The Oscar-winning “A Beautiful Mind” filmmaker told the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday that his “American Graffiti” co-star’s death is going to “leave a little void” and shared he was hoping to collaborate with the “Laverne & Shirley” actor once more.
“I’d always hoped that a part would come along that I could cast her in and we can sort of complete this cycle of working together in our careers with me behind the camera, and the right role never came along,” he said in a phone interview. “I always assumed it would, and it makes me a little sad to know that we’ll never have that chance.”
Williams, who died in Los Angeles on Wednesday after a brief illness, first worked with Howard on George Lucas‘ “American Graffiti.” They portrayed teenage lovebirds in the 1973 film, and in the following years they both appeared on the TV series “Happy Days,” “Laverne & Shirley” and “Love, American Style.”
Those were the days before Howard, 68, turned his focus to behind-the-camera work.
Howard told The Times he would have liked to cast Williams in a role that highlighted her “complexity and range.”
“I would have tried to find something, a character full of surprises where you kind of think she’s one thing and it turns out there’s more than you might have guessed,” he said. “I think she had the capacity to shift gears and tones on a dime. I was always looking for something where I had a character where I could take advantage of that.”
Like his fellow “Happy Days” cast member Henry Winkler and other Hollywood peers, Howard remembered Williams for her talent, honesty, graciousness and authenticity. He also praised Williams for her professionalism and work ethic.
“I saw in Cindy a first glimpse of this new generation of a woman asserting herself and her potential to have creative control over the work that she was doing,” he said. “She was quiet about it. She was polite about it. She was civil but committed to asserting herself in that way, and that was impressive to me.”
Howard never got to reunite with Williams for one last project, but he said she leaves behind years’ worth of memorable performances.
“We as fans and those who worked with her know that she had many moments that will stand the test of time,” he said, “whether that’s in drama, or the brilliant physical comedies that she and Penny Marshall created together.”