LOS ANGELES — Director and producer Ron Howard says he's honored to be able to comment on the life of his "American Graffiti" and "Happy Days" co-star Cindy Williams, who died Wednesday at age 75, because "she lived it with a lot of integrity" and he "always respected her."
The two-time Oscar winner broke out on the big screen around the same time as Williams, who was his romantic counterpart in George Lucas' 1973 coming-of-age drama "American Graffiti" and the beloved 1970s sitcom "Happy Days."
The "Beautiful Mind" director and producer told People magazine on Monday that he last connected with Williams in Palm Springs last year after not seeing her for years. He said he "was just so taken by how her intelligence, energy, and sense of humor ... was still in high gear." He added that it's "really a shock to imagine that spark is gone."
