Real-Life Couples of 'Happy Days': Cast Romances, Marriages and Surprises! (2024)

Classic TV

One on-screen relationship became real, and the Fonz has been married for more than 45 years. Ayyyy!

ByEd Gross

Real-Life Couples of 'Happy Days': Cast Romances, Marriages and Surprises! (1)

Happy Dayswas one of the biggest comedy hits on TV in the 1970s, not only tapping into that decade’s obsession with ’50s nostalgia, but capturing the hearts and imaginations of millions of viewers during its 11 season run between 1974 and 1984. It featured beloved characters that were invited into their homes week after week, whether it was the friendship between Ron Howard’s Richie and Henry Winkler‘s Fonzie, interactions of the Cunningham family or the growing romance between Erin Moran’s Joanie and Scott Baio’s Chachi. And the deeper the connection fans felt with them, the more they began to wonder if any of the Happy Dayscast experienced real-life romances and, if so, who the off-screen couples were.

The real-life romance of Erin Moran and Scott Baio

As it turns out, there was only one on-screen connection that bled over into real life and that was between Erin Moran and Scott Baio. Erin had bee a part of the show from the beginning, playing kid sister to Richie and daughter of Marion and Howard Cunningham (Marion Ross and Tom Bosley), while Scott was cast as Fonzie’s cousin in season 5. Chachi was instantly attracted to Joanie, though at first she couldn’t stand him and it actually took until season 7 before they started to date. After that romantic element was added, the popularity of their relationship resulted in the 1982 to 1983 spinoff, Joanie Loves Chachi, though the actors and characters eventually came back to Happy Dayswhere they had their ups and downs. They were married in the series finale.

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America certainly felt the connection between Erin and Scott, and the duo did as well, deciding to date each other briefly during the late 1970s. But their off-screen “relationship,” if you want to call it that, didn’t last very long and after a few dates, they decided to keep it professional off-camera.

Real-Life Couples of 'Happy Days': Cast Romances, Marriages and Surprises! (3)

Ron Howard’s on-screen love story

On camera, the first long-lasting relationship on Happy Days was the one between Ron Howard (all grown up from his days as Opie Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show) as Richie and Lynda Goodfriend as Lori Beth Allen, who began dating in season 5. Things continued even after Ron left the series at the conclusion of season 7, the explanation for Richie’s disappearance being that he was in the army, but he and Lori Beth got married — over the phone — in season 8.

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Real-Life Couples of 'Happy Days': Cast Romances, Marriages and Surprises! (6)

Fonzie’s many romances

Fonzie dated many, many … many women over the course of the series, but when the show reached season 10, it looked like the Fonz was ready to settle down when he met single mom Ashley Pfister (Linda Purl), with his becoming a father figure to her daughter, Heather (the late Heather O’Rourke from the Poltergeistfilms). Unfortunately, that relationship didn’t make it to the end ofHappy Days‘ run.

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Off-screen love stories of the ‘Happy Days’ cast

So while there weren’t many long-lasting romantic relationships in the show itself, in contrast, most of the Happy Dayscast did find love — in some instances multiple times — in their personal lives, and you can see them and their significant others in the images that follow. And there’s no need to thank us — it’s what we do. Ayyyyyy!

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  1. Ron Howard and Cheryl Alley

    Ron Howard married Cheryl Alley at the Magnolia Park United Methodist Church in Burbank, California on June 7, 1975. From left to right, Happy Days co-stars Don Most (Ralph Malph) and Anson Williams (Potsie Webber), the bride and groom, and co-star Tom Bosley.

  2. 2002

    Director Ron Howard and his wife Cheryl attend the 59th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 20, 2002.

  3. 2013

    Ron and Cheryl attend the World Premiere of Rush at Odeon Leicester Square on September 2, 2013 in London, England.

  4. 2024

    Ron and Cheryl Howard arrive at the world premiere of Eden at the Roy Thomson Hall during the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 7, 2024 in Toronto, Canada.

  5. Henry Winkler and Stacey Weitzman

    Henry Winkler, wearing a tuxedo and bow tie, and his partner, Stacey Weitzman, who wears a black jacket over a black button-front waistcoat with a white top and white cravat, attend the 34th Golden Globe Awards, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, January 29, 1977.

  6. 1978

    Henry Winkler and Stacey Weitzman get married in 1978 in New York City.

  7. 1985

    Henry and wife Stacey pose for a portrait, Los Angeles, California, circa 1985.

  8. 2016

    Henry Winkler and his wife, Stacey Winkler, attend the Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters Lifetime Achievement Awards Ceremony for Henry Winkler at Sportsmens Lodge on January 29, 2016 in Studio City, California.

  9. 2024

    (L-R) Henry Winkler, Zoe Winkler Reinis and This is About Humanity Co-Founder Stacey Weitzman attend the TIAH 6th Anniversary Soiree on August 24, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.

  10. Anson Williams and Lorrie Mahaffey

    Anson Williams attends an event with his wife Lorrie Mahaffey in 1980 in Los Angeles, California. The duo were married from 1978 until 1986.

  11. Anson Williams and Jackie Gerken

    Anson Williams and his second wife, Jackie Gerken, 1993. They were together from 1988 until 2019.

  12. Anson Williams and Sharon MaHarry

    Anson Williams and third wife Sharon MaHarry attend the Thalians annual Winter Gala honoring Gary Sinise with the 2023 Mr. Wonderful Award at Brentwood Country Club on December 02, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. That was the same year that that Anson and Sharon were married.

  13. Don Most and Morgan Hart

    Don Most and Morgan Hart Circa 1980's. The duo have actually been married since 1982.

  14. 1999

    Don Most and wife Morgan at the Los Angeles premiere of Ron Howard's 1999 movie EdTV.

  15. 2008

    (L-R) Actor Don Most, his wife Morgan Hart, actor Michael J. Fox, and his wife Tracy Pollan pose during the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research Poker Fundraiser held at Social Hollywood on May 8, 2008 in Los Angeles, California.

  16. 2016

    Don Most and Morgan Most attend The Dream Builders Project 3rd Annual 'A Brighter Future For Children' Charity Gala at Taglyan Cultural Complex on March 3, 2016 in Hollywood, California.

  17. Erin Moran and Steven Fleischmann

    Erin Moran and husband Steven Fleischmann back in 2007 during the arrivals for the LG Mobile Phones Presents "Mobile TV Party" to celebrate the launch of the LG VX9400 in Los Angeles, California.Erin married Steven in 1993 and was with him until her untimely death at age 56 on April 22, 2017.Prior to that, she had been married to Rocky Ferguson from 1987 to 1993.

  18. Marion Ross and Paul Michael

    Marion Ross and second husband Paul Michael during a performance of "Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks" dedicated to Jack Lemmon at Geffen Playhouse in Westwood, California. They were married from 1988 until his death in 2011.Previously, Marion had been married to Freeman Meskimen from 1951 until 1969.

  19. Tom Bosley and Patricia Carr

    Tom Bosley (Howard Cunningham) with his second wife, Patricia Carr, with whom he got married in 1990. Previously he had been married to Jean Eliot from 1962 until her death in 1978.

  20. 2010

    Actor Tom Bosley and his wife actress Patricia Carr arrive at the premiere of The Back-up Plan in Westwood, California, on April 21, 2010.

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  • Classic TV,
  • entertainment,
  • real-life tv couples

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