Ron Howard and Henry Winkler have led the cast of Happy Days in paying tribute to former co-star Erin Moran.
The actress, who played Joanie Cunningham in the long-running 70s U.S. sitcom, was found unresponsive by emergency services at an address in Indiana on Saturday afternoon (22Apr17).
The 56-year-old had already died by the time the paramedics arrived, according to TMZ.com. Her cause of death is pending an autopsy.
Such sad sad news. RIP Erin. I'll always choose to remember you on our show making scenes better, getting laughs and lighting up tv screens. https://t.co/8HmdL0JKlf
— Ron Howard (@RealRonHoward) April 23, 2017
Many of her co-stars took to social media to pay their respects, including Ron Howard, who played her older brother Richie Cunningham in the iconic show. “Such sad sad news. RIP Erin. I’ll always choose to remember you on our show making scenes better, getting laughs and lighting up tv screens.” he wrote.
OH Erin… now you will finally have the peace you wanted so badly here on earth …Rest In It serenely now.. too soon
— Henry Winkler (@hwinkler4real) April 23, 2017
Henry Winkler, who starred as Arthur ‘The Fonz’ Fonzarelli, posted a touching tribute on Twitter. “Oh Erin… now you will finally have the peace you wanted so badly here on earth. Rest In It serenely now… too soon,” he wrote.
So incredibly sad to hear about Erin. A wonderful, sweet, caring, talented woman.I can't really comprehend this right now.Very painful loss
— Don Most (@most_don) April 23, 2017
Don Most, best known as Ralph Malph, said in a statement after news broke of Moran’s death: “I am so incredibly sad to hear about Erin. She was a wonderful, sweet, caring, talented woman. As I write this I can’t really comprehend this right now. A very painful loss. It gives me some comfort to know that she’s with Tom, Al, Pat and Garry. Rest In Peace, sweet Erin.”
Scott Baio, who starred as Joanie’s boyfriend Chachi in Happy Days, and in the short-lived spin-off series Joanie Loves Chachi, has yet to comment on her death.
The actress was just 14 when she starred in Happy Days, which ran from 1974 to 1983. She later scored guests roles on shows including The Love Boat, Murder, She Wrote, and Diagnosis: Murder, and in 2007, she appeared in the independent comedy Not Another B Movie.
However, Moran struggled away from the screen, allegedly battling drinking problems, while tabloid reports in 2012 suggested she was broke and homeless after she and her husband, Steve Fleischmann, were kicked out of their trailer park home.
