The lovely, cheery, continuously upbeat All-American mom from the
classic Happy Days (1974) TV sitcom had fervent desires to become an actress while growing up in
her obscure Minnesota town. Born Marian (with an "a") Ross on October 25, 1928, she
grew up in her native state and, at one time, worked as a teenage au
pair in order to earn money for drama lessons at the MacPhail Center in
Minneapolis. The family eventually relocated to San Diego (she was in
her late teens) and Marion attended and graduated from Point Loma High
School.
Changing her stage moniker to Marion (with an "o") Ross because it read
classier to her, the young hopeful enrolled at San Diego State College and
appeared in the theater department's various productions. Graduating in
1950, Marion worked in summer theater in and around the San Diego area,
including the Old Globe Theatre.
Marion managed to land a Paramount Studio contract with the assistance of an old college professor and found a
few unbilled parts to play as various actresses, tourists, and girlfriend
types in a variety of films such as
Die Glenn Miller Story (1954),
Das Geheimnis der Inkas (1954),
Sabrina (1954) and
Schachmatt (1954). At the same time, she
won a regular role as the Irish maid "Nora" in the Victorian TV comedy
Wenn Vater nicht wär... (1953)
which ran a couple of seasons and was headed by
Leon Ames and
Lurene Tuttle. This program happened to be
the first live color series for network Hollywood TV.
Not your conventional leading lady type, Marion landed slightly larger parts in
such movies as
Auch Helden können weinen (1956),
Lizzie (1957),
Reporter der Liebe (1958) and
Unternehmen Petticoat (1959),
but any and all attempts to move further up the Hollywood film ladder
proved a long-lasting frustration.
Marking her Broadway debut in 1958
with a role in "Edwin Booth" starring
José Ferrer, Marion nevertheless
continued to focus on TV work. Throughout the 1960s, she appeared in a
fairly steady amount of shows, both comedies and dramas, including
Vater ist der Beste (1954),
Tausend Meilen Staub (1959),
Route 66 (1960),
The Outer Limits (1963),
Gefährlicher Alltag (1966) and
Drei Mädchen und drei Jungen (1969).
By the end of the decade, however, Marion was still disillusioned, but now
she was divorced from her husband of 18 years, Freeman Meskimen, and
struggling to raise two children. Middle-aged stardom came to her (in
her 46th year) with the nostalgic sitcom series
Happy Days (1974), which arrived
on a wave of 50s popularity triggered by the huge box-office reception
to the film
American Graffiti (1973). The
show starred "Graffiti" lead
Ron Howard and co-starred
Henry Winkler as "The Fonz". Marion was
ideally paired with Tom Bosley, who expertly
played her beleaguered hubby. The series became a certifiable hit and
Marion's ever-pleasant "Marion Cunningham" the new, slightly blended
version of Lucille Ball's ditzy and
Barbara Billingsley's pristine
perfect moms. Two Emmy nominations came Marion's way during the show's
long tenure (ten seasons).
Following the demise of such an exalting hit, many actors often find
themselves either resting on their laurels or witnessing a sad decline
in their career. Not Marion. She continued to pursue her career
assertively and challengingly and the critics kept taking notice. She
earned terrific reviews for her recurring
Love Boat (1977) role in
1986, and enjoyed standard guest turns on
Harrys wundersames Strafgericht (1984),
Macgyver (1985),
Amos Burke (1963) and (the
revived) "Superman".
One of Marion's finest hours on TV occurred with
her role as the obstinate, iron-willed Jewish matriarch in the
Brooklyn Bridge (1991)
series, which neatly deflected any broad, daffy stereotype she might
have incurred from her
Happy Days (1974) role. Irritating
yet ingratiating at the same time, Marion's fine interpretation
garnered the veteran actress two more Emmy nominations. Sadly, a lack
of viewership triggered an abrupt cancellation and deep disappointment
in Marion.
While never making a strong dent in films, an excellent
supporting turn for Marion came in the form of her moving portrayal of
Shirley MacLaine's loyal housekeeper
and confidante in
Jahre der Zärtlichkeit (1996), the
long-awaited sequel to the Oscar-winning
Zeit der Zärtlichkeit (1983).
Critics predicted an Academy Award nomination for the actress but,
surprisingly, it did not pan out.
Other films over the years have included
Colossus (1970);
Gib Gas... und laßt euch nicht erwischen (1977), which
starred Happy Days (1974) son
Ron Howard (who also made his
directorial debut); and, more recently,
Music Within (2007) and the silly
spoof Superhero Movie (2008).
During her post-"Happy Days" years, Marion reinvigorated her career on the
stage. As a result, she earned renewed acclaim and respect for her
roles in "Arsenic and Old Lace" (which brought her back to Broadway),
"Steel Magnolias", "Long Day's Journey Into Night", "The Glass
Menagerie", "Pippin" and "Barefoot in the Park", among others. She also
toured with her one-woman show as poet
Edna St. Vincent Millay entitled
"A Lovely Light".
On TV, Marion found recurring flinty-like roles on Die wilden Siebziger (1998) (as Grandma Forman), Ein Hauch von Himmel (1994) (a fifth Emmy nomination), Die Drew Carey Show (1995), Gilmore Girls (2000) (as Gloria Gilmore), and Brothers & Sisters (2006), as well as guest parts on "Nurse Jackie," "Grey's Anatomy," "Anger Management," "Two and a Half Men," "Hot in Cleveland," "Chasing Life" and "The Odd Couple." Primarily involved in voice work into the millennium, she has provided voices for such animated shows as "Family Guy," "King of the Hill," "Scooby-Doo!" and "Guardians of the Galaxy," while also voicing the recurring roles of Grandma SquarePants in SpongeBob Schwammkopf (1999) and Mrs. Lopart in Meister Mannys Werkzeugkiste (2006).
Into her nonagenarian years and still active, Marion was more recently featured in the old-fashioned comedy/fantasy Angels on Tap (2018). The ever-vital octogenarian continues to reside at her country-style home she calls the "Happy Days Farm" in California's San Fernando Valley.
