Laverne & Shirley actor Cindy Williams dies aged 75

(Charles Sykes, File/AP)

Cindy Williams, who was among the most recognisable US stars in the 1970s and 80s for her role opposite Penny Marshall’s Laverne on the beloved sitcom Laverne & Shirley, has died, her family said.

Williams died in Los Angeles at age 75 on Wednesday after a brief illness, her children, Zak and Emily Hudson, said in a statement released through family spokeswoman Liza Cranis.