Decades after Laverne & Shirley became one of TV’s most beloved sitcoms, Cindy Williams (Shirley) and the late Penny Marshall (Laverne) finally revealed the shocking truth about the show’s most unforgettable oddballs — Lenny and Squiggy, the hilariously awkward neighbors who stole nearly every scene they were in.
Fans adored the comedic duo, played by Michael McKean (Lenny) and David Lander (Squiggy), whose over-the-top entrances and absurd antics brought chaos and charm to every episode. But according to Williams and Marshall, what went on behind the scenes was even crazier than what viewers saw on screen.
In a rare joint interview before Penny’s passing, the actresses revealed that Lenny and Squiggy were never supposed to exist — at least, not the way fans remember them. “They were written in as a one-time gag,” Williams said. “Two weird guys who lived down the hall. But Michael and David were so bizarre, so naturally funny, that we couldn’t stop laughing. The producers realized instantly — these guys had to stay.”
However, keeping them on the show wasn’t easy. Penny Marshall confessed that the network initially hated the characters. “ABC thought they were too strange — too weird for prime time,” she recalled. “They told us to tone them down or cut them out. We said no. Lenny and Squiggy were the heart of that building!”
But the tension didn’t stop there. Williams admitted that as the show’s success skyrocketed, ego clashes and creative disagreements erupted between cast members — especially over screen time. “There were times when everyone wanted their lines, their moments,” she said. “Lenny and Squiggy had this wild energy that sometimes overshadowed everyone else. But honestly? We loved them for it.”
Off-camera, the bond between the cast was just as complex. McKean and Lander, longtime friends who created the characters years before the show, often stayed in character between takes — driving the crew insane. “You’d walk into the makeup room and they’d already be doing bits,” Marshall joked. “It never stopped. It was genius and exhausting at the same time.”
When David Lander was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the 1980s, both Penny and Cindy stood by him. “He never lost that spark,” Williams said. “Even when he was struggling, he’d still crack us up. That’s who he was.”
Their reflections paint a deeper picture of friendship, creativity, and the wild unpredictability of show business. Lenny and Squiggy may have started as a punchline — but they became legends, beloved for their strange brilliance and unforgettable chemistry.
As Williams poignantly put it: “People thought they were just comic relief, but they represented something bigger — the outsiders who never quite fit in, yet always stole the show.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SV26BTpMC9I
