As the title to this post points out, Tom Bosley will be forever associated with Howard Cunningham, the warm, genial father he played in Happy Days for 10 years, but his career was long, varied and included big screen and small screen work.
Undoubtedly it was on television that he was best known and most often seen. As well as a 10-year stint on Happy Days, Bosley appeared throughout a four year run of “Murder, She Wrote” in the 80’s as Sheriff Amos Tupper, as well as starring as the eponymous character in “Father Dowling Investigates”.
Bosley’s TV career began in the late 50’s and included such well-known programmes as Dr Kildare, Get Smart, Bewitched and Mission: Impossible. Despite such an enduring TV career, Bosley never really made his mark on the big screen and although he has some film credits to his name it is likely that only his final film, Jennifer Lopez’s rom-com The Back Up Plan, will ring bells with most people.
Bosley was twice nominated for an Emmy for his role as Howard Cunningham in Happy Days and all who are familiar with the programme will no doubt remember him with warmth and a broad smile. Henry Winkler, The Fonz himself, speaking to TMZ, said of Bosley:-
“Tom Bosley was our mentor. He was a true artist … a great husband, and a fabulous father and grandfather. He will be sorely missed, but never forgotten,”
As The Wrap report, Bosley died on Tuesday of lung cancer and is survived by his wife Patricia, his three daughters and step-daughters and seven grandchildren. Rest in Peace, Mr C.
