Penny Marshall, Prolific Actress and Director, Dead at 75

Penny Marshall, who starred in Laverne & Shirley in the 1970s and went on to become one of Hollywood's most important directors, died Monday at age 75. The cause was complications from diabetes, TV Guide has confirmed.

Marshall, a native of the Bronx in New York City, got into TV with a turn on The Odd Couple in 1971, followed by appearances on The Mary Tyler Moore Showand then her big break: being cast as Laverne DeFazio on Happy Days, created by her brother Garry Marshall. Her popularity there led Garry to create the spin-off Laverne & Shirley, in which Laverne and her pal Shirley Feeney (Cindy Williams) were wise-cracking workers at the Shotz Brewery in Milwaukee. Laverne & Shirley was a huge hit and aired from 1976 until 1983, but it was such a success that Marshall found it hard to break out of the role, leading her to pivot to directing.

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Behind the camera may be where she had her biggest impact; with Big, starring Tom Hanks, in 1988, she became the first female director to gross $100 million at the box office and that success only begat more. A League Of Their Own, which starring Madonna and other heavyweights, shattered the myth that female-led flicks wouldn't do well at the box office, making $132 million. Other film directing credits of note include Whoopi Goldberg's Jumpin' Jack Flash as well as The Preacher's Wife starring Whitney Houston. Though her acting career waned in later years, she continued to pop up on television, often playing off her raspy voice and gruff demeanor on shows like Frasier, The Gameand Portlandia. Occasionally, she'd play herself, as she did on Entourage and Bones.

She is survived by an older sister, her daughter and three grandchildren.