Even after becoming a director, Penny Marshall had no intention of leaving acting

Marshall was confident in her decisions, and leaving acting behind wasn't one of them.

September 23, 2024, 9:56AM By MeTV Staff

CBS Television Distribution

When an actor shifts careers to spend their time behind the camera instead of in front of it, it's almost assumed that they'll never return to the life that made them a star. This simply isn't true. While Ron Howard found that he preferred life as a director as opposed to acting, he still found it a worthwhile pursuit to return for programs like the 1993 special, Return to Mayberry. In that program, Howard returned to the role of Opie Taylor.

While Penny Marshall was a wonderful actor, she found even greater success as a director. Some who might believe an actor who turns to creative pursuits is looking for an easy way, out prepare to be shocked.

During an interview with the Star-Gazette, Marshall revealed that the grass isn't always greener on the other side of the camera.

"Directing is a dog's job," she said. "Everyone else — the actors, the crew — has gone on to something else. And you're still working on this movie."

Marshall wasn't opposed to returning to acting — for the right role, that is. Marshall said she'd return "if I found a part I could play."

"I'm not someone who says, 'I can play anything,'" she said.

Still, it can be argued that Marshall's acting background on programs like Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley served her well as a director, especially in comedic films like Big.

"Penny has an incredible instinct about what works and what doesn't," said Elizabeth Perkins, one of the stars of the film. "She knows comedy, and she knows that the basis of comedy is tragedy."

While she's more known for her work as a director, Marshall continued to act throughout her career, proving that you never have to give up one dream for another.