Penny Marshall, the brassier half of TV’s “Laverne & Shirley” who went on to acclaim as a film director, died at home in Hollywood Monday due to complications from diabetes. As The National ENQUIRER reported in April 2017, Penny suffered a one-two punch with the loss of her brother, TV giant Gary Marshall, and best pal, Carrie Fisher, earlier in the year. The devastating deaths came on the heels of a particularly difficult health stretch for the “A League of Their Own”director, who had amazed Hollywood by surviving deadly brain and lung cancer with the help of chemotherapy and radiation iin 2013. Read on for additional details about Penny’s life, and click here for more news of stars fasing sad last days….
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Photo credit: penny marshall dead diabetes 75
Although her breakthrough role came opposite
Cindy Williams on the hit ABC sitcom comedy “Laverne & Shirley,” she'd initially built her following as Oscar Madison's Bronx-accented assistant on "The Odd Couple," trading attitude with series co-star
Jack Klugman.
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Photo credit: Getty Images
A directing career that began with "L&S" episodes and broke into movies with the
Whoopi Goldberg comedy "Jumpin' Jack Flash," hit full stride with "Big" — the first woman-directed film to cross the $100 million mark at the box office, and an early hit for
Tom Hanks (right).
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Photo credit: Getty Images
Marshall was second woman to direct a film nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award, "Awakenings," a drama featuring
Robert De Niro and
Robin Williams — shown here with Penny when she guested on an episode of "
Mork & Mindy."
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Photo credit: Getty Images
A rare on-screen presence after her directing career took off, she returned to TV in 2016 for a cameo on the
CBS reboot of The Odd Couple," appearing in an episode paying tribute to her brother Garry.
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Photo credit: Getty Images
Although her breakthrough role came opposite
Cindy Williams on the hit ABC sitcom comedy “Laverne & Shirley,” she'd initially built her following as Oscar Madison's Bronx-accented assistant on "The Odd Couple," trading attitude with series co-star
Jack Klugman.
Photo credit: penny marshall dead diabetes 75
A directing career that began with "L&S" episodes and broke into movies with the
Whoopi Goldberg comedy "Jumpin' Jack Flash," hit full stride with "Big" — the first woman-directed film to cross the $100 million mark at the box office, and an early hit for
Tom Hanks (right).
Photo credit: Getty Images
Marshall was second woman to direct a film nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award, "Awakenings," a drama featuring
Robert De Niro and
Robin Williams — shown here with Penny when she guested on an episode of "
Mork & Mindy."
Photo credit: Getty Images
A rare on-screen presence after her directing career took off, she returned to TV in 2016 for a cameo on the
CBS reboot of The Odd Couple," appearing in an episode paying tribute to her brother Garry.
Photo credit: Getty Images
Photo credit: Getty Images