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Linda Purl, at right, played Fonzie's girlfriend Ashley Pfister, in the sitcom "Happy Days". Source: ahttps://www.womansworld.com/ entertainment/celebrities/linda-purl-talks- happy-days-new-play-crazy-mama-patrick-duffy (May be subject to copyright) |
Such was the life and career of Linda Purl, who celebrates a birthday today.
The early years
Linda Purl’s first role was in the soap opera “The Secret Storm” in 1973-1974. She then appeared in the TV Movie “Time Travelers”, before the movies “The Walking Major” and “Jory”.
Linda Purl’s first role was in the soap opera “The Secret Storm” in 1973-1974. She then appeared in the TV Movie “Time Travelers”, before the movies “The Walking Major” and “Jory”.
She would then have guest-starring roles in the TV series “Lucas Tanner”; “Sons and Daughters”; “Hawaii Five-O”; “Medical Centre”; 11 episodes of “Beacon Hill”; “Medical Story”; “The Oregon Trail”; “Serpico”; “The Waltons”; and “The Young Pioneers”.
Purl also had roles in the miniseries “Eleanor and Franklin”, “Testimony of Two Men”, and “The Manions of America”; parts in the TV movies “Young Pioneers”, “State Fair”, “Having Babies”, “Young Pioneers’ Christmas”, “Little Ladies of the Night”, “Black Market Baby”, “A Last Cry for Help”, “Women of West Point”, “Like Normal People”, “The Flame is Love”, “The Night the City Screamed”, “The Adventures of Nellie Bly”, “and “Money on the Side”; and appeared in the movies “W.C. Fields and Me”, “Leo and Loree”, “The High Country”, “Visiting Hours”.
In “Like Normal People” in 1979, she starred with Shaun Cassidy as two mentally disabled people who wanted to get married and have children together, facing insurmountable odds. I never saw it, but heard all about it on the school bus from my friend and neighbour Mike. At that point we all knew who Shaun Cassidy was, but Linda Purl was still an unknown quantity.
She also played Richie Cunningham’s occasional girlfriend in the second season of “Happy Days” in 1974.
However, that was just a prelude to a much bigger, more memorable role.
The Fonz’s girlfriend
It seemed impossible. Arthur “The Fonz” Fonzarelli was a ladies’ man. He had a different girls or girls, on his arm every episode of the sitcom “Happy Days”.
It seemed impossible. Arthur “The Fonz” Fonzarelli was a ladies’ man. He had a different girls or girls, on his arm every episode of the sitcom “Happy Days”.
That would all change in the show’s 1982-1983 and 10th season.
This woman caught Fonzie’s attention but he didn’t know who she was. Somehow, his friend Potsie recogonized her but he couldn’t remember her name. Fonzie got so mad he threatened to punch Potsie. When Potsie saw Fonzie’s hand he said, “Fist – her name is Pfister, Ashley Pfister”.
So Fonzie tracked down Ashley who was a single mother with a daughter named Heather. Ashley, played by Linda Purl, would play the Fonz’s girlfriend the entire 10th season.
Then, just as quickly as she captured the Fonz’s heart, her and Heather were gone, never to be seen again.
Yet, Linda Purl would be seen quite often through the rest of the decade and beyond.
Buried alive
Purl’s next work was an historical miniseries. Pompeii was a city buried by ash and lava. It lives on in lore and legend, but also reality. In 1984, the miniseries “The Last Days of Pompeii” aired on Channel 7 on the peasant vision dial. I did not see “The Last Days of Pompeii”. However, I did read about it in “TV Guide”, because Canadian actor Duncan Regehr was in the miniseries. He played a gladiator who falls in love with a blind woman and slave, played by – Linda Purl.
Purl’s next work was an historical miniseries. Pompeii was a city buried by ash and lava. It lives on in lore and legend, but also reality. In 1984, the miniseries “The Last Days of Pompeii” aired on Channel 7 on the peasant vision dial. I did not see “The Last Days of Pompeii”. However, I did read about it in “TV Guide”, because Canadian actor Duncan Regehr was in the miniseries. He played a gladiator who falls in love with a blind woman and slave, played by – Linda Purl.
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Linda Purl. at left, played Ben Matlock's daughter Charlene in the first season of the legal drama "Matlock". Source: Facebook/TV Insider (May be subject to copyright) |
Purl would keep on working in the decade with guest roles in “The Love Boat” and “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”, and the television movies “Midas Valley”; “Outrage!”; “Pleasures”; and “Dark Mansions”.
Then, in 1986, a new show aired on Channel 13 on the peasant vision dial. “Matlock” was a country lawyer in Atlanta with down home charm, a keen legal mind, and a flare for the dramatic. In that first season, Linda Purl played Ben Matlock’s daughter Charlene. After the first season, she left the show as Charlene moved to Philadelphia to start her own law practice.
Purl closed out the decade with more TV movies.
The years beyond
Linda Purl continues working to this day. She appeared on television in 13 episodes of “Under Cover”; “Jack’s Place”; three episodes of “Murder, She Wrote”; “The Hidden Room”; “Burke’s Law”; 18 episodes of “Robin’s Hoods”; “Crisis Centre”; “Walker, Texas Ranger”; “Touched by an Angel”; 14 episodes of “Port Charles”; 12 episodes of “First Monday”, playing Joe Mantegna’s wife; “Crossing Jordan”; “Cold Case”; “Bones”; “Desperate Housewives”; “Criminal Minds”; “Lie to Me”; three episodes of “Homeland”; “True Blood”; nine episodes of “The Office”; “Designated Survivor”; six episodes of “General Hospital”; seven episodes of “The Bold and the Beautiful”; and a lot more TV shows and TV movies.
Linda Purl continues working to this day. She appeared on television in 13 episodes of “Under Cover”; “Jack’s Place”; three episodes of “Murder, She Wrote”; “The Hidden Room”; “Burke’s Law”; 18 episodes of “Robin’s Hoods”; “Crisis Centre”; “Walker, Texas Ranger”; “Touched by an Angel”; 14 episodes of “Port Charles”; 12 episodes of “First Monday”, playing Joe Mantegna’s wife; “Crossing Jordan”; “Cold Case”; “Bones”; “Desperate Housewives”; “Criminal Minds”; “Lie to Me”; three episodes of “Homeland”; “True Blood”; nine episodes of “The Office”; “Designated Survivor”; six episodes of “General Hospital”; seven episodes of “The Bold and the Beautiful”; and a lot more TV shows and TV movies.
She was also in movies such as “Mighty Joe Young”.
Parting thoughts
Linda Purl is one of those actors who, if you don’t recognize the name, may recognize the face, because she has been in such a wide variety of things over the past 50 years.
Linda Purl is one of those actors who, if you don’t recognize the name, may recognize the face, because she has been in such a wide variety of things over the past 50 years.
Still, whenever I hear her name, or see her face, I think, “That’s the woman who finally won Fonzie’s heart.”
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