'Happy Days' Star Linda Purl: A Glimpse into Her Career and Failed Marriages

Linda Purl, the actress best known as Ashley Pfister on “Happy Days” and Helene Beesly on “The Office,” has had a successful career in the entertainment industry. The same cannot be said about her romantic life.

Born on September 2, 1955, Linda grew up in a theatrical family. Her parents were actors, and her grandmother co-founded the Actors' Equity Association.

HER TIME ON “HAPPY DAYS”

After taking minor roles in some TV shows, she was offered a guest role in "Happy Days" for its second season (1974). At that point, Linda portrayed Richie's (Ron Howard) occasional girlfriend, Gloria.However, she came back to the show eight seasons later (from 1982 to 1983) to play Fonzie's (Henry Winkler) girlfriend, Ashley. After leaving the show, Linda worked in different series like "Matlock," "Robin's Hoods," and "The Office."

HER CAREER AFTER THE SHOW

Apart from her outstanding career in TV, Linda has had a very productive time in Broadway as she has worked in plays as important as "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "Getting and Spending."

She has also worked in off-Broadway productions, including "Romeo and Juliet," "The Merchant of Venice," and "Hedda Gabler."

HER MUSIC CAREER

In the late 80s, she embarked into a music career, choosing jazz as her genre. So far, Linda has released four albums: "Alone Together," "Out of this World” “Midnight Caravan," and "Up Jumped Spring."

During a 2018 interview with Broadway World, Linda revealed that her parents played an essential role in her love for music.

“My parents would put a record on, an LP and off I would go to the world of some of the great musicals or one of the great singers certainly Rosemary Clooney, Eartha Kitt, Peggy Lee, you name it, and they were on my parents' turntable,” the actress and singer revealed.

Speaking about her TV career, Linda said she was grateful for it as it has “afforded” her the chance to keep working in the theater. The actress admitted that although TV pays better, “theater is the actors’ medium.”

HER ROMANTIC LIFE

While Linda’s professional life has been prosperous, her romantic situation has rarely been stable. So far, the 63-year-old star has been married to four different men. None of those marriages lasted more than seven years, unfortunately.

Linda's first husband was Desi Arnaz. The ex-couple tied the knot on January 13, 1980, and got divorced in 1981, only one year later.

On November 5, 1988, Linda and William Broyles Jr. got married. Unfortunately, their relationship ended in 1992.

Unlike the previous time, Linda didn't wait eight years to get married again. This time, the lucky one was Alexander Cary, who walk down the aisle with the actress on July 23, 1993. Together they have a son named Lucius, born on February 6, 1995. Alexander and Linda parted ways in 1999, sadly.

Her fourth and last husband was James Vinson Adams. The former couple said "I do" in July 2006. However, the duo parted ways in 2011.

HER SON’S SOCCER CAREER

Linda’s son, Lucius, is 24-year-old now and, as shown on his mother’s Facebook, he has been playing soccer. In January 2016, the actress shared a tweet revealing that her son trained with the English soccer team Everton F.C.

Judging by his Hudl profile, Lucius played for the Richmond International Academic and Soccer Academy in Boston from 2012 to 2016. Unfortunately, he has not uploaded more videos since 2016, so it is unclear whether he is still playing.

Apart from acting and singing Jazz, Linda’s hobby is dancing. In her Instagram account, she often uploads short videos and photos showing her dancing tango.

At the moment, Linda is filming “The Swing of Things,” a comedy directed by Matt Shapira. According to IMDB, Linda will portray Sherry Fairfax-Rothstein and will work next to “The Purge” Adelaide Kane and “Married… with Children” Dot-Marie Jones.