Penny Marshall Passed Away!

Famed actress, movie director and activist Penny Marshall passed away.

Penny was best known for her role as Laverne in the 1970-80s series Laverne & Shirley. She and her late brother Garry Marshall were big in Hollywood.

As the daughter of Tony and Marjorie Marshall, Penny grew up in the entertainment industry as a comedy writer and entertainer.

Born Carole Penny Marshall, she directed big movies like Jumpin' Jack Flash (Whoopi Goldberg), Big (Tom Hanks), A League of Their Own (Hanks, Madonna and Rosie O'Donnell), Renaissance Man (Danny DeVito, Ed Begley, Jr., Mark Wahlberg, Stacey Dash and Gregory Hines) and The Preacher's Wife (Whitney Houston, Denzel Washington and Courtney B. Vance).

The younger sister of the late writer-director-producer Garry Marshall and the first wife of actor-director Rob Reiner, Marshall died in her Hollywood Hills home on Monday night from complications from diabetes, her publicist Michelle Bega told The Hollywood Reporter. She was diagnosed with brain and lung cancer in 2009.

Marshall earned fame — but, incredibly not even one Emmy nomination — for playing the wisecracking Laverne DeFazio on the Happy Days spinoff created by her brother. Laverne & Shirley, which aired for eight seasons from 1976 to '83, centered on the escapades of two romantically challenged Milwaukee brewery workers, with Cindy Williams co-starring as Marshall’s idealistic roommate, Shirley Feeney.

Marshall was married twice.

So sad about Penny.

— Rob Reiner (@robreiner) December 18, 2018

I loved Penny. I grew up with her. She was born with a great gift. She was born with a funnybone and the instinct of how to use it. I was very lucky to have lived with her and her funnybone. I will miss her.

— Rob Reiner (@robreiner) December 18, 2018

Her second marriage was to actor and director Rob Reiner, who grew up across the street from her in New York City.

"It was a very wide street," Marshall once joked to CNN.

She had a daughter, Tracy, from her first marriage, whom Reiner later adopted.

On Tuesday, following news of Marshall's death, Reiner wrote in a statement posted to social media: "I loved Penny. I grew up with her. She was born with a great gift. She was born with a funnybone and the instinct of how to use it. I was very lucky to have lived with her and her funnybone. I will miss her."

A celebration of Marshall's life will be held at a later date to be announced, the family said.
Marshall is survived by her older sister, Ronny; daughter, actress Tracy Reiner; and three grandchildren.

"We hope her life continues to inspire others to spend time with family, work hard and make all of their dreams come true," Bega said.