Hollywood Legend Garry Marshall Dead At 81

Garry Marshall, creator of some of the most iconic sitcoms of the 20th century and a prolific director and producer died Tuesday (July 19) of complications from pneumonia following a stroke. He was 81.

Marshall broke into the business in the '50s, writing for The Lucy Show and The Dick Van Dyke Show before going on to create landmark TV series like Happy Days, The Odd Couple, Laverne and Shirley and Mork and Mindy. His shows had a timeless quality and wholesome goofiness that helped prompt a wave of '50s nostalgia in the '70s and set the tone for Marshall's hugely successful feature films in the '80s and '90s.

He directed 18 films, including hits Overboard (1987), Beaches (1988) and Julia Roberts' breakthrough in Pretty Woman (1990). In the new millennium, Marshall helped turn Anne Hathaway into a star with the Princess Diaries series and embraced the holidays with a string of star-studded romantic comedies including Valentines Day (2010), New Year's Eve (2011) and Mother's Day (2016).

You might also recognize Marshall from his roles as a casino boss in Lost in America (1985) and Cubs owner Walter Harvey in 1992's A League of Their Own, directed by his sister Penny Marshall.

Happy Days star Henry Winkler credited Marshall for launching his career, tweeting "Thank you for my professional life."