Penny Marshall was born on October 15, 1942 in The Bronx, New York City. She is an American Golden Globe-nominated actress, producer and director.

Her first major TV role as Jack Klugman's secretary Myrna in The Odd Couple (1970–75). Her biggest break came when Garry recruited his sister and real-life friend Cindy Williams to play “fast girls” on his hit ABC series Happy Days (1974–1984).

The pair proved so popular that the network engineered an equally successful spin-off, Laverne and Shirley (1976–1983), which followed the girls' adventures as poor-but-happy Milwaukee beer-factory workers.

Struggling to build on her success, Marshall appeared in a number of forgettable TV movies and feature films, but it was her role as director for a handful of Laverne and Shirley episodes that foreshadowed her Hollywood future.

She also starred in Special Delivery (1999) and Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World (2005).

Filmography

• Alice Upside Down (2007)
• Everybody Wants to Be Italian (2008)
• "Campus Ladies" (1 episode, 2006)
• Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World (2005)
• TV's Greatest Sidekicks (2004)
• Stateside (2004)
• "Frasier" (1 episode, 2004)
• Special Delivery (1999/I)
• "Nash Bridges" (1 episode, 1998)
• "Saturday Night Live" (3 episodes, 1975-1996)
• The Odd Couple: Together Again (1993)
• Hocus Pocus (1993)
• The Hard Way (1991)
• "The Simpsons" (1 episode, 1990)
• Movers & Shakers (1985)
• Challenge of a Lifetime (1985)
• Love Thy Neighbor (1984)
• "The New Show" (1 episode, 1984)
• "Laverne & Shirley" (38 episodes, 1976-1983)
• "Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour" (1982)
• "Laverne & Shirley in the Army" (1981)
• 1941 (1979)
• "Happy Days" (6 episodes, 1975-1979)
• More Than Friends (1978)
• "Mork & Mindy" (1 episode, 1978)
• "Blansky's Beauties" (1 episode, 1977)
• The Barry Manilow Special (1977)
• "Good Heavens" (1 episode, 1976)
• "Mary Tyler Moore" (3 episodes, 1974-1976)
• "Chico and the Man" (1 episode, 1975)
• Wives (1975)
• Let's Switch! (1975)
• How Come Nobody's on Our Side? (1975)
• "The Odd Couple" (17 episodes, 1971-1975)
• "Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers" (1974)
• "Banacek" (1 episode, 1973)
• The Couple Takes a Wife (1972)
• The Crooked Hearts (1972)
• "The Bob Newhart Show" (1 episode, 1972)
• "The Super" (1 episode, 1972)
• Evil Roy Slade (1972)
• "Getting Together" (1 episode, 1971)
• The Feminist and the Fuzz (1971)
• "Disneyland" (2 episodes, 1970)
• Wacky Zoo of Morgan City (1970)
• "Barefoot in the Park" (1 episode, 1970)
• Where's Poppa? (1970)
• The Grasshopper (1970)
• "Love, American Style" (1 episode, 1970)
• "That Girl" (2 episodes, 1968-1969)
• "Then Came Bronson" (1 episode, 1969)
• How Sweet It Is! (1968)
• The Savage Seven (1968)

Awards

• American Comedy Award Lifetime Achievement-Female 1992
• Women in Film Crystal Award 1991