Marion Cunningham From Happy Days Is Almost A Centenarian. Here's What She Looks Like Now

For 10 delightful years, viewers tuned in to "Happy Days" for a taste of 1950s nostalgia. In a country recovering from the turmoil of both Vietnam and Watergate, the wholesome lives of the Cunningham family and their friends was a welcome respite. Fans were loyal enough to forgive the show's drop in freshness after its first few seasons (Fonzie infamously ski-jumped over a shark in Season 5, inspiring a popular catchphrase that still exists to this day). Sadly, several "Happy Days" actors have passed away since the show's big finale in 1984, including Tom Bosley (Howard Cunningham), Erin Moran (Joanie Cunningham), and of course the legendary Robin Williams, whose rise to fame began with his guest appearance as Mork from Ork. 

But many of the performers are still very much with us, including Marion Ross. As Marion Cunningham, the bouffant-haired family matriarch, Ross dispensed wisdom along with her delicious meatloaf, and even managed to soften the heart of tough guy Fonzie (whom she always called by his given name, Arthur). Ross turned 97 on October 25, 2025, making her the oldest surviving member of the sitcom. Her son, actor and impressionist Jim Meskimen, honored the occasion on Instagram with a photo of "my mom and yours" blowing out the candles on her strawberry-topped cake. The actor has a few extra (well-earned) wrinkles these days, but her bright smile and auburn hair haven't changed a bit since her TV heyday. Hundreds of followers, many of whom grew up with the show, sent their well-wishes and called Ross their "TV mother." 

The beloved star, whose television career actually began in the "Happy Days" era, went on to numerous guest appearances in other shows. But her decade as Mrs. C is the legacy that earned Ross a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Minnesota-born Marion Ross (seen here in November 2019) moved to San Diego as a teen and got her start in Hollywood while still in college. Ross's early film and TV appearances included "Sabrina," "The Mod Squad," and "The Brady Bunch" (as the pediatrician who treats Marcia, Jan, and Cindy for measles). Marion Cunningham was her big break, of course, but it notably wasn't the aspiring actor's idea of a dream role at the time. In a 2024 interview with "Lifestyle With Roy Ice" Ross explained that her part was so small at first — little lines like "Oh, Howard" — that the producers asked her to read other women's lines at the weekly table reads. "I just read these the best that I can possibly do, and they'd snap [their heads] around, and the writers would start to write better for me all the time," she recalled (via YouTube).

The TV icon also had to win over her co-star Tom Bosley, whom she claims treated her pretty badly until he finally realized her talent. Though Ross's career was taking off, her personal life was on a downslide. Married at 21 to fellow actor Freeman Meskimen, she divorced him over his alcoholism and raised their two kids alone. "Being a mom on 'Happy Days' was perfect for me because at home I had a daughter and son who were two or three years younger than the children I had on set," the beloved actor shared with Midlife at the Oasis in 2011. "I could practice on the show and rehearse small crises that I would have at home a few years later." Fortunately, she never had to worry about her own children jumping over any sharks.