10 stars whose careers were changed by Garry Marshall

Garry Marshall may be best known for gifting the world great comedies, from “Happy Days” to “Pretty Woman,” but he also had a lesser-known talent: launching the careers of famous actors. Since Marshall’s death at 81 on Tuesday, Hollywood stars have been flocking to social media to thank the director for giving them a chance. Here’s a look at 10 people who could thank him for their careers.

— Robin Williams

The world was first introduced to Williams in 1978 when he played Mork from Ork in the fish-out-of-water sitcom “Mork & Mindy,” which Marshall co-created. The show was the perfect vehicle for Williams’ manic humor, and it didn’t take long for him to graduate to headlining major features, including “Popeye” in 1980 and “The World According to Garp” in 1982.

— Julia Roberts

Roberts was already on the rise when she starred in Marshall’s “Pretty Woman” in 1990, but she was known mainly for serious roles in ensemble dramas, like 1998’s “Mystic Pizza” and “Steel Magnolias” the following year (which earned her a supporting actress Oscar nomination). Her first star turn, playing a prostitute opposite Richard Gere, changed how the movie-going masses saw her. She was suddenly a comedic actress with the charm and physical humor of Lucille Ball. She became the romantic comedy actress for a while, starring in “Notting Hill,” “My Best Friend’s Wedding” and “America’s Sweethearts.” “Pretty Woman” got Roberts her second of four Academy Award nominations. (She won, in 2001, for “Erin Brockovich.”)

“Pretty Woman” also sparked a lasting friendship with Marshall, as the two collaborated on “Runaway Bride,” “Valentine’s Day” and “Mother’s Day.”

— Henry Winkler

Just imagine: With no Garry Marshall, there would have been no Fonz — the leather jacket-wearing epitome of cool on the Marshall-created “Happy Days.” Of course Winkler wasn’t just the Fonz. He’s also starred in “Arrested Development,” “Scream” and “Parks and Recreation” among many, many other titles.

— Anne Hathaway

Nobody knew Hathaway when she starred as an ugly duckling in Marshall’s 2001 film “The Princess Diaries” — the only thing the actress had done before was the short-lived television series “Get Real.” It led to the similarly family-friendly “Ella Enchanted,” before she switched gears to the more adult “Brokeback Mountain” and “The Devil Wears Prada.”

— Sarah Paulson

The clear favorite for an Emmy this year for her work in “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story,” Paulson mourned the lost star.

She’s referring to her early role in “The Other Sister,” the 1999 romantic comedy in which she played the sibling to Juliette Lewis’ title character.

— Mandy Moore

Once a teen pop princess vying to be like Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears, Moore transitioned to the big screen thanks to Marshall, who cast her as the cheerleading mean girl in “The Princess Diaries.” Pretty quickly, her music career took a backseat to acting, which has included starring roles in cheesy teen movies “A Walk to Remember,” “How to Deal” and “Chasing Liberty.”

— Mayim Bialik

Years before “Blossom,” Marshall took a chance on the 13-year-old Bialik. He hired the young brunette actress — from scores of hopefuls — to play a younger version of Bette Midler’s character in “Beaches,” even though the two actresses looked nothing alike.

“I really don’t know why they picked me,” Bialik told People. “They changed my hair color, they changed the color of my eyes, and they didn’t like my singing voice. Beats me.” It turns out that what Bialik lacked in Midler-like looks, she made up for in sass. She won over Marshall by showing up to the audition with a red wig and a pack of cigarettes.

“Mayim was shy at first, but the second time we saw her, she was cooking,” Marshall said at the time. “In the film she went fiat out.”

— Scott Baio

“Happy Days” launched Baio’s career and earned him a short-lived spin-off, “Joanie Loves Chachi.” He went on to star in the ’80s sitcom “Charles in Charge.”

But this week, Baio is best known as a Republican convention speaker.

— Hector Elizondo

No Marshall retrospective would be complete without an Elizondo mention. The actor had supporting roles in more than a dozen of the director’s movies, including “The Flamingo Kid,” “The Princess Diaries,” “Frankie and Johnny” and “Exit to Eden.” But it was probably his part as the kindly hotel manager in “Pretty Woman” that made the actor a fan favorite.

— Rob Lowe

The former Brat Packer took to Twitter to celebrate Marshall, who gave the actor a shot when he was just a teenager. (We’re still trying to figure out what the project was.)

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