Happy Days cast lead tributes as ‘little Joanie’ actress dies aged 56

Former Happy Days actors Ron Howard and Henry Winkler have led tributes to their co-star Erin Moran, who has died at the age of 56.

Moran played Joanie Cunningham in the hit sitcom, as well as its spin-off, Joanie Loves Chachi.

Howard, who played her older brother Richie Cunningham and is now a director of films including Apollo 13 and The Da Vinci Code, wrote on Twitter: “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.” 0 Erin Moran played Joanie Cunningham on the sitcom

Winkler, who is best remembered as Happy Days heartthrob Arthur “The Fonz” Fonzarelli, wrote: “OH Erin … now you will finally have the peace you wanted so badly here on earth … Rest In It serenely now … too soon.”

The sheriff’s department in Harrison County, Indiana, said a dispatcher received a 911 call about “an unresponsive female. Upon arrival of firstresponders, it was determined that Erin Moran Fleischmann was deceased. An autopsy is pending.”

Moran joined the Happy Days cast in 1974 when she was 13. In 2009 she told an interviewer: “What happened with all of us was like we were this family. It was so surreal.”

She also appeared in shows including The Love Boat, Murder She Wrote, The Waltons and Diagnosis Murder.

In 2012, she received a settlement from US network CBS after joining Happy Days cast members in a legal action over merchandising revenue.