'Laverne and Shirley': What Happened To The Cast?

Laverne and Shirley was a spin-off of the popular series Happy Days that played on ABC from 1976-1983 for a total of 8 seasons. It has been over 40 years since the show ended— let's see what the cast has been up to since!

"Laverne DeFazio," played by Penny Marshall on both Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley, worked as a fun-loving bottle-capper alongside her best friend "Shirley" at the local Shotz Brewery in the 1950s. The series followed "Laverne" and "Shirley" as they navigated the complicated ins and outs of life.

The late Penny Marshall was most well-known for her time on Laverne and Shirley, and also as a director! In 1986, she debuted as a director with the film Jumpin' Jack Flash later followed by Big (1988), A League of Their Own (1992), The Preacher's Wife (1996), Cinderella Man (2005), and Bewitched (2005), and she is also known for her hit TV series According to Jim. The actress and producer passed away at the age of 75 in 2018.

"Shirley" was "Laverne's" partner in crime as they dealt with what life threw them, including a move to California after their jobs were taken over by robots at the brewery. Whether it was family, friends, work, or men, the two stuck together through the best and worst of times.

After guest appearances on 'Happy Days', Cindy Williams was hired alongside Penny Marshall to play "Shirley Feeney" on 'Laverne and Shirley'. Following 'Laverne and Shirley', Williams starred in other TV series, including 'Normal Life', 'Getting By', and '8 Simple Rules'. She also pursued a career onstage in productions of 'Grease', 'Deathtrap', and 'Moon Over Buffalo'. She passed away in 2023.

David Lander played the role of "Andrew 'Squiggy' Squiggman" on all 8 seasons of the show for a total of 156 episodes! The character of "Squiggy" was actually developed by David Lander himself, while he and Michael McKean attended Carnegie Mellon University. Despite being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1984, Lander has gone on and continues to be active in the entertainment industry with appearances on Married...with Children, The Drew Carey Show, and in Penny Marshall's film A League of Their Own.

Dance instructor "Carmine 'The Big Ragoo' Ragusa" was "Shirley's" on-again-off-again high school sweetheart throughout the series. "Carmine" has dreams to make it big as a dancer and singer one day and throughout the series we watch his dreams come true!

The Armenian-American actor is most well-known for his time on Laverne and Shirley, and would go on to star in films and TV series including Penny Marshall's A League of Their Own, Catch Me If You Can, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. In 2010, he reunited with Laverne and Shirley co-star Cindy Williams to star in a regional production of the play It Had to Be You. Sadly, Mekka passed away at the age of 69 in 2021.

"Lenny" was a lovable goofball on the series who loved to bother "Laverne" and "Shirley". His sidekick and roommate "Squiggy" would often accompany him on his quests to annoy their upstairs neighbours.

Michael McKean has been very successful following his time on Laverne and Shirley, going on to work on 'Saturday Night Live' in 1990 to playing "Chuck McGill" on the 'Breaking Bad' spin-off series 'Better Call Saul'. The 76-year-old lives in New York with his wife, actress and singer Annette O'Toole.