What Was Erin Moran's Net Worth?
Erin Moran was an American actress who had a net worth of $50 thousand at the time of her death in 2017. Erin Moran was best known for her role as Joanie Cunningham on the hit sitcom "Happy Days" (1974-1984), where she played the younger sister of Richie Cunningham. She began her acting career as a child, appearing in commercials and TV shows like "Daktari" in the late 1960s. Her first notable role was in the family drama film "Watermelon Man" (1970).
After gaining fame on "Happy Days," Moran starred in its spin-off series "Joanie Loves Chachi" (1982-1983) alongside Scott Baio, though the show was short-lived. Throughout her career, she made guest appearances on numerous television shows, including "The Love Boat," "Murder, She Wrote," and "The Bold and the Beautiful."
Following the end of "Happy Days," Moran struggled to maintain her acting career, with only sporadic roles in lower-profile projects. Her last notable acting appearance was in the 2010 independent comedy film "Not Another B Movie." She passed away in 2017 at the age of 56.
Early Life
Erin Marie Moran was born on October 18, 1960, in Burbank, California. She and her five siblings were raised by their parents, Sharon and Edward Moran, in Los Angeles. Sharon encouraged Erin to pursue acting as a child, and she was signed with a talent agent when she was just five years old. There are also two other actors in the family, including Tony Moran, who played Michael Myers in the movie "Halloween" in 1978. Erin's first acting role was in a TV commercial for First Federal Bank. As a child, she appeared in the TV show "Daktari" from 1966 to 1969.
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Career
Erin's first major film role came in 1968's "How Sweet It Is!," then she appeared on "The Don Rickles Show," "My Three Sons," "Family Affair," and "Gunsmoke," along with guest appearances on "The Waltons" and "Bearcats."
Moran's big break came when she was 13 and was cast as Joanie Cunningham on the sitcom "Happy Days" in 1974. She played the feisty younger sibling of Ron Howard's character, Richie. She continued playing the role until the show's hiatus in 1982. She starred in the short-lived but classic spin-off "Joanie Loves Chachi" alongside Scott Baio from 1982 to 1983, and then after it was canceled, she returned to "Happy Days" for the final season. For her role in "Happy Days," Erin made between $650 to $900 per episode in the first three seasons. Moran was awarded the Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress in a New Television Series for her work on "Happy Days." She revealed in interviews that the producers of the show had pressured her to change from a precocious kid-like character and that "suddenly they wanted [her] to lose weight and become this sexy thing."
Erin also appeared in the TV shows "Murder, She Wrote," "The Love Boat," and "Diagnosis: Murder," and she starred opposite Edward Albert in the sci-fi horror film "Galaxy of Terror." She was a contestant on the VH1 show "Celebrity Fit Club" in 2008. She appeared in "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star" in 2003 and "Not Another B Movie" in 2010. There were reports in 2013 that she would be reunited with "Happy Days" co-stars Scott Baio, Ron Howard, and Henry Winkler in the fourth season of the revamped Netflix version of "Arrested Development," but this never came to fruition. Her final film role was in 2012 when she appeared as Mrs Sheppard on "The Deceit." Moran's last TV appearance was on "Celebrity Ghost Stories" in 2012.
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Lawsuit
In April 2011, Moran and three of her "Happy Days" co-stars (Marion Ross, Anson Williams, and Don Most, as well as the estate of deceased Tom Bosley) sued CBS for $10 million in a breach of contract lawsuit, claiming they had not received payments for merchandising revenues owed to them. The suit claimed that they had not been paid revenues from show-related items like lunch boxes, games, T-shirts, toy cars, greeting cards, magnets, and other items using their likeness.
The lawsuit came about after Marion Ross discovered "Happy Days" slot machines at a casino using her likeness. A judge rejected the group's claim in October 2011, and in 2012, a judge denied a motion to dismiss. In July 2012, the actors settled the lawsuit, and they each ended up receiving $65,000 and will continue to receive any merchandise revenue owed to them.
Personal Life
Moran married Rocky Ferguson in 1987. After they divorced in 1993, she married Steven Fleischmann later that same year. After the television shows that put her on the map were canceled, Erin moved out of Los Angeles to the mountains of California. Moran said in interviews that she suffered from depression during this time and was unable to get any acting roles. In 2010, her home in Palmdale, California, was foreclosed on, and she was evicted. She moved into her mother-in-law's trailer in Indiana.
Erin was found unresponsive by authorities on April 22, 2017, and was pronounced dead at the age of 56. An autopsy indicated the cause of death was complications of stage four cancer of the throat. In an open letter released by Scott Baio, Moran's husband, Steven, confirmed she had experienced symptoms of throat cancer in 2016 and her condition had deteriorated rapidly after unsuccessful attempts to treat her cancer.
