Cindy Williams

Cindy Williams was born as Cynthia Williams on August 22, 1947 in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California, to Francesca (née Bellini) and Beachard Williams. While her father was an electronic technician, her mother waited tables. She has a sister, Carol Ann.

Ever since a child, Williams dreamed of becoming famous. She imbibed acting skills from her parents, both of whom had a knack for performance. Often, she would make her own plays and act as a central character in it, entertaining her friends and family.

On the academic front, Williams graduated from Birmingham High School in 1965. It was there that her interest in acting deepened as she befriended future actress Sally Field and talent agent Michael Ovitz. Later on, she attended the Los Angeles City College, majoring in theatre arts.

Following her graduation, Cindy Williams launched her professional career in acting. After appearing in several television commercials, she landed her first television project, an appearance in the 1969 ABC comedy series ‘Room 222’. She soon followed it up with roles in ‘Nanny and the Professor’ and ‘Love, American Style.’

In 1970, Williams made her big screen debut with Roger Corman’s ‘Gas-s-s-s!’ In the early 1970s, she also acted in several television commercials including TWA and Foster Grant sunglasses to make ends meet.

Alongside her professional career, she honed her skills at the Actors Studio West. Simultaneously, she grabbed the opportunities to play important film roles that came her way. After a minor role in Jack Nicholson’s directorial debut ‘Drive, He Said’, she starred as Laurie Henderson in George Cukor’s comedy ‘Travels with My Aunt’ in 1972.

In 1973, Cindy Williams gained her first prominent film role in George Lucas’s ‘American Graffiti’ starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard and Harrison Ford. The film met with great critical acclaim, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. For her performance in the film, Williams received a Best Supporting Actress nomination from BAFTA.

In 1974, she starred in Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘The Conversation’. Yet another Oscar nominated film, Williams’ performance in the film was highly lauded. She gained a star status and was critically and popularly acclaimed.

The highlight of Cindy Williams’ career came with the role of Shirley Feeney on the very successful television series ‘Laverne & Shirley’. Originally a guest role in the series ‘Happy Days’, Williams’ portrayal of the character of Shirley earned her so much appreciation and fan following that a spin-off series featuring her character was commissioned, thus leading to ‘Laverne & Shirley’. The series ran for eight seasons and earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress.