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Cindy Williams

Cindy Williams

Actor, also producer · Died January 25, 2023, aged 75 · Los Angeles, California, USA

Cynthia Jane "Cindy" Williams (August 22, 1947 - January 25, 2023) was an American actress best known for starring in the television situation-comedy series Laverne & Shirley, in the role of "Shirley Feeney". Although praised for her portrayal of Shirley, she left the show after the 2nd episode of the show's eighth and final season. She is also known for her role as Laurie Henderson in the classic film American Graffiti. Description above from the Wikipedia article Cindy Williams, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 22, 1947
Died
January 25, 2023 (aged 75)
From
Los Angeles, California, USA
Works as
Actor, also producer
Titles
38 on MovieCove · 64 credits in all
TMDB popularity, last 63 days to Oct 26Up 3% in 30 days

What are Cindy Williams' films like?

Across their 27 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

What they feel like to watch

their average across 27 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category

Light 20 · Serious 3 · Dark 4

A split, not a type: Grounded 15 · Stylized 9 · Heightened 3

A split, not a type: Gentle 13 · Charged 10 · Intense 4

Steady 16 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 3

Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 12 · Funny 10

Slow burn 13 · Even-paced 14 · Relentless 0

Casual 14 · Engaged 12 · Full focus 1

Resolved 21 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 2

Roles they play

6 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 4 of 6 analyzed roles.

Ally
4 of 6
Hero
1 of 6
Herald
1 of 6

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Warm
11
Joyful
11
Tense
9
Contemplative
7
Absurd
6
Other
24

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy15
  • Bittersweet8
  • Ambiguous4

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Cindy Williams' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 27 of their 38 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (11).

Subscription and free streaming for Cindy Williams' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

64 credits, 38 with a MovieCove page; 20 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Menopause The Musical: Live from Las Vegas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Actor

  • Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
  • A Dream of Christmas(2016)

    as Jayne (the angel)

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
  • The Odd Couple(2015)

    Show 1 episode · as Vivian

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all shows
  • Sam & Cat(2013)

    Show 1 episode · as Janice Dobbins

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all shows
  • Strawberry Summer(2012)

    as Ruth Yates

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
  • Stealing Roses (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    as Rose

  • Classic TV Bloopers Uncensored (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    as Shirley (archive footage)

  • Mascot Prep (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    as Additional Voice

  • Drive(2007)

    Show 2 episodes · as House Mother

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows
  • The Legend of William Tell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Jillian

  • Empire of Dreams(2004)

    as Princess Leia

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
  • Less Than Perfect(2002)

    Show 1 episode · as Joan

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all shows
  • 8 Simple Rules(2002)

    Show 2 episodes · as Mary Ellen

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all shows
  • Girlfriends(2000)

    Show 2 episodes · as Lisa James

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows
  • Law & Order: Special Victims Unit(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Nora Hodges

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows
  • Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
  • Meet Wally Sparks(1997)

    as Emily Preston

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films
  • 7th Heaven(1996)

    Show 1 episode · as Vice Principal Val

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all shows
  • The Stepford Husbands (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Dr. Caroline Knox

  • Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
  • Hope and Gloria (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 1 episode · as Connie Carlucci

  • Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
  • Touched by an Angel(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Claire

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all shows
  • The Magic School Bus(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Gerri Poveri (voice)

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows
  • Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Wandamae

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all shows
  • Getting By (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 31 episodes · as Cathy Hale

  • Father of the Bride(1991)

    Co-Producer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
  • Bingo(1991)

    as Natalie Devlin

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
  • Earth Angel(1991)

    as Judith

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
  • Menu for Murder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Connie Mann

  • Normal Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Show 13 episodes · Actor

  • Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
  • Big Man on Campus(1989)

    as Diane Girard

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
  • Rude Awakening (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as June Margolin

  • Just Like Family (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 5 episodes · as Lisa Burk

  • Tricks of the Trade(1988)

    as Catherine

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
  • Save the Dog! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Becky

  • The Leftovers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Heather Drew

  • Help Wanted: Kids (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Lisa Burke

  • When Dreams Come True (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Susan Matthews

  • UFOria (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Arlene Stewart

  • Spaceship (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Annie McHugh

  • Laverne & Shirley in the Army (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Show 13 episodes · as Shirley Feeney

  • More American Graffiti(1979)

    as Laurie Bolander

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films
  • Suddenly, Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Regina Malloy

  • Happy Birthday, Las Vegas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Actor

  • CHiPs(1977)

    Show 2 episodes · as Cindy Williams (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all shows
  • Laugh-In (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 2 episodes · as Guest Performer (uncredited)

  • Laverne & Shirley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 178 episodes · as Shirley Feeney

  • Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
  • Mr. Ricco(1975)

    as Jamison

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
  • Petrocelli (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Show 1 episode · as Carol Janssen

  • The Conversation(1974)

    as Ann

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
  • The Killing Kind(1973)

    as Lori

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
  • The Migrants(1974)

    as Betty

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
  • Happy Days(1974)

    Show 5 episodes · as Shirley Feeney

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows
  • American Graffiti(1973)

    as Laurie Henderson

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
  • Travels with My Aunt(1972)

    as Tooley

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
  • Son of Blob(1972)

    as Randy's Girlfriend

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films
  • The Funny Side (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 14 episodes · as Teenage Wife

  • Drive, He Said(1971)

    as Manager's Girlfriend

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
  • Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films
  • Love, American Style (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 1 episode · as Karen Brown

Career shape

Star power in the 96th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 63 titles from 1969 to 2020; peak year 1990.

Film career

19692020

Peak 1990 · back in prominent film roles after a quiet stretch. Top draw in 3 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting61 of 63: 61 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score47thProducing2 of 63: 2 only producing, 0 with another role

By decade

1960s1 · acting1970s19 · acting1980s11 · acting1990s18 · 16 acting · 2 crew2000s6 · acting2010s7 · acting2020s1 · acting

Billing

usually 4th · top billed in 14% of 14 roles
7075

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Cindy Williams' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 47th percentile, the median of all 25; across their 27 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 52nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

52ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Approval · how many liked their films

49thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Reach · how many have seen their films

55thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Midcredits score across 38 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 50th to 74th10
  • 25th to 49th14
  • Below 25th8

Shape of the crowd

18 of their 38 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Universally Panned1
  • Cult Classic3
  • Crowd Pleaser10
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed18

Reviewers score the acting 66/100 in their films, across 23 reviewed titles; fans 76, detractors 43. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Cindy Williams' work okay for kids?

Across up to 7 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore and frightening / intense run lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore5 titles2–45 · median 15 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity7 titles28–55 · median 37 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity5 titles17–56 · median 31 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs5 titles27–39 · median 30 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense5 titles4–47 · median 13 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Cindy Williams work with?

People who share at least 2 of Cindy Williams' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Ron Howard shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles