Hollywood legend
Penny Marshall died in her Hollywood Hills home on Monday night due to complications from diabetes. She was 75. Born Caroline Marshall, the Bronx native was also sister to another film legend, Gary Marshall. Her first credited role began in 1968, 50 years ago, and she would go on tackle every angle of Hollywood as a director, producer, actress and writer.
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Marshall was known primarily for playing Laverne DeFazio in the sitcom “Laverne and Shirley” in the late 70s and early 80s. But she also made a name for herself directing Hollywood hits like
Whoopi Goldberg‘s “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,”
Tom Hanks‘ “Big,” and “A League of Their Own,” which included pop star
Madonna. She also directed 1996’s “The Preacher’s Wife,” which starred
Denzel Washington and the late, great
Whitney Houston.
When Whitney
died in 2012, Marshall
reflected on working with the music legend.
“She was a great girl, and we got along fine,” Marshall said at the time. “She sang beautifully, but like a baseball player doesn’t pitch every day, you had to schedule certain things at certain times. You have to take the actors into consideration.”
https://twitter.com/amy_surplice/status/1075128178635616256
She continued:
“I went to her mom’s church in Newark [N.J.] and I went to Denzel’s church out here [in Los Angeles], and we auditioned choirs. I had never done anything with music of the current time, because most of the movies I did were period pictures.”
No wonder the music was excellent in “The Preacher’s Wife” — Miss Penny got the church treatment.
Marshall’s legacy will continue. She
directed a documentary on
Dennis Rodman, which was expected to be released next year.
Among those paying respects to Penny Marshall were Black celebrities. See below:
