Erin Moran, who played Joanie Cunningham on "Happy Days" and on the "Joanie Loves Chachi" spinoff in the early 1980s, has died, according to news reports Saturday.
She was 56, TMZ reports. No cause of death was disclosed.
Moran was 13 when she premiered in the fall of 1974 as the younger sister of Richie Cunningham, played by Ron Howard.
The comedy, set in 1950s Milwaukee, also included Tom Bosley, Marion Ross, Anson Williams, Donny Most and Henry Winkler.
"Happy Days" continued until 1984.
She continued in the role with Scott Baio on "Joanie Loves Chachi," but after it was canceled after a year in 1983, she returned to "Happy Days" for its final season.
Baio's character was also introduced on "Happy Days."
But in recent years, Moran fell on tough times – in part because of alcoholism – and eventually ended up living in an Indiana trailer park.
She reportedly was kicked out of the mobile home with her husband, Steve Fleischmann, after the couple ran out of money.
Moran's first acting roles were as a child on "Gunsmoke" in the 1960s before landing the role of Jenny Jones in "Daktari," which ran from 1966 to 1969.
In movies, she first appeared with Debbie Reynolds in "How Sweet It Is" in 1968. Other films include "80 Steps to Jonah" in 1969 and "Watermelon Man" the following year.
Moran also appeared on such TV programs as "The Don Rickles Show," "The Courtship of Eddie's Father," "My Three Sons" and "Family Affair."
Later TV work included "Celebrity Fit Club," the VH-1 reality show – and rumors that she would be reunited with several "Happy Days" co-stars for the Netflix series "Arrested Development" did not come to fruition.
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