Cindy Williams of Laverne & Shirley fame dies at age 75

The sitcom star also had roles in films such as George Lucas's American Graffiti and Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation

Cindy Williams, who played Shirley opposite Penny Marshall's Laverne on the popular sitcom Laverne & Shirley, has died, her family said on Monday.

Williams died in Los Angeles at age 75 on Wednesday after a brief illness, her children, Zak and Emily Hudson, said in a statement released through family spokeswoman Liza Cranis.