Erin Moran, Happy Days star, dies at 56

Erin Moran, the star of television’s Happy Days and Joanie Loves Chachi, died in Indiana on Saturday, EW has confirmed. She was 56.

According to a statement from the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department, “Harrison County dispatch received a 911 call referencing an unresponsive female” on Saturday at approximately 4:07 p.m. local time. “Upon the arrival of first responders, it was determined that Erin Marie Moran Fleischmann was deceased. An autopsy is pending.”

No further information was available and a cause of death has not been determined.

Moran was just 14 in the 1970s when she was cast as Ron Howard’s younger sister, Joanie Cunningham, on Happy Days, and later continued with the character on the spin-off, Joanie Loves Chachi, which lasted for just two seasons between 1982 and 1983.

Howard shared his sadness on Twitter shortly after the news of Moran’s death broke. “Such sad sad news. RIP Erin,” he wrote. “I’ll always choose to remember you on our show making scenes better, getting laughs and lighting up tv screens.”

Moran’s later roles include The Love Boat and Murder, She Wrote. Moran’s most recent acting credit was in 2010’s Not Another B Movie.

Moran also appeared on VH1’s Celebrity Fit Club in 2008.

Henry Winkler, who also starred on Happy Days, wrote of his grief on Twitter. “OH Erin… now you will finally have the peace you wanted so badly here on earth,” he said. “Rest In It serenely now.. too soon.”

Moran’s friend, Erin Murphy, who played Tabitha on Bewitched, shared the news. “So sad to share that my friend Erin Moran has passed away,” she wrote. “Rest In Peace, sweet girl.”