Garry Marshall, the creator of the classic U.S. sitcom Happy Days and director of Pretty Woman, has passed away aged 81, his publicist has announced. The legendary writer, producer and director died of pneumonia at a hospital in Burbank, California, after suffering a stroke.
Marshall began his career as a TV writer in the late 1950s, and went on to create the likes of Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley and Mork & Mindy before transitioning to the big screen, making his directorial debut with 1982’s Young Doctors in Love.
Marshall’s subsequent directing credits included Overboard (1987), Beaches (1988), Pretty Woman (1990), Exit to Eden (1994), Runaway Bride (1999), The Princess Diaries (2001), Raising Helen (2004), Valentine’s Day (2010), New Year’s Eve (2011) and what proved to be his final film Mother’s Day, released this year.
In addition to writing, producing and directing, Marshall was also a prolific actor, with over 80 credits to his name.
We interviewed Gary Marshall just last month while he was promoting Mother’s Day, and you can check that out here.
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Originally published July 20, 2016. Updated April 15, 2018.
