Erin Marie Moran-Fleischmann (October 18, 1960 – April 22, 2017) was an American actress, best known for playing Joanie Cunningham on the television sitcom ''

Happy Days ''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marshall, it was one of the most su ...

'' and its spin-off '' Joanie Loves Chachi''.

Early life

Erin Marie Moran was born on October 18, 1960 in Burbank, California in the Los Angeles metropolitan area and raised in nearby Los Angeles in the North Hollywood district. She was the second youngest of six children born to Sharon and Edward Moran. Her father was a finance manager, and her interest in acting was supported by her mother, who signed her with a talent agent when she was 5 years old. Two of her brothers are also actors, John Moran and

Tony Moran Anthony "Tony" Moran is a DJ, record producer, remixer, singer and songwriter known for remixing popular songs. In 2007, he hit number one on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Play chart twice with " Walk Away" featuring Kristine W and " K ...

, the latter of whom played the unmasked Michael Myers in the movie ''

Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observan ...

'' (1978).

Career

Moran's first acting role was at the age of 5 in a television commercial for First Federal Bank. At the age of 6, she was cast as Jenny Jones in the television series ''

Daktari ''Daktari'' ( Swahili for "doctor") is an American family drama series that aired on CBS between 1966 and 1969. The series is an Ivan Tors Films Production in association with MGM Television starring Marshall Thompson as Dr. Marsh Tracy, a vete ...

'', which ran from 1966 to 1969. She made her feature-film debut in '' How Sweet It Is!'' (1968) with

Debbie Reynolds Mary Frances "Debbie" Reynolds (April 1, 1932 – December 28, 2016) was an American actress, singer, and businesswoman. Her career spanned almost 70 years. She was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer for her portra ...

, and made regular appearances on ''The

Don Rickles Donald Jay Rickles (May 8, 1926 – April 6, 2017) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. He became known primarily for his insult comedy. His film roles include ''Run Silent, Run Deep'' (1958) with Clark Gable, Carl Reiner's ''Enter La ...

Show'' in 1972, and guest appearances in ''

The Courtship of Eddie's Father ''The Courtship of Eddie's Father'' is an American sitcom based on the 1963 film of the same name, which was based on a novel by Mark Toby (edited by Dorothy Wilson). The series is about a widower, Tom Corbett (played by Bill Bixby), who is a ...

'', ''

My Three Sons ''My Three Sons'' is an American television sitcom that aired from September 29, 1960, to April 13, 1972. The series was broadcast on ABC during its first five seasons, before moving to CBS for the remaining seasons. ''My Three Sons'' chroni ...

'', ''

Bearcats! ''Bearcats!'' is an American Western television series broadcast on the CBS television network during the fall 1971 television season. It starred Rod Taylor and Dennis Cole as troubleshooters in the period before the American entry into World Wa ...

'', ''

Family Affair ''Family Affair'' is an American sitcom starring Brian Keith and Sebastian Cabot that aired on CBS from September 12, 1966, to March 4, 1971. The series explored the trials of well-to-do engineer and bachelor Bill Davis (Keith) as he attemp ...

'' and in ''

The Waltons ''The Waltons'' is an American historical drama television series about a family in rural Virginia during the Great Depression and World War II. It was created by Earl Hamner Jr., based on his 1961 book '' Spencer's Mountain'' and the 1963 fil ...

'', in an episode titled "The Song", in 1975. She also appeared in the television series ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central chara ...

''. In 1974, at the age of 13, Moran was cast to play her best-known role as Joanie Cunningham on the sitcom ''

'', the younger sister of Richie Cunningham (

Ron Howard Ronald William Howard (born March 1, 1954) is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He first came to prominence as a child actor, guest-starring in several television series, including an episode of '' The Twilight Zone''. ...

). Moran continued the role in 1982 in the short-lived spin-off series '' Joanie Loves Chachi''. Moran later stated that she had only reluctantly agreed to star in the series because she would have preferred to remain with ''Happy Days''. She won the

Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award (originally known as the Youth in Film Award) is an accolade presented by the Young Artist Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1978 to honor excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young ...

for Best Young Actress in a New Television Series for her role. After ''Joanie Loves Chachi'' cancellation in 1983, she returned to ''Happy Days'' for its final season. In 1983, Moran said in an interview that the ''Happy Days'' producers had pressured her to change from about the age of 15: They "suddenly wanted me to lose weight and become this sexy thing." In the following years, Moran made several other television guest appearances, including ''

The Love Boat ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy/drama television series that aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986; in addition, four three-hour specials aired in 1986, 1987, and 1990. The series was set on the luxury passenger cruise ship MS ''Pa ...

'', ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The seri ...

'', and '' Diagnosis: Murder'', and starred opposite

Edward Albert Edward Laurence Albert (February 20, 1951 – September 22, 2006) was an American actor. The son of actor Eddie Albert and Mexican actress Margo, he starred opposite Goldie Hawn in ''Butterflies Are Free'' (1972), a role for which he won a ...

in the cult sci-fi horror film ''

Galaxy of Terror ''Galaxy of Terror'' is a 1981 science fiction horror film produced by Roger Corman through New World Pictures and directed by Bruce D. Clark. It was distributed by United Artists. It stars Edward Albert, Erin Moran, Ray Walston and Taaffe O' ...

'' (1981). In 2008, she was a contestant on VH1's reality show '' Celebrity Fit Club''. Two years later, she made an appearance in the independent comedy feature ''

Not Another B Movie ''Not Another B Movie'' is a 2010 American satirical film written and directed by John Wesley Norton which peers into the processes of making a low-budget horror film. The film stars Byron Thames, Larry Thomas, James Vallo, David Faustino, Joe ...

'' (2010). In 2013, despite reports that she would be reunited with ''Happy Days'' co-stars

Henry Winkler Henry Franklin Winkler, OBE (born October 30, 1945), is an American actor, comedian, author, executive producer, and director. After rising to fame as Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli on the American television series '' Happy Days'', Winkler has ...

, Ron Howard, and

Scott Baio Scott Vincent James Baio (; born September 22, 1960) is an American actor. He is known for playing Chachi Arcola on the sitcom ''Happy Days'' (1977–1984) and its spin-off ''Joanie Loves Chachi'' (1982–1983), the title character on t ...

in the fourth season of ''

Arrested Development The term "arrested development" has had multiple meanings for over 200 years. In the field of medicine, the term "arrested development" was first used, ''circa'' 1835–1836, to mean a stoppage of physical development; the term continues to be use ...

'', she did not appear in the revamped Netflix series.

''Happy Days'' lawsuit

On April 19, 2011, Moran, three of her ''Happy Days'' co-stars— Don Most,

Anson Williams Anson Williams (born Anson William Heimlich, September 25, 1949, in Los Angeles, California) is an American actor, singer, and director, best known for his role as gullible, well-intentioned singer Warren "Potsie" Weber on the television series ...

, and

Marion Ross Marion Ross (born Marian Ellen Ross; October 25, 1928) is a American former actress. Her best-known role is that of Marion Cunningham on the ABC television sitcom '' Happy Days'', on which she starred from 1974 to 1984 and for which she recei ...

—and the estate of Tom Bosley, who died in 2010, filed a $10 million breach-of-contract lawsuit against CBS, which owns the show. The suit claimed that cast members had not been paid merchandising revenues owed under their contracts. Revenues included those from show-related items such as comic books, T-shirts, scrapbooks, trading cards, games, lunch boxes, dolls, toy cars, magnets, greeting cards, and DVDs with cast members' likenesses on the box covers. Their contracts entitled the actors to be paid 5% of the net proceeds of merchandising if a single actor's likeness was used, and half that amount if the cast members were pictured in a group. CBS stated it owed the actors between $8,500 and $9,000 each, most of it from slot-machine revenues, but the group stated they were owed millions. The lawsuit was initiated after Ross was informed by a friend playing slots at a casino of a ''Happy Days'' machine on which players won the jackpot when five Marion Rosses were rolled. In October 2011, a judge rejected the group's claim of fraud, thereby eliminating the possibility of recouping millions of dollars in damages. On June 5, 2012, a judge denied a motion to dismiss filed by CBS, which meant the case would go to trial on July 17 if not settled by then. In July 2012, the actors settled their lawsuit with CBS; each received a payment of $65,000 and a promise from CBS to continue honoring the terms of their contracts.

Personal life and death

In 1987, Moran married Rocky Ferguson. They divorced in 1993. Later that year, she married Steven Fleischmann. After ''Happy Days'' and ''Joanie Loves Chachi'' were canceled, Moran moved from Los Angeles to the California mountains. She said in 1988 that she suffered from depression and was unable to get acting roles. Moran confirmed news reports that her California home was foreclosed in 2010, following media claims that she had been served eviction papers and moved into her mother-in-law's trailer home in Indiana. In 2017, ''Variety'' wrote that she "had fallen on hard times in recent years. She was reportedly kicked out of her trailer-park home in Indiana because of her hard-partying ways." On April 22, 2017, authorities in Corydon, Indiana were alerted about an unresponsive female, later identified as Moran. She later was pronounced dead at the age of 56. An autopsy report from the Harrison County coroner indicated the cause of death to be complications of stage four

squamous cell carcinoma Squamous-cell carcinomas (SCCs), also known as epidermoid carcinomas, comprise a number of different types of cancer that begin in squamous cells. These cells form on the surface of the skin, on the lining of hollow organs in the body, and on the ...

of the throat. Toxicology testing showed that no illegal narcotics were involved in her death, and no illegal substances were found in Moran's home. Moran's husband, in an open letter released through her co-star

, confirmed that she first experienced symptoms of throat cancer around Thanksgiving 2016 and deteriorated rapidly from that point, and that the facilities that had unsuccessfully attempted to treat her cancer had not made anyone aware of how badly the cancer had metastasized.

Filmography and television appearances

* 1967: '' Who's Minding the Mint?'' as Little Girl on Tricycle (uncredited) * 1968: '' How Sweet It Is!'' as Laurie * 1968: ''Stanley vs. the System'' * 1968–69: ''

'' as Jenny Jones * 1969: ''

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American old-time radio and television anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program ...

'' as Mary Tugwell (2 episodes) * 1969: ''

80 Steps to Jonah ''80 Steps to Jonah'' is a 1969 American drama film directed by Gerd Oswald, written by Frederick Louis Fox, and starring Wayne Newton, Jo Van Fleet, Keenan Wynn, Diana Ewing, Mickey Rooney and Sal Mineo. It was released by Warner Bros. in Dece ...

'' as Kim * 1969: ''

The Happy Ending ''The Happy Ending'' is a 1969 drama film written and directed by Richard Brooks, which tells the story of a repressed housewife who longs for liberation from her husband and daughter. It stars Jean Simmons (who received an Oscar nomination), J ...

'' as Marge Wilson as a Child (uncredited) * 1970: ''

'' as Emily Ruth Gustafson * 1970–1973: ''

The F.B.I. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

'' as Vickie Florea / Cindy Marot (2 episodes) * 1970: ''

'' as Victoria Lewis * 1970: '' Watermelon Man'' as Janice Gerber * 1970–71: ''

'' as Amy / Mary Ellen / Janet (3 episodes) * 1971: '' O'Hara, U.S. Treasury'' as Little Girl * 1971: '' The Smith Family'' as Julie * 1971: ''

'' as Elisa Tillman * 1971: ''

'' as Rachel / Jenny (2 episodes) * 1972: '' The Don Rickles Show'' as Janie Robinson * 1973: '' Lisa, Bright and Dark'' as Tracy Schilling * 1973: ''

'' as Morrie Prager's daughter (S9E6) * 1974–1984: ''

'' as Joanie Cunningham (234 episodes) * 1975: ''

'' as Sally Ann Harper * 1975: ''

Dinah! ''Dinah!'' is a daytime variety talk show that was hosted by singer and actress Dinah Shore. The series was distributed by 20th Century Fox Television and premiered on October 21, 1974, in syndication. In 1979, the show became known as ''Di ...

'' as Herself * 1976: ''

The Captain and Tennille Captain & Tennille were American recording artists whose primary success occurred in the 1970s. The husband-and-wife team were "Captain" Daryl Dragon (1942–2019) and Toni Tennille (born 1940). They have five albums certified gold or platinu ...

'' as Herself * 1977: '' The Magic Pony'' (voice) * 1978–79: ''

The Mike Douglas Show ''The Mike Douglas Show'' was an American daytime television talk show that was hosted by Mike Douglas. It began as a local program in Cleveland before being carried on other stations owned by Westinghouse Broadcasting. The show went into natio ...

'' as Herself (2 episodes) * 1978–79: ''

The Hollywood Squares ''Hollywood Squares'' (originally ''The Hollywood Squares'') is an American game show in which two contestants compete in a game of tic-tac-toe to win cash and prizes. The show piloted on NBC in 1965 and the regular series debuted in 1966 on t ...

'' as Herself (6 episodes) * 1979: ''Greatest Heroes of the Bible'' as Tova * 1979: ''Sitcom: The Adventures of Garry Marshall'' as Herself (uncredited) * 1980–1985: ''

'' as Carrie Walker / Joanne Morgan / Barbara Blatnick / Janet Reynolds (6 episodes) * 1980: ''

Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve ''Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve'' (''NYRE'') is an annual New Year's Eve television special broadcast by ABC. The special broadcasts primarily from New York City's Times Square and prominently features coverage of its annual ball drop ev ...

'' as Herself * 1981: ''

Twirl In cryptography and number theory, TWIRL (The Weizmann Institute Relation Locator) is a hypothetical hardware device designed to speed up the sieving step of the general number field sieve integer factorization algorithm. During the sieving step ...

'' as Bonnie Lee Jordan * 1981: ''

'' as Alluma * 1981: '' 38th Golden Globe Awards'' as Herself * 1982: ''

39th Golden Globe Awards The 39th Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and television for 1981, were held on January 30, 1982. Winners and nominees Film The following films received multiple nominations: The following films received multip ...

'' as Herself * 1982–83: '' Joanie Loves Chachi'' as Joanie Cunningham (17 episodes) * 1983: ''

Hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...

'' as Karen Donnelly * 1984: ''

Glitter Glitter is an assortment of small, reflective particles that come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Glitter particles reflect light at different angles, causing the surface to sparkle or shimmer. Glitter is similar to confetti, sparkle ...

'' as Caroline Mason * 1984: ''

Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour ''The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour'' is an American television panel game show that combined two panel games of the 1960s and 1970s – ''Match Game'' and ''Hollywood Squares'' – into an hour-long format. The series ran from October 31, ...

'' as Herself (10 episodes) * 1986: ''

'' as Maggie Roberts * 1992: ''

The Howard Stern Show ''The Howard Stern Show'' is an American radio show hosted by Howard Stern that gained wide recognition when it was nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from WXRK in New York City, between 1986 and 2005. The show has aired on Howard 100 a ...

'' as Herself * 1996: '' Dear God'' as Herself * 1998: '' Diagnosis: Murder'' as Cynthia Bennett * 1998: ''

Desperation Boulevard ''Desperation Boulevard'' is a 1998 American film written and directed by Greg Glienna. Plot An ex-child star attempts to get back on top in Hollywood. Cast * Lauren Alexander as Young Judy * Jim Bruce as Stalker * Charlene Cher * Emmy Coll ...

'' as Herself * 1999: ''Celebrity Profile'' as Herself * 1999: '' Good vs. Evil'' as Herself * 1999: ''

Entertainment Tonight ''Entertainment Tonight'' (or simply ''ET'') is an American first-run syndicated news broadcasting newsmagazine program that is distributed by CBS Media Ventures throughout the United States and owned by Paramount Streaming. ET also airs in Aus ...

Presents: Happy Days - Secrets'' as Herself * 2000: ''I Love 1970's'' as Herself * 2001: ''TVography: Happy Days'' as Herself * 2001: ''

Weakest Link ''Weakest Link'' (also known as ''The Weakest Link'') is a television game show which first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000 and originally ended on 31 March 2012 when its host Anne Robinson completed her contract. ...

'' as Herself * 2001–2003: ''

Hollywood Squares ''Hollywood Squares'' (originally ''The Hollywood Squares'') is an American game show in which two contestants compete in a game of tic-tac-toe to win cash and prizes. The show Television pilot, piloted on NBC in 1965 and the regular series debut ...

'' as Herself (7 episodes) * 2002: ''Inside

TV Land TV Land is an American pay television channel owned by Paramount Global through its networks division. Originally a spinoff of Nick at Nite consisting exclusively of classic television shows, the channel now airs a combination of recent and cl ...

: 40 Greatest Theme Songs'' as Herself * 2003: '' ABC's 50th Anniversary Celebration'' as Herself * 2003: '' Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star'' as Herself * 2004: ''

Pyramid A pyramid (from el, πυραμίς ') is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge to a single step at the top, making the shape roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilate ...

'' as Herself * 2005: '' Happy Days: 30th Anniversary Reunion'' as Herself * 2006: '' Where Are They Now?'' as Herself * 2007: '' Scott Baio is 45 and Single'' as Herself * 2007: '' The Singing Bee'' as Herself * 2008: ''

Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now'' * Current era, present * The current calendar date Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Today'' (1930 film), a 1930 ...

'' as Herself * 2008: '' Celebrity Fit Club: Boot Camp'' as Herself * 2008: ''Broken Promise'' as Mrs. Watkins * 2008: ''

The Early Show ''The Early Show'' is an American morning television show that aired on CBS from November 1, 1999 to January 7, 2012, and the ninth attempt at a morning news-talk program by the network since 1954. The program aired Monday through Friday from ...

'' as Herself * 2008: ''

Fox Reality Awards The Fox Reality Awards is an awards show to honor achievements in reality television. It was broadcast by the Fox Reality Channel from 2006 to 2009 when the channel was replaced in 2010 by National Geographic Wild. Awards list ''NOTE: Winners i ...

'' as Herself * 2008: ''Whatever Happened To?'' as Herself * 2008: ''Mother Goose Parade'' as Herself * 2009: ''

The Bold and the Beautiful ''The Bold and the Beautiful'' (often referred to as ''B&B'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. It premiered on March 23, 1987, as a sister show to the Bells' other soap opera ''The Yo ...

'' as Kelly DeMartin * 2009: '' Catch 21'' as Herself * 2010: ''

'' as Mrs. Klien * 2010: '' Totally Tracked Down'' as Herself * 2012: '' The Deceit'' as Mrs. Shephard (final film role) * 2012: ''

Celebrity Ghost Stories ''Celebrity Ghost Stories'' is an American paranormal reality television series that debuted on October 3, 2009, with the pilot airing on September 26, 2009. Its first four seasons aired on The Biography Channel with the fifth airing on Lifetime M ...

'' as Herself (final TV role)

Soundtrack

* '' Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star'' (2003) ("Child Stars on Your Television")

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Moran, Erin 1960 births 2017 deaths Actresses from Burbank, California American child actresses American film actresses American television actresses Deaths from throat cancer Deaths from cancer in Indiana Participants in American reality television series 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses North Hollywood High School alumni

Early life

Career

''Happy Days'' lawsuit

Personal life and death

Filmography and television appearances

Soundtrack

References

Further reading

External links