Italian Heritage Parade
Home
Parade
History
Get Involved
Events
Visitor Info
News & Sponsors

2005 Parade Grand Marshal Announced!

Cindy Williams

Cindy Williams has enjoyed the privilege of working with extraordinary directors, including Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, and George Cukor.  Though Cindy has achieved success in her film career she is most recognized for her role as “Shirley Feeney” in the ABC-TV situation comedy, Laverne and Shirley. Cindy became interested in producing and came up with the idea and had the honor of co-producing the critically acclaimed feature films, Father of the Bride and Father of the Bride II, both starring Steve Martin.

Born in Van Nuys , California , Cindy first became interested in acting during high school.  After graduation, she attended L.A. City College where she majored in Theater Arts.  After college she began her professional career by landing National commercials, which included Foster Grant sunglasses. Her first roles in television, among others, were on Room 222, Nanny and the Professor, and Love American Style. Some of Cindy’s recent appearances include ABC’s Less Than Perfect, playing Claude’s mother, Joan, WB’s Seventh Heaven, playing the principle, ABCs Eight Simple Rules, as the neighbor, Mary Ann Doyle, Girlfriends, and NBC’s Law and Order, SVU as Nora.

Her first film role was for Roger Corman in Gassss, starring Talia Shire, Ben Vereen and Bud Cort.  She then appeared with Maggie Smith in Travels With My Aunt, directed by George Cukor.  Next she co-starred with Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss, and Harrison Ford in American Graffiti directed by George Lucas, a low-budget film which went on to become a box office smash and film classic, and which garnered her a British Academy of Film and Television Arts nomination for best supporting actress. Following American Graffiti Cindy was cast in a pivotal role in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Conversation, starring Gene Hackman. About this time, she felt her theatre roots calling and auditioned for and was made a member of The Actor’s Studio.

Cindy’s theatre credits include, starring with Elliott Gould in the national tour of Death Trap, portraying “Charlotte Hay” in Moon Over Buffalo, and starring as “Miss Lynch” in the national tour of Grease.

Cindy is a child advocate who supports organizations such as Children of the Night and Feed the Children. She also supports the American Humane Society and the SPCA.  Cindy has her own production company and is working on many different projects.

- 2005-



© 2005 Italian Heritage Parade, All Rights Reserved.