I've been thinking about actress Erin Moran for the last few days. By now we all know the story:

The 46 year old actress began her career at age 6 with a commercial. (The footage has since been lost.) The studios soon came calling, with roles in movies like 80 Steps to Jonah with Wayne Newton and How Sweet It Is! with Debbie Reynolds. When film star status eluded her, the scrappy starlet turned to the small screen. And the lull in her career quickly ended with a flurry of appearances on some of the most popular shows of the day: Family Affair, My Three Sons, Gunsmoke and The Don Rickles Show.

Then came Happy Days. As Joanie Cunningham, she was the 1970s version of a 1950s pre-teen and teenage American girl. For ten seasons she was Richie's little sister, pulling double duty one season in the mid-run spin-off Joanie Loves Chachi. (According to Erin, "JLC" was only intended for a limited run. Incidentally John Travolta's sister Ellen played Louisa Delvecchio, mother of Chachi Arcola.)

But while Erin played the girl next door, she was no shrinking violet. She pursued her career with teeth-bared aggressiveness. ABC veterans still remember how the role of Joanie, played by actress Susan Neher in the very first Happy Days episode, was snatched by the 13 year old shark-like Moran. Neher was shaky in the role; Moran smelled blood in the water - and went in for the kill.