As one of the stars of Laverne & Shirley, Cindy Williams had no shortage of admirers. But forever a professional, Williams insisted that her work as an actor came first.

"My career is what I'm married to," said Williams during an interview with the St. Louis Dispatch. "Even when I was doing theater in college, I realized it was something I could always depend on; that here was a relationship that always gave me back what I put into it; that it was 50-50, totally dependable, and would support me as long as I supported it."

Williams wasn't depressed by the arrangement; acting was her greatest joy.

"My career is a thing, a love affair," said the actor. "I think all actors worth their salt are having a love affair with their work. They get jazzed by it...Even the response you get from an audience is a kind of love. Not the kind you take home with you - but you're still getting back what you gave."

Williams also understood what was happening on the other side of the camera, and why audiences gravitated to characters like Laverne & Shirley. "The vast majority of American women are in the same situation as Laverne and Shirley," said Williams. "Mothers watch the show because there are certain things they can identify with. Kids watch it because it's like a great cartoon. It's fast. It's dramatic. It never lets you down, and for everybody, there's a laugh."

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In love with her work, Williams took herself to the limit like the physical comedians that came before her. Williams wasn't afraid of looking stupid on television. Quite the opposite; she felt that the stupidity of the series was the show's secret sauce. "It works because nobody is afraid to make fools of themselves," said Williams. "We do it all the time. We take television to its dumbest."

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