom,
Joanie Loves Chachi.
The spin-off saw the couple moving to Chicago to start a music career.
It never found a following, however, and after two seasons, it was canceled.
Moran and her co-star, Scott Baio, returned to Happy Days for its final season, and the
series ended with the couple marrying and presumably going off to live happily ever after.
Moran's off-screen life was less than fairy-tale.
Though she appeared on a handful of other TV shows after Happy Days ended, she suffered
from crippling depression that kept her from getting steadier work.
Financial woes led her and her second husband to move in with her mother in an Indiana trailer
park, only to be thrown out after an alcohol-fueled fight.
In April 2017, first responders answering a call found Moran dead.
Shortly after, it was revealed that the actress had been suffering stage 4 throat cancer,
which had left her unable to speak.
It was a secret she shared only with close friends, like her former co-star Anson Williams.
Williams remembered his friend when he said: "Even though she's gone, she will always be
on that TV making someone smile.
She does leave a legacy of good feelings and light for anyone that watches her."
Al Molinaro received a promotion of sorts during his Happy Days years.
First appearing as a cook at Arnold's Drive-In during the show's second season, Molinaro
replaced Pat Morita as the diner's owner in Season 4.
As Al Delvecchio, his hangdog expression and signature sigh endeared him to viewers.
He married Chachi's mother, Louisa, later in the run, making him and Fonzie in-laws of a sort.
Molinaro was already an established character actor when he joined the show.
Among his most popular roles was as Murray the Cop in The Odd Couple, the 1970s TV version of the hit movie.
He got the parts courtesy of his acting school classmate, Penny Marshall, who introduced
him to her producer brother, Garry.
The Wisconsin native appreciated being on a show set in Milwaukee, and rejected critics
who thought of Happy Days as a "bubble-gum show."
He once said,
"To the public in America, Happy Days was an important show, and I think it was and
I think it still is."
Following the show's finale, Molinaro made various appearances in sitcoms and commercials,
finally retiring from acting in the early '90s.
He and Anson Williams launched a chain of Big Al's restaurants in the Midwest, but apart
from that venture, the actor opted to live a quiet family life.
He died in 2015 at age 96 from complications related to gallstones.
Even faithful fans of Happy Days have to admit that not every episode was a winner.
Sometimes the writers resorted to outrageous plots to retain audience interest, such as
the infamous episode in which Fonzie soars on waterskis over a certain dangerous sea creature.
Even today, this blatant gimmickry in TV shows is known as "jumping the shark."
Still, one unlikely plot point turned out to be a blessing for a then-unknown comedian.
The episode "My Favorite Orkan" featured Robin Williams as a man from a distant planet who
lands on Earth and unsuccessfully urges Richie Cunningham to come back to Ork with him.
But when Richie tries to share the news with his family and friends, they dismiss it as nonsense.
The ratings for the episode were so good that producers decided to create a vehicle just for Williams.
The result was Mork and Mindy, a spin-off show that lasted four seasons and made Williams
a household name.
Williams went on to play many celebrated roles in films such as Good Will Hunting, Dead Poets
Society, Mrs. Doubtfire, Jumanji, Night at the Museum, and the animated film Aladdin.
Tragically, the actor was diagnosed in midlife with Parkinson's disease, which took a serious
toll on both his mind and body.
He died by suicide in August 2014 at age 63.
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide
Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.