'Happy Days' star Anson Williams says he had to create a second career because sitcom pay wasn't enough
Anson Williams, best known for playing Potsie Weber on the long‑running sitcom “Happy Days,” has revealed that the modest paychecks the cast received in the 1970s pushed him to create a side career as a singer, a move that ended up shaping the rest of his professional life.
In a recent appearance on the “Still Here Hollywood Podcast,” the 77‑year‑old actor explained that the show’s salaries were far below today’s standards. “On ‘Happy Days’ we didn’t have the same salaries they have today. Not even close,” Williams said. “Nine hundred dollars an episode, $1,200 an episode. It was fine back then, but it’s not a lifetime of earnings there.”
The idea to sing on the series came after Williams talked with “Partridge Family” star David Cassidy and “The Brady Bunch” actor Barry Williams about their own earnings from performing outside the show. “Wait a minute. I sing. If I can convince Garry to put a band on the show, maybe I can get booked, and maybe I can get some extra income,” he recalled thinking.
Williams approached “Happy Days” creator Garry Marshall with the notion of forming a band to play at Arnold’s, the burger joint where the character Fonzie held court. Marshall agreed to give him a chance, but with a peculiar audition condition. “He told me I would have to pick a song and sing it to a bulldog,” Williams recounted. “If you’re good, I get laughs. If you’re bad, I get laughs. You’re going to sing the bulldog.”
After Williams performed, Marshall watched the audience reaction and said, “The people like it. The people like it. We’ll do more. You’re in charge of it though.” That moment led to Williams securing a major agent and booking state‑fair performances for a decade. He later said the on‑show singing “started this whole career” that was “just a whole other life experience.”
When “Happy Days” became a ratings juggernaut, Marshall praised Williams for spotting an opportunity and helping the show, telling him, “You found an opportunity, and you’re helping the show.”
The series itself had a turbulent early run. In a March 2024 interview with Fox News Digital, Williams noted that the program initially landed in the top 15 or 20, but later slipped to 48th place and was “on the verge of getting canceled.” He recalled that Marshall and director Jerry Paris decided to change the format: “What if we changed the whole tone? What if we make it a live audience sitcom?” After switching to a live audience, the cast’s chemistry and the writing “were magic,” and the show shot to No. 1 worldwide.
Marshall’s advice to the young cast extended beyond entertainment. Williams said, “He told us to take the spotlight we found ourselves in and shine it on people that deserve it.” The actor cited collaborations with Ron Howard on the film “Skyward,” which featured the first paraplegic in television history, and the movie “No Greater Gift,” which doubled organ‑donor cards. He also noted Henry Winkler’s work on social‑issue movies and after‑school specials. “We really, to this day, try to shine the light to make things better,” Williams added.
After his acting peak, Williams transitioned to directing, helming episodes of “Beverly Hills, 90210,” “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” “Lizzie McGuire,” “Charmed,” and “The Secret Life of an American Teenager,” among others. Throughout his varied career, he has continued to follow Marshall’s counsel, using his platform to support charitable causes and highlight important social issues.