Before she was Lori Beth, Lynda Goodfrynd was just a young woman trying to make it as an actor.

During an interview with The Duluth News Tribune, the Happy Days actor said that she came to New York to pursue performing, though it took her quite a while to get there.

“When I first came to New York and was looking for a job as a dancer or an actress, I took all kinds of odd jobs to make a living,” said Goodfriend.

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After touring in a theatre production, Goodfriend departed for California. “I decided to go to Hollywood because that’s where I felt things were happening,” said the actor. “I didn’t have anything going for me there, either; I had to start the auditions all over again.”

Luckily, Goodfriend’s leap of faith paid off in full. After a short time, she auditioned for a role on the hit series, Happy Days. There, she played Lori Beth, the girlfriend and later wife of Richie Cunningham.

“I was invited back a few more times, and then they decided that Lori Beth would become a regular on the show,” said Goodfriend. “Now I’ve been on the show for two years, and we’ll soon go back to working on the series for next year.”

Not only did the role provide a new opportunity for Goodfriend, but the character also allowed for untold potential on the series. “There’s more freedom of concept, more story possibilities with a girlfriend,” said Goodfriend during an interview with The Times Colonist. “We’re in the early ‘60s now.”