The Tragic Story of Erin Moran From ‘Happy Days’

For many fans, Erin Moran will always be remembered as Joanie Cunningham, Richie’s sassy little sister on Happy Days who eventually got her own spinoff show with her love interest Chachi, played by Scott Baio. Unfortunately, behind the scenes, Moran’s life was full of struggles including lawsuits, divorce and health issues.

Erin Marie Moran was born on October 18, 1960, in Burbank, California, and raised in nearby North Hollywood. One of six children, her mother encouraged her interest in acting from an early age, signing her with a talent agent when she was just five years old. Soon, Moran was appearing in commercials and landing small television parts. By the time she was seven, she was cast in the adventure series Daktari, and later made film appearances alongside stars like Debbie Reynolds in How Sweet It Is!