DeepBlue
04-27-2009, 01:25 PM
Erin Moran is still best known for playing Joanie Cunningham on the long-running series ‘Happy Days‘, but apparently the veneer of happiness didn’t always define her days afterward. At a recent tribute to Patrick Swayze for the movie ‘Jump,’ which opened the Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival this week, Erin shared a few glimpses into her latest project, her work-in-progress autobiography, Happy Days, Depressing Nights.
Erin, it seems like brutal honesty is your specialty?
Yes. Yes it very much is.
‘Happy Days, Depressing Nights’ is a great title.
It’s my acting career which was fan-frikkin’-tastic.
Can you give highlights of your career and the book long the way?
One of my favorites was ‘Daktari’ (a TV series from 1966 about a vet in Africa) because it was with animals. I’ve been working since I was five! And then ‘Happy Days’, of course. Then the trials and tribulations of intimidation.
In acting, you mean?
No, oh gosh no. In schooling, with kids. And how hard it was. I never got a date.
You never got a date — you have to be kidding, that’s very hard to believe — were you shy?
No. But I became more shy. I don’t get it either, but it’s okay.
How did you get on Happy Days?
I went for the interview and another girl got it. I didn’t get it. Then Anson Williams and I did a film a few years earlier. I had worked with Garry Marshall when I was five. And Kay Lenz said ‘I worked with Erin Moran, she’s great.’ Then there was some discrepancy with the actress they had hired. And because Anson had the same agent as me since I was five, Anson said ‘Erin Moran.’ And I went to this big office with my dad. We walked out of there. I said ‘did I get it?’ And my dad said ‘yeah, you did.’
From all of your experience growing up on Happy Days, could you shake Joanie in your private life? This iconic TV show?
I loved it. I’m very blessed. Back then, in the 80’s — I was called “Joanie, Joanie” (by fans). Now it’s like ‘you’re Erin Moran, Erin Moran from Happy Days!’
Do you have an all-time favorite episode?
My favorite episode is when I want to become a ‘Leather’ with Leather Tuscadero. I wanted to run away and become a Leather; actually a ‘Suede’, sorry. Ron Howard and I had a scene in Arnold’s. We’re walking out, he says ‘you can’t run away.’ We did this scene for a week, then he turned to me during the actual (live) taping of the show and said something — and I started crying. I started crying, and I went ‘okay’…
You’re almost crying just talking about it; did he muff a line? Throw you a curve, ad lib?
No. No. It was a moment. What happened with all of us was like we were this family. It was so surreal with all the cast members. There was another moment where we forgot we were doing scenes. We forgot we were acting. They were my family, get it?
How did you pull out of that scene?
I did my lines for that scene, we walked out of Arnold’s. Ron said to me ‘are you okay?’ I went ‘yeah, I’m fine, I’m fine.’
But you were not okay, or ten years later you were not okay?
No. I was fine. But it was just so surreal. I talked to Ron about it later. It’s a family; he’s my brother, like my family.
See a ‘Happy Days’ photo gallery.
Did you want to go on straight films after Happy Days; what was your vision for your own career after the show?
I got married. And my first husband abused me. It will be in my book. This is my (new) husband Steven.
On the ‘depressing nights’ part — how do you address that in the book?
I always wanted to write about it. I have always had it in mind. To write the book.
Is your husband (Steven Fleischmann) helping with the book?
No. I have someone helping me write it.
Do you have any ‘Joanie Loves Chachi’ good memories, favorites?
I don’t have any favorite episodes from Joanie Loves Chachi. I liked working with the people. But I didn’t even want to do it. I was talked into it. I wanted to stay on Happy Days. They were running them at the same time.
Did you feel like you were forced?
Yeah. It’ll be in my book.
Source (http://www.fancast.com/blogs/tv-news/erin-moran-recalls-happy-days-and-depressing-nights/)
Erin, it seems like brutal honesty is your specialty?
Yes. Yes it very much is.
‘Happy Days, Depressing Nights’ is a great title.
It’s my acting career which was fan-frikkin’-tastic.
Can you give highlights of your career and the book long the way?
One of my favorites was ‘Daktari’ (a TV series from 1966 about a vet in Africa) because it was with animals. I’ve been working since I was five! And then ‘Happy Days’, of course. Then the trials and tribulations of intimidation.
In acting, you mean?
No, oh gosh no. In schooling, with kids. And how hard it was. I never got a date.
You never got a date — you have to be kidding, that’s very hard to believe — were you shy?
No. But I became more shy. I don’t get it either, but it’s okay.
How did you get on Happy Days?
I went for the interview and another girl got it. I didn’t get it. Then Anson Williams and I did a film a few years earlier. I had worked with Garry Marshall when I was five. And Kay Lenz said ‘I worked with Erin Moran, she’s great.’ Then there was some discrepancy with the actress they had hired. And because Anson had the same agent as me since I was five, Anson said ‘Erin Moran.’ And I went to this big office with my dad. We walked out of there. I said ‘did I get it?’ And my dad said ‘yeah, you did.’
From all of your experience growing up on Happy Days, could you shake Joanie in your private life? This iconic TV show?
I loved it. I’m very blessed. Back then, in the 80’s — I was called “Joanie, Joanie” (by fans). Now it’s like ‘you’re Erin Moran, Erin Moran from Happy Days!’
Do you have an all-time favorite episode?
My favorite episode is when I want to become a ‘Leather’ with Leather Tuscadero. I wanted to run away and become a Leather; actually a ‘Suede’, sorry. Ron Howard and I had a scene in Arnold’s. We’re walking out, he says ‘you can’t run away.’ We did this scene for a week, then he turned to me during the actual (live) taping of the show and said something — and I started crying. I started crying, and I went ‘okay’…
You’re almost crying just talking about it; did he muff a line? Throw you a curve, ad lib?
No. No. It was a moment. What happened with all of us was like we were this family. It was so surreal with all the cast members. There was another moment where we forgot we were doing scenes. We forgot we were acting. They were my family, get it?
How did you pull out of that scene?
I did my lines for that scene, we walked out of Arnold’s. Ron said to me ‘are you okay?’ I went ‘yeah, I’m fine, I’m fine.’
But you were not okay, or ten years later you were not okay?
No. I was fine. But it was just so surreal. I talked to Ron about it later. It’s a family; he’s my brother, like my family.
See a ‘Happy Days’ photo gallery.
Did you want to go on straight films after Happy Days; what was your vision for your own career after the show?
I got married. And my first husband abused me. It will be in my book. This is my (new) husband Steven.
On the ‘depressing nights’ part — how do you address that in the book?
I always wanted to write about it. I have always had it in mind. To write the book.
Is your husband (Steven Fleischmann) helping with the book?
No. I have someone helping me write it.
Do you have any ‘Joanie Loves Chachi’ good memories, favorites?
I don’t have any favorite episodes from Joanie Loves Chachi. I liked working with the people. But I didn’t even want to do it. I was talked into it. I wanted to stay on Happy Days. They were running them at the same time.
Did you feel like you were forced?
Yeah. It’ll be in my book.
Source (http://www.fancast.com/blogs/tv-news/erin-moran-recalls-happy-days-and-depressing-nights/)