Erin Moran
Encyclopedia
Erin Marie Moran is an American actress, best known for the role of Joanie Cunningham
on Happy Days
and its spinoff Joanie Loves Chachi
.
, the fifth of six children in a strict Catholic
family of Irish
descent. Moran has five siblings, two older sisters, two older brothers and one younger brother. At the age of six, Moran appeared in her first commercial. She attended St. Charles Borromeo Elementary School, and then Walter Reed Junior High School for one year and North Hollywood High School
for another year.
, which ran from 1966 to 1969. In 1968, she made her feature-film debut in How Sweet It Is!
with Debbie Reynolds
. She appeared in 80 Steps to Jonah (1969) and Watermelon Man
(1970). She made regular appearances on The Don Rickles
Show in 1972. She made guest appearances in The Courtship of Eddie's Father
, My Three Sons
, and Family Affair
.
In 1974, Moran was cast to play her best known role, Joanie Cunningham
on the sitcom Happy Days
. She played the feisty younger sister of Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard
). Moran continued the role in 1982 in the short-lived spin-off series Joanie Loves Chachi
alongside Scott Baio
. After Joanie Loves Chachi’s cancellation in 1983, she returned to Happy Days for its final season.
Moran has made several other television guest appearances including The Love Boat
; Murder, She Wrote
; and Diagnosis: Murder
.
In 2007, she made an appearance in the independent comedy feature Not Another B Movie
.
In 2008, she was a contestant on VH1
's reality show Celebrity Fit Club
.
Joanie Cunningham
Joanie Louise Cunningham Arcola is a fictional character, played in an episode of the anthology series Love, American Style by Susan Neher and on the sitcoms Happy Days and Joanie Loves Chachi by Erin Moran. She was the daughter of Howard and Marion Cunningham, and the younger sister of Chuck...
on Happy Days
Happy Days
Happy Days is an American television sitcom that originally aired from January 15, 1974, to September 24, 1984, on ABC. Created by Garry Marshall, the series presents an idealized vision of life in mid-1950s to mid-1960s America....
and its spinoff Joanie Loves Chachi
Joanie Loves Chachi
Joanie Loves Chachi is an American television spin-off of the popular American sitcom Happy Days that was originally broadcast on ABC from March 23, 1982 to September 13, 1983...
.
Early life
Moran was born and raised in Burbank, CaliforniaBurbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
, the fifth of six children in a strict Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
family of Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
descent. Moran has five siblings, two older sisters, two older brothers and one younger brother. At the age of six, Moran appeared in her first commercial. She attended St. Charles Borromeo Elementary School, and then Walter Reed Junior High School for one year and North Hollywood High School
North Hollywood High School
North Hollywood High School, originally called Lankershim High School when it opened in 1927, is a secondary school in North Hollywood in Los Angeles, California. The school mascot is the husky, and the school colors are blue, white and grey....
for another year.
Career
Moran was cast as Jenny Jones in the television series DaktariDaktari
Daktari is an American children's drama series that aired on CBS between 1966 and 1969. The series, an Ivan Tors Films Production in association with MGM Television, stars Marshall Thompson as Dr. Marsh Tracy, a veterinarian at the fictional Wameru Study Centre for Animal Behaviour in East...
, which ran from 1966 to 1969. In 1968, she made her feature-film debut in How Sweet It Is!
How Sweet It Is!
How Sweet It Is! is a 1968 comedy movie starring James Garner and Debbie Reynolds, with a supporting cast including Terry-Thomas and Paul Lynde. Garner plays a photographer who brings his wife, Jenny, and teenage son, David, along on a Paris shoot, with both husband and wife struggling to stay...
with Debbie Reynolds
Debbie Reynolds
Debbie Reynolds is an American actress, singer, and dancer.She was initially signed at age 16 by Warner Bros., but her career got off to a slow start. When her contract was not renewed, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer gave her a small, but significant part in the film Three Little Words , then signed her to...
. She appeared in 80 Steps to Jonah (1969) and Watermelon Man
Watermelon Man
Watermelon Man may refer to:*"Watermelon Man" , a composition written by Herbie Hancock*Watermelon Man , a 1970 film directed by Melvin Van Peebles and starring Godfrey Cambridge...
(1970). She made regular appearances on The Don Rickles
Don Rickles
Donald Jay "Don" Rickles is an American stand-up comedian and actor. A frequent guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Rickles has acted in comedic and dramatic roles, but is best known as an insult comic....
Show in 1972. She made guest appearances in The Courtship of Eddie's Father
The Courtship of Eddie's Father
The Courtship of Eddie's Father is an American television sitcom based on the 1963 movie of the same name, which was based on the book written by Mark Toby...
, My Three Sons
My Three Sons
My Three Sons is an American situation comedy. The series ran from 1960 to 1965 on ABC, and moved to CBS until its end on August 24, 1972. My Three Sons chronicles the life of a widower and aeronautical engineer named Steven Douglas , raising his three sons.The series was a cornerstone of the CBS...
, and Family Affair
Family Affair
Family Affair is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from September 12, 1966 to September 9, 1971. The series explored the trials of well-to-do civil engineer and bachelor Bill Davis as he attempted to raise his brother's orphaned children in his luxury New York City apartment. Davis' traditional...
.
In 1974, Moran was cast to play her best known role, Joanie Cunningham
Joanie Cunningham
Joanie Louise Cunningham Arcola is a fictional character, played in an episode of the anthology series Love, American Style by Susan Neher and on the sitcoms Happy Days and Joanie Loves Chachi by Erin Moran. She was the daughter of Howard and Marion Cunningham, and the younger sister of Chuck...
on the sitcom Happy Days
Happy Days
Happy Days is an American television sitcom that originally aired from January 15, 1974, to September 24, 1984, on ABC. Created by Garry Marshall, the series presents an idealized vision of life in mid-1950s to mid-1960s America....
. She played the feisty younger sister of Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard
Ron Howard
Ronald William "Ron" Howard is an American actor, director, and producer. He came to prominence as a child actor, playing Opie Taylor in the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show for eight years, and later the teenaged Richie Cunningham in the sitcom Happy Days for six years...
). Moran continued the role in 1982 in the short-lived spin-off series Joanie Loves Chachi
Joanie Loves Chachi
Joanie Loves Chachi is an American television spin-off of the popular American sitcom Happy Days that was originally broadcast on ABC from March 23, 1982 to September 13, 1983...
alongside Scott Baio
Scott Baio
Scott Vincent James Baio is an American actor and television director, best known for his roles as Chachi Arcola on the sitcom Happy Days and its spin-off, Joanie Loves Chachi, and as the title character on the sitcom Charles in Charge....
. After Joanie Loves Chachi’s cancellation in 1983, she returned to Happy Days for its final season.
Moran has made several other television guest appearances including The Love Boat
The Love Boat
The Love Boat is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24,1977, until May 24,1986.The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain...
; Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote is an American television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher. The series aired for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 on the CBS network, with 264 episodes transmitted. It was followed by four TV films and a spin-off series,...
; and Diagnosis: Murder
Diagnosis: Murder
Diagnosis: Murder is a mystery/medical/crime drama television series starring Dick Van Dyke as Dr. Mark Sloan, a medical doctor who solves crimes with the help of his son, a homicide detective played by his real-life son Barry Van Dyke. The series began as a spin-off of Jake and the Fatman...
.
In 2007, she made an appearance in the independent comedy feature Not Another B Movie
Not Another B Movie
Not Another B Movie is a satirical comedy film written and directed by John Wesley Norton which peers into the process of making a low-budget horror film. It was premiered in 2008 under the original title Working Title in Woodridge, Illinois...
.
In 2008, she was a contestant on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's reality show Celebrity Fit Club
Celebrity Fit Club (U.S. TV series)
Celebrity Fit Club is a reality television series which follows eight overweight celebrities as they try to lose weight.This show is based on the British version, which aired on the ITV Network from 2002 until 2006...
.
Later life
In 1996, Moran married Steven Fleishmann who she met in 1992 while she was moving. Steven was Erin's moving man. Steven claims it was his smile that won Erin over. According to some internet sources, Moran is planning on writing a book about Happy Days and about her acting experiences soon, and is looking for the right role, as she wants to resume her acting career.Actress - filmography
- 1968: How Sweet It Is!How Sweet It Is!How Sweet It Is! is a 1968 comedy movie starring James Garner and Debbie Reynolds, with a supporting cast including Terry-Thomas and Paul Lynde. Garner plays a photographer who brings his wife, Jenny, and teenage son, David, along on a Paris shoot, with both husband and wife struggling to stay...
as Little Girl - 1968–1969: DaktariDaktariDaktari is an American children's drama series that aired on CBS between 1966 and 1969. The series, an Ivan Tors Films Production in association with MGM Television, stars Marshall Thompson as Dr. Marsh Tracy, a veterinarian at the fictional Wameru Study Centre for Animal Behaviour in East...
as Jenny Jones - 1969: Death Valley DaysDeath Valley DaysDeath Valley Days is an American radio and television anthology series featuring true stories of the old American West, particularly the Death Valley area. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program was broadcast on radio until 1945. It continued from 1952 to 1975 as a syndicated television series...
as Mary (2 episodes) - 1969: 80 Steps to Jonah as Kim
- 1970: The Courtship of Eddie's FatherThe Courtship of Eddie's FatherThe Courtship of Eddie's Father is an American television sitcom based on the 1963 movie of the same name, which was based on the book written by Mark Toby...
as Emily Ruth Gustafson - 1970: The F.B.I. as Vickie Florea
- 1970: My Three SonsMy Three SonsMy Three Sons is an American situation comedy. The series ran from 1960 to 1965 on ABC, and moved to CBS until its end on August 24, 1972. My Three Sons chronicles the life of a widower and aeronautical engineer named Steven Douglas , raising his three sons.The series was a cornerstone of the CBS...
as Victoria - 1970: Watermelon ManWatermelon Man (film)Watermelon Man is a 1970 American comedy-drama film directed by Melvin Van Peebles and based on the book The Night the Sun Came Out on Happy Hollow Lane by Herman Raucher...
as Janice Gerber - 1970–1971: Family AffairFamily AffairFamily Affair is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from September 12, 1966 to September 9, 1971. The series explored the trials of well-to-do civil engineer and bachelor Bill Davis as he attempted to raise his brother's orphaned children in his luxury New York City apartment. Davis' traditional...
as Amy (2 episodes) - 1971: O'Hara, U.S. TreasuryO'Hara, U.S. TreasuryO'Hara, U.S. Treasury is an American television crime drama broadcast by CBS during the 1971-72 television season. Jack Webb's Mark VII Limited packaged the program for Universal Television. Webb and longtime colleague James E. Moser created the show; Leonard B. Kaufman was the...
as Little Girl - 1971: Bearcats! as Elisa Tillman
- 1971: GunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....
as Rachel (2 episodes) - 1972: The Don Rickles Show as Janie Robinson
- 1973: Lisa, Bright and Dark
- 1975: The WaltonsThe WaltonsThe Waltons is an American television series created by Earl Hamner, Jr., based on his book Spencer's Mountain, and a 1963 film of the same name. The show centered on a family growing up in a rural Virginia community during the Great Depression and World War II. The series pilot was a television...
as Sally Ann Harper - 1977: The Magic Pony (voice)
- 1978: Greatest Heroes of the Bible as Tova
- 1981: Twirl as Bonnie Lee Jordan
- 1981: Galaxy of TerrorGalaxy of TerrorGalaxy of Terror is a 1981 science fiction/horror film produced by Roger Corman and directed by Bruce D. Clark. It stars Edward Albert, Erin Moran, Robert Englund, Ray Walston, Zalman King, Grace Zabriskie and Sid Haig...
as Alluma - 1982: Joanie Loves ChachiJoanie Loves ChachiJoanie Loves Chachi is an American television spin-off of the popular American sitcom Happy Days that was originally broadcast on ABC from March 23, 1982 to September 13, 1983...
as Joanie Cunningham - 1983: HotelHotel (TV series)Hotel is an American prime time drama series which aired on ABC from September 21, 1983 to May 5, 1988 in the timeslot following Dynasty....
as Karen Donnelly - 1974–1984: Happy DaysHappy DaysHappy Days is an American television sitcom that originally aired from January 15, 1974, to September 24, 1984, on ABC. Created by Garry Marshall, the series presents an idealized vision of life in mid-1950s to mid-1960s America....
as Joanie Cunningham ArcolaJoanie CunninghamJoanie Louise Cunningham Arcola is a fictional character, played in an episode of the anthology series Love, American Style by Susan Neher and on the sitcoms Happy Days and Joanie Loves Chachi by Erin Moran. She was the daughter of Howard and Marion Cunningham, and the younger sister of Chuck...
(234 episodes) - 1980–1985: The Love BoatThe Love BoatThe Love Boat is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24,1977, until May 24,1986.The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain...
as Carrie Walker (4 episodes) - 1986: Murder, She WroteMurder, She WroteMurder, She Wrote is an American television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher. The series aired for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 on the CBS network, with 264 episodes transmitted. It was followed by four TV films and a spin-off series,...
as Maggie Roberts - 1998: Diagnosis: MurderDiagnosis: MurderDiagnosis: Murder is a mystery/medical/crime drama television series starring Dick Van Dyke as Dr. Mark Sloan, a medical doctor who solves crimes with the help of his son, a homicide detective played by his real-life son Barry Van Dyke. The series began as a spin-off of Jake and the Fatman...
as Cynthia Bennett - 2007: Scott Baio is 45 and Single as herself
- 2008: Celebrity Fit ClubCelebrity Fit Club (U.S. TV series)Celebrity Fit Club is a reality television series which follows eight overweight celebrities as they try to lose weight.This show is based on the British version, which aired on the ITV Network from 2002 until 2006...
as herself - 2011: Not Another B MovieNot Another B MovieNot Another B Movie is a satirical comedy film written and directed by John Wesley Norton which peers into the process of making a low-budget horror film. It was premiered in 2008 under the original title Working Title in Woodridge, Illinois...
- 2012: The Deceit as Mrs. Shephard
Soundtrack - filmography
- Dickie Roberts: Former Child StarDickie Roberts: Former Child StarDickie Roberts: Former Child Star is a 2003 American comedy film directed by Sam Weisman and starring David Spade and Mary McCormack.- Plot :...
(2003) ("Child Stars on Your Television")