Erin Moran facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Erin Moran
Moran in 2008
Born	Erin Marie Moran (1960-10-18)October 18, 1960 Burbank, California, U.S.
Died	April 22, 2017(2017-04-22) (aged 56) New Salisbury, Indiana, U.S.
Other names	Erin Marie Fleischmann
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1966–2012
Known for	Happy Days Joanie Loves Chachi
Spouse(s)	Rocky Ferguson ​ ​ (m. 1987; div. 1993)​ Steven Fleischmann ​ (m. 1993)​
Relatives	Tony Moran (brother)

Erin Marie Moran-Fleischmann (born October 18, 1960 – died April 22, 2017) was an American actress. She was best known for playing Joanie Cunningham on the TV show Happy Days. She also starred in its spin-off show, Joanie Loves Chachi.

Early Life

Erin Marie Moran was born on October 18, 1960. Her birthplace was Burbank, California. She grew up in North Hollywood, which is also in Los Angeles. She was one of six children born to Sharon and Edward Moran.

Her father worked as a finance manager. Her mother supported her interest in acting. Erin signed with a talent agent when she was five years old. Two of her brothers, John and Tony Moran, also became actors. Tony Moran played the unmasked Michael Myers in the movie Halloween (1978).

Acting Career

Erin Moran's first acting job was at age five. It was a TV commercial for First Federal Bank. When she was seven, she got a role in the TV series Daktari in 1968. She played a character named Jenny Jones.

Her first movie was How Sweet It Is! (1968) with Debbie Reynolds. She also appeared regularly on The Don Rickles Show in 1972. Erin guest-starred in many other TV shows. These included The Courtship of Eddie's Father, My Three Sons, and The Waltons. She was also in an episode of Gunsmoke.

In 1974, when she was 13, Erin got her most famous role. She was cast as Joanie Cunningham on the sitcom Happy Days. Joanie was the younger sister of Richie Cunningham, played by Ron Howard. Erin continued playing Joanie in 1982. This was for a new show called Joanie Loves Chachi. This show was a spin-off from Happy Days.

Erin later said she didn't really want to leave Happy Days. She would have preferred to stay on that show. She won an award for her role in Joanie Loves Chachi. It was the Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress. After Joanie Loves Chachi ended in 1983, she went back to Happy Days for its last season.

In the years that followed, Moran appeared in other TV shows. These included The Love Boat, Murder, She Wrote, and Diagnosis: Murder. She also starred in the sci-fi horror movie Galaxy of Terror (1981).

In 2008, she was on the reality show Celebrity Fit Club. Two years later, she appeared in the comedy movie Not Another B Movie (2010). In 2013, there were reports she might join Arrested Development. However, she did not appear in that show.

Happy Days Lawsuit

On April 19, 2011, Erin Moran and some of her Happy Days co-stars filed a lawsuit. These co-stars included Don Most, Anson Williams, and Marion Ross. The family of Tom Bosley, who had passed away, also joined. They sued CBS, the company that owned Happy Days.

The lawsuit was about money they believed they were owed. They said their contracts promised them a share of money from merchandise. This included items like comic books, T-shirts, and toys. These items had the actors' pictures on them. The actors believed they were owed millions of dollars. CBS said they only owed a small amount.

In October 2011, a judge did not agree with their claim of fraud. This made it harder to get a lot of money. In July 2012, the actors settled their lawsuit with CBS. Each actor received $65,000. CBS also promised to follow the terms of their contracts in the future.

Personal Life and Passing

In 1987, Erin Moran married Rocky Ferguson. They divorced in 1993. Later that same year, she married Steven Fleischmann.

After Happy Days and Joanie Loves Chachi ended, Moran moved from Los Angeles. She moved to the California mountains. In 1988, she shared that she was struggling with depression. She also found it hard to get new acting roles.

In 2010, her home in California was taken by the bank. This happened after news reports said she had been evicted. She then moved to Indiana to live with her mother-in-law.

On April 22, 2017, Erin Moran passed away at age 56. She died in New Salisbury, Indiana. The cause of her death was complications from stage four squamous cell carcinoma of the throat. Her husband shared that she first had symptoms of throat cancer in late 2016. Her health quickly got worse from that point.

Filmography and Television Appearances

Soundtrack

• Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star (2003) ("Child Stars on Your Television")

Images for kids

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  Erin Moran as Joanie Cunningham in 1976