Linda Purl Reflects on ‘Happy Days,’ Anson Williams and Life With Patrick Duffy (EXCLUSIVE)
The star looks back on ‘Happy Days’ and shares why her relationship with Patrick Duffy works so well
Linda Purl still gets recognized for playing Ashley Pfister, the lucky lady who was able to capture Fonzie’s heart in season 10 of the hit series, Happy Days. It’s a role the actress is forever grateful for because it led to lifelong friendships that also continue to blossom professionally. Beginning on March 26th, Purl will be starring in Crazy Mama, the one-woman play based on the true story from Sharon Scott Williams’ award-winning memoir that chronicles her mother’s crippling experience with mental illness.
Williams is married to Purl’s former Happy Days co-star Anson Williams (Potsie Weber), who is the director of the production. The show runs until April 6th at the Rubicon Theatre Company in Ventura, California, and Woman’s World got an exclusive preview plus a behind-the-scenes look into Purl’s remarkable Hollywood life.
Woman’s World: You are in a new one-woman play called, “Crazy Mama” where you portray a woman with 16 different personalities.
Linda Purl: I do and I have a 64-page monologue to memorize, which is both thrilling and daunting at the same time. One of my favorite things about this play is how it is at this stage of life that circles back to itself. Anson Williams, my Happy Days co-star and dear friend of 50 years, is the director.
WW: Speaking of Anson Williams, his wife also plays a big part in Crazy Mama?
Linda Purl: Yes. When Sharon was younger her mother had a psychotic breakdown and Sharon kept a journal of what that was like, what she experienced, what mental illness did to her family, the scars it caused and the resilience behind building back. As an actress, I feel so connected to the material because it is so well-written.
WW: The monologue you mentioned, is that intimidating or challenging as an actor?
Linda Purl: You have to tell yourself you can. Your brain is a muscle that you need to exercise and train before you do it. Something like this might take a little more effort, but I love the challenge of accomplishing it. At this stage of my career, I want to do things that are meaningful, have a message and some wisdom behind it.
WW: As you prepare to take center stage and continue to bring mental health into the spotlight, is it something you’ve ever experienced and, if so, will that be channeled into this role?
Linda Purl: I have dealt with depression in my own life, and I was fortunate enough to get through it. There were depths of my soul I would never have known had I not gone through that experience. Going through this also gave me a level of compassion I did not have before I sat in that dark place. I feel empathically for anyone who is going through something that is making them sad. In my case, it was due to stress from a particular phase of my life. Through prayer and two close friends who were with me, I was able to climb out of it. I can tell you this, no matter how awful the circumstances are, it is not the end of the story.
WW: In Crazy Mama you reunite with your Happy Days co-star Anson Williams, who is the show’s director. Tell me about that.
Linda Purl: I am in denial that it has been 50 years since we did that show. Anson has maintained a wonderful acting career, directed me on several TV projects and been a close friend. There is a calmness that comes when I work with him that comes from the grace of time of knowing someone like him has gone through the many chapters of our lives. There’s also a trust between us and, going into a project like this with this type of material, that trust will be particularly useful since we have no ice to break. It was broken a long time ago.
WW: When you and Anson are together, do you like to reminisce about the series?
Linda Purl: We do. We mostly talk about how grateful we are for being a part of it. No conversation about Happy Days goes without mentioning the great Garry Marshall. Garry launched so many people’s careers. He was the real deal. He was a gentleman, smart, talented and saw the whole picture. He knew what the writers, the director, the crew and the actors needed, and he carried all of us on his broad shoulders. Garry was a remarkable man and mentor. We also talk a lot about Jerry Paris, who directed a lot of Happy Days episodes.
WW: Do you have a favorite memory?
Linda Purl: The longest-standing gift of that series is the web of friendship between all the boys, Marion Ross and everybody who brought that show to life. Cathy Silvers (who played Jenny Piccalo) has remained a dear friend of mine. We all keep tabs on one another even though we are not in the daily weave of each other’s lives. Donny Most (who played Ralph Malph) and I have done concerts together for the past 15 years. I think these close friendships are because of the atmosphere Garry built. It was a happy home and even with the separation of time, the bonds remain strong.
WW: Do you still speak to your on-screen boyfriend, Henry Winkler (The Fonz)?
Linda Purl: We do. We check in with one another from time to time and see each other at autograph shows.
WW: Unlike most of the cast, who had one role, you played two different characters in the program.
Linda Purl: Originally, I was first on the show as Richie Cunningham’s (Ron Howard) girlfriend in a recurring role. When Ron left the series all the ancillary characters were out of a job. Many years later they had put out a casting call for Fonzie’s fiancé. I asked if I could audition and when I got the part, it felt like a homecoming.
WW: So, no trepidation about going back?
Linda Purl: What was intimidating was when I joined the cast of The Office, because that was a show I joined late into their remarkable success. I did not know what to expect when I walked onto the set [for] my first day of filming. They were great and I felt immediately at home because that is how they were, and the vibe was very much like the Happy Days set.
WW: On Happy Days you portrayed a single mom, which was unheard of in those days, and your character got Fonzie, a ladies’ man, to commit.
Linda Purl: I never thought of it in those terms. That was all Garry and their willingness to do that. Garry had a view into the human condition. He was interested in humans and trends, and it was like he kept his finger on the pulse or ahead of the curve.
WW: As you celebrate 50 years of Happy Days and so many friendships, do you also still think about your TV daughter Heather O’Rourke, who sadly passed away in 1988 at the age of 12 years old?
Linda Purl: It was devastating for everyone, and we were all in shock. It still makes no sense. She was a sweet, darling girl. We became closer than we would have if we just did our scenes together, because her mother was a single mom who lived far away from the studio, worked full-time and was also tending to her other child. It was very easy to have Heather spend a few nights with me. Heather and I would make dinner; I would read her stories and tuck her in at night. She was a great little girl. I was so honored her mother would entrust me with Heather. I think it also helped us on the set, having that extra time together.
WW: You have a long resume of performing on stage, on TV and you have starred alongside some big names such as Shaun Cassidy, Steve Carrell, Andy Griffith, Angela Landsbury – just to name a few. You must have a great memory or story to share about them?
Linda Purl: My favorite Steve Carrell story was when Steve was at the end of his contract for The Office and was given a big movie role offer. He was not obligated to re-sign with the series, but he knew the show was a hit and a lot of its success rested on his shoulders. He turned the movie down; came back to The Office and said he would give them a year to figure out how he could leave the show. He did that because he was worried about everyone else. I have never heard of anyone turning down an opportunity like that, one that may never come again, in order to save everybody’s jobs. This was a tremendous act of loyalty.
Andy Griffith was one of the most interesting people I have met. He was full of surprises. He was intellectually brilliant and charming, but he also had a dark side. Overall, I would say he was incredibly talented, but a complex character.
Angela Landsbury: She was really one of the greatest. She once said, if anyone in the crew wants to move up into the next level of the union, she saw to it that it happened. Someone on the crew wanted to be a writer and gave Angela a script. She submitted it and he became a member of The Writer’s Guild.
WW: How do you continue to challenge yourself at this stage of your life both personally and professionally?
Linda Purl: I remember I went to an interview to study with Robert Lewis, who taught at Yale. He came to California to teach a six-week class and to get into the class you first had to go through an interview process. Get this, the person who walked out before my interview was Anne Bancroft. Yes, as in the Anne Bancroft. When I came into the room, he told me he asked Anne Bancroft why she was here and why she wanted to study with him. She replied, “I am just beginning to learn about the craft.” I will never forget that because she was right, you always keep learning and there is never any end. There is always a challenge. There is always a learning curve and the fact I get to continue doing something I love, I am grateful for. Music is also a big part of that. While acting will always be my first love, over the last few years music has become increasingly important.
WW: Why does singing bring you a different form of gratification?
Linda Purl: I don’t know, maybe because you are involved in the making of harmony. You feel that and it is physically challenging. You have to do your scales, memorize your songs and I love the discipline of it. I also get to express myself differently. For example, with the concerts you are interacting with the audience, so it’s a more playful exchange and in some ways interactive, whereas in a play you are in your own world. You climb into the rocket ship and there you go. My next concert is in Del Ray Florida in February, then in Los Angeles in the Spring and Minneapolis. They happen about every six weeks and next year I will begin working on my new album.
WW: Off-screen you were briefly married to Desi Arnaz Jr., and his famous mother Lucille Ball gave you her blessing. What was it like to be embraced by an icon such as Ms. Ball?
Linda Purl: That is nice. I loved her dearly. She was very supportive of us and me.
WW: You are currently dating Patrick Duffy, and your relationship was built on a combination of a chance encounter and technology.
Linda Purl: Believe me, we were just as surprised as anyone. Patrick and I were acquaintances for 40 years. We met in 1980, then again in 2000 and then four and a half years ago. I was living in New York at the time. Anyway, the story goes, we have a mutual friend, Richard Thomas, and when I ran into Patrick, I made a comment about Patrick doing a play in London with Richard and how I lost touch with Richard.
Then I asked if he could please give Richard my information. Next thing you know, the three of us are chatting back and forth, which was fun. Then the Pandemic hit, and I moved out of New York. Patrick, and I started to text and FaceTime and then we were Zooming every night. We did this for about three months and by that time it seemed pretty clear we were turning a corner. So, one day Patrick got into his car from Oregon where he was living and drove to Colorado where I was and that was that.
WW: You both also appeared on The Bold & The Beautiful together.
Linda Purl: We did. We also did a movie together in Canada during the lockdown. We got there and the first thing they did was shove a stick up your nose to test you for Covid—and then you were sent to your room for two weeks. At first, we thought this could be a disaster and it could end everything for us. Turns out we had the best time. We made silly home movies and never stopped laughing. I remember there was a seagull that would always come to our balcony, and I would play music. The time just flew by. Patrick and I also went on a tour of England for seven months with this wonderful English cast. We would go to different theaters that were gorgeous jewel boxes. That was also a bonding experience. I mean we are 24/7 between working together and spending our free time together. We also work on a company together.
WW: We’re listening…..
Linda Purl: Patrick’s family had a sourdough starter business for approximately 70 years. When Patrick became an adult, Patrick developed The Duffy’s Dough Dehydrated Sourdough Starter Kit and gave the profits to different charities.
Today, we are both working on re-tweaking the business and will have some announcements coming out soon about the direction and new things we are working on. We love doing this together. We are learning about what it takes to run a business and how to grow from the mistakes we make as we run up the mountain.
WW: Why is this relationship with Patrick different?
Linda Purl: You don’t sweat the small stuff at this stage of life. You want to be a part of something that can make a difference, and it is lovely to cultivate things that allow you to stay in the game, learn and grow. Without a doubt, age and time on the planet serve us well.
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