Actor Al Molinaro died Friday in Glendale, California, his son Michael Molinaro said.
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The 1950s-set comedy centred around teenager Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard), his friends – which included The Fonz (Henry Winkler) and his family. The series ran from 1974 to 1984 and Molinaro appeared in over 140 episodes. He made a return to the small screen in the same role on the show’s spinoff, Joanie Loves Chachi.
Al Molinaro, the loveable character actor known to millions from hit shows Happy Days and The Odd Couple, has died. His character played poker with Tony Randall’s Felix Unger and Jack Klugman’s Oscar Madison in 73 episodes between 1970 and 1975, according to IMDb.
In the mid 90s the band Weezer put him in their Buddy Holly music video. He also filmed commercials.
– After Happy Days went off the air, Molinaro and his cast-mate Anson Williams opened a chain of diners called Big Al’s.
Molinaro’s acting career started in the 1950s, but he really found his niche in 1969, when he came to Get Smart to play Agent 44. His son Michael told TMZ that Molinaro decided not to have surgery.
“I spent 20 years here before I got anything going, and from that I got lucky”, he said.
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He is survived by his son, who confirmed his passing, and his second wife Betty.
