Erin Moran

Erin Moran

Active - 1968 - 2010  |   Born - Oct 18, 1960 in Burbank, California, United States  |   Died - Apr 22, 2017   |   Genres - Comedy, Music, Drama

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Biography by AllMovie

Fans of the long-running sitcom Happy Days will remember dark-haired, blue-eyed Erin Moran as Joanie Cunningham, the feisty little sister of lead character Richie. A native of Los Angeles, the youngest of six children, Moran was age six when she did her first television commercial. Her first acting experience came from a supporting role on the outdoor adventure series Daktari (1968-1969). She next had a regular part in The Don Rickles Show (1972). During her early career, Moran frequently guest starred on other series, including The Courtship of Eddie's Father and Family Affair. Moran made her feature-film debut in 80 Steps to Jonah (1969). She would only appear a few more times in films. In 1982, she and Happy Days co-star Scott Baio left the show to star in the short-lived spin-off Joanie Loves Chachi. Following the new show's swift cancellation, Moran returned to the original show for its final year. After that, her television career consisted of the occasional guest appearance on other series, including Murder, She Wrote. She mostly retired from acting by the mid-1980s. Moran died in 2017, at age 56.

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Factsheet

  • Began acting in commercials at the age of 6.
  • Along with John Schneider, cohosted the 1980 edition of Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve.
  • Despite being popular characters on Happy Days, her spin-off show with Scott Baio, Joanie Loves Chachi, lasted for less than one season.
  • Filed a lawsuit in 2010 against CBS for merchandising revenues from Happy Days, along with former costars Don Most, Anson Williams, Marion Ross and the estate of Tom Bosley.