Garry Marshall dead at 81, according to reports

Marshall died at 5 p.m. local time (0000 GMT) in Burbank, California, from complications of pneumonia after a stroke, his representative Michelle Bega told USA Today.

Marshall directed several films through the 1990s and 2000s, including “The Princess Diaries” and “Runaway Bride”.

Marshall was a joke writer for “The Tonight Show with Jack Paar” and later developed Neil Simon’s play “The Odd Couple” for television with stars Tony Randall and Jack Klugman.

Marshall directed almost 20 films, including Young Doctors in Love, Beaches, Overboard, The Princess Diaries, The Other Sister, and New Year’s Eve.

In the early 60s he moved to Hollywood, where he worked on “The Dick Van Dyke Show”, “The Joey Bishop Show”, “The Danny Thomas Show” and “The Lucy Show”, with writing and producing partner, Jerry Belson.

A recipient of two WGA career honors – the Valentine Davies Award and Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award – Marshall also co-created and wrote the classic 1970s comedies as Happy Days spinoffs Laverne & Shirley and Mork & Mindy.

Garry Marshall has passed away at 81.

“Marshall’s sister, actress Penny Marshall, starred as Laverne DeFazio in Laverne & Shirley”. The successful sit-com drew several Emmy nominations over the course of its five seasons. He was given the Producers Guild of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award in Television in 1998 and inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Science’s Hall of Fame in 1997. Thank you for my professional life.