Penny Marshall, who found fame in TV’s Laverne & Shirley, has died at age 75. She also directed Big and A League of Their Own. She died peacefully at home in Hollywood Hills on Monday night, according to reports. Ultimately, the death was due to complications from diabetes.
"Our family is heartbroken over the passing of Penny Marshall," the Marshall family said in a statement.
Laverne & Shirley was Marshall’s big breakthrough hit; the show ran on ABC from Jan. 27, 1976, until May 10, 1983. After her TV career, she turned to work behind the camera.
Marshall’s biggest directing hits were Big (1988), Awakenings (1990), A League of Their Own (1992), The Preacher's Wife (1996) and Riding in Cars With Boys (2001).
She was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2009. She beat it. In 2016, she told the Television Academy Foundation that “being alive” was her “biggest achievement.”
"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," the Marshall family said. "We hope her life continues to inspire others to spend time with family, work hard and make all of their dreams come true."