Laverne and Shirley Star Penny Marshall Dead at 75
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Sad news from Hollywood today. Penny Marshall, best known for playing Laverne on the hit sitcom Laverne and Shirley, has died. She was 75 years old.
In a statement (reported by Us Weekly), the cause of death was complications from diabetes. Her family released the following statement to the media:
“Our family is heartbroken over the passing of Penny Marshall, Penny was a tomboy who loved sports, doing puzzles of any kind, drinking milk and Pepsi together and being with her family. As an actress, her work on Laverne & Shirley broke ground featuring blue-collar women entertaining America in prime time. She was a comedic natural with a photographic memory and an instinct for slapstick. When Penny directed Tom Hanks in the movie Big she became a pioneer as the first woman in history to helm a film that grossed more than $100 million. She did it again with A League of Their Own. She directed many stars including Geena Davis, Robert De Niro, Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Williams, Madonna, Denzel Washington, Rosie O’Donnell and Whitney Houston. She even gave Mark Wahlberg his first acting job. Penny was a girl from the Bronx, who came out West, put a cursive ‘L’on her sweater and transformed herself into a Hollywood success story. We hope her life continues to inspire others to spend time with family, work hard and make all of their dreams come true.”
TVGrapevine sends their condolences to her loved ones.
