Inside Penny Marshall’s final days.
WHETHER ACTING ON HIT SITCOMS OR DIRECTING BIG MOVIES, SHE DID IT HER WAY
The most famous line from a Penny Marshall film is said by Tom Hanks in A League of Their Own: “There’s no crying in baseball!” But plenty of tears were shed in Hollywood — and around the globe — when Penny died of complications from diabetes at age 75 on Dec. 18.
Thankfully, there were also tears of laughter, as fans remembered the joy she brought them as a sitcom star (Laverne & Shirley) and film director (Big). “I want you to laugh and cry,” she once said. “That’s what I do.”
Her brother Garry Marshall gave her a role on The Odd Couple as Myrna, secretary to sportswriter Oscar Madison (Jack Klugman). But it was her chemistry with Cindy Williams as the brewery workers on Laverne & Shirley that made Penny a star. “I’m very happy we did it,” Penny told Closer. “We had a lot of fun.”
At her brother’s urging, Penny began to direct Laverne & Shirley and made the leap to the big screen with hits like Awakenings and The Preacher’s Wife. Still, she said, “In my opinion, life is more important than show business.”
Penny was bedridden with health issues recently, but she was surrounded by family members and friends. “Cindy saw her, as did other castmates,” an insider reports. “She was sick for so long — she was ready to go.”
But she left everyone with a smile. “I loved Penny. She was born with a funny bone and knew how to use it,” says Rob Reiner, her husband from 1971 to 1981. “I was very lucky to have lived with her and her funny bone. I will miss her.” So will we. — Bruce Fretts