Here’s why Happy Days actress Erin Moran enjoyed growing up on television

Erin Moran played Joanie Cunningham on Happy Days and could best be described as one of those classic television characters who stays with audiences for decades. She could also be described as every teen’s dream, according to some viewers in the 1970s.

Her role on Happy Days was a breakout part for the young star, who was just 13 years old at the time of the series’ 1974 premiere. Despite her age, Moran already had plenty of on-screen experience.

Happy Days ultimately made her a household name, but Moran had already been building her career long before she stepped into the Cunningham family home.

According to a 1981 interview with The Florida Times-Union, while many children do not want jobs until they are at least 16, her career had begun when she was much younger, and she would not have wanted it any other way.

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"It feels great growing up on television," Moran said. "I quit acting for a year in seventh grade to be normal. I found out all normal meant was not being recognized. I really didn’t have close friends like the other girls did because they were all on the same wavelength and I was out there working."

"I wanted to be in their place," Moran continued. "I was doing a lot of mature things for my age. I grew up with older people. Now I see that it’s developed a richer side to me."

While she began Happy Days as a child, she grew up on the series, and by 1981 she was around 20 years old. Joanie was no longer just Richie Cunningham’s little sister, her character had grown into a young adult with her own storylines, including a romance with Chachi.

"It’s great though," Moran said. "The cast is very professional and very family-like. We joke around and make the best of it."

That storyline eventually helped lead to the Happy Days spin-off Joanie Loves Chachi, which followed Joanie and Chachi as they moved to Chicago to pursue music and a life together while navigating young adulthood and independence.