Happy Days and Joanie Loves Chachi star Erin Moran has died, TMZ reports. Moran was found dead in her Indiana home by authorities. The cause of her death is unknown, according to Variety. She was 56 at her time of death.
“Harrison County dispatch received a 911 call referencing an unresponsive female” on Saturday at approximately 4:07 p.m. local time, Entertainment Weekly reported via a statement from the Sheriff’s Department. “Upon the arrival of first responders, it was determined that Erin Marie Moran Fleischmann was deceased. An autopsy is pending.”
Moran played the younger sister of Ron Howard on Happy Days, which aired from 1974 to 1984. She was 14 when she began the show and the role would be the pinnacle of her career. She co-starred with Scott Baio in a spin-off series called Joanie Loves Chachi for one season, from 1982-1983. Moran started her career as a child actor with roles on The Courtship of Eddie's Father, My Three Sons, Gunsmoke, and The Waltons.
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She went on to be featured in roles in Murder, She Wrote, Diagnosis Murder, and The Bold and the Beautiful.
"Such sad sad news...," Howard tweeted of the news. "I'll always choose to remember you on our show making scenes better, getting laughs and lighting up tv screens."
Her co-star Scott Baio tweeted his condolences, saying, "May people remember Erin for her contagious smile, warm hart, and animal loving soul. I always hoped she could find peace in her life. God has you now, Erin."
Winkler shared an emotional tweet, writing, "Oh Erin, now you will finally have the peace you wanted so badly here on earth. Rest in it serenely now...too soon."
Her Happy Days co-star Don Most said in a statement, "I am so incredibly sad to hear about Erin. She was a wonderful, sweet, caring, talented woman. As I write this I can’t really comprehend this right now. A very painful loss. It gives me some comfort to know that she’s with Tom [Bosley], Al [Molinaro], Pat [Morita] and Garry [Marshall]. Rest In Peace, sweet Erin."