Happy Days actress Marion Ross celebrated her 97th birthday in style, after receiving a special shout-out from her former co-star, Henry Winkler, much to the delight of their fans. The veteran actress, who portrayed matriarch Marion Cunningham in the hit series, was pictured blowing out candles on a pavlova cake, with her son, Jim Meskimen, by her side. “My mom and yours, Marion Ross, turns 97 today! She loves you, too!” he wrote in the caption, prompting an outpouring of love from her adoring fans.
“Happy, happy, happy 97th birthday to our forever TV mom, Marion Ross! You will always be Mrs. C, the heart and soul of Happy Days. Hope your day is filled with good times and lots of sweet memories,” wrote one fan, while another added, “Happy 97th to a true original!” A third fan chimed in, “Everyone’s mom. Happy birthday!” while another declared, “Lookin’ good Mrs. C!!!”
Marion, who portrayed the character from 1974 to 1984, received a special tribute from Henry Winkler on X, with the iconic actor sharing a photo of her taken two years prior. “A magnificent woman, artist and friend. HAPPY B DAY Marion…love, Henry,” he wrote.
Henry portrayed the loveable greaser Arthur “The Fonz” Fonzarelli in the show, alongside Ron Howard as Richie Cunningham, Anson Williams as Potsie, Don Most as Ralph Malph, the late Tom Bosley as Howard Cunningham, and the late Erin Moran as Joanie Cunningham.
Marion cemented herself as everyone’s favorite TV mom during her time on the show, before going on to star in projects like Brooklyn Bridge, The Evening Star, That ’70s Show, The Drew Carey Show and Gilmore Girls. Her most recent credit was in the SpongeBob SquarePants TV series in 2024.
The red-headed star previously opened up about her time on the show with Pasadena Weekly, sharing that she worked hard to make her character a key player. “When the show started, the mother was very unimportant and had a very small part,” she recalled. “When we did the table read, they’d say, ‘Marion, read all the female parts.'”
© Bob D’Amico“I was constantly auditioning for those writers and showing them what I could do, and my part kept getting better and better,” she continued. “My advice to young actors is, don’t pout over not having enough lines. Keep auditioning for those writers.”
© Getty ImagesShe then credited the show’s longevity to the cast’s stellar performances. “Happy Days lasted because the Fonz absolutely took off, and because in those days, we didn’t have so many TV shows to choose from,” Marion told the publication. “Kids would watch Happy Days on Tuesday nights and go and talk about it at school the next day. Over 11 seasons, I watched the boys in the cast grow up, get married, have children, and buy homes. Their whole young lives were with us.”
© Disney General Entertainment ConThe Happy Days cast has reunited several times since the show ended in 1984, with their most recent appearance being at the FanX convention in Salt Lake City, Utah. Henry, Anson and Donny posed for pictures with fans at the event, before Anson shared how special the moment was for the trio.
© Facebook“So much fun when fans get dressed up for the photo ops. These ladies looked fantastic. The next Happy Days Reunion is Oct 17-19 at the Big Texas Comic Con. Come out and say hello,” he wrote on social media.
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