One star of “Happy Days” truly relied on his costars to help him adjust after moving out to the West Coast. That included Mr. C.
Actor Don Most talked about it during a 2010 appearance on “CBS This Morning.” He speaks with co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez after the death of “Happy Days” star Tom Bosley. Bosley, who played Howard Cunningham on the ABC sitcom, died on Oct. 19, 2010, at 83 years old.
“Seeing him, seeing Tom Bosley in those clips, it makes me so sad,” Rodriguez said. “I can’t imagine how you must be feeling. I don’t know if it was that comforting voice, that pleasant demeanor, but everybody in America felt like he was our dad, too.”
“Absolutely, and that was the case for the cast,” Most said. “The four guys, you know, Ron [Howard], Henry [Winkler], Anson [Williams], myself, especially for me. I had recently moved to California, I was 20 years old, my family was on the East Coast. So, to a large degree, the ‘Happy Days’ gang became my West Coast family, and what better father figure to have than Mr. C in Tom Bosley. Unbelievable.”
Howard played Richie Cunningham, Winkler played, obviously, The Fonz, and Williams played “Potsie” Webber in the sitcom set in the 1950s.
‘Happy Days’ Star Would Receive ‘Sage Advice’ From Bosley During Show’s Run
“Did you ever turn to him or did he ever offer fatherly advice?” Rodriguez asks.
“Absolutely,” Most said. “As I was mentioning, the four of us, when we first started the show, we were all single, single men, and he saw us go through getting married, getting our first homes. And he loved to sit down with us sometimes before the day’s work and find out what was going on in our lives. Offer us some sage advice and, you know, he really was our dad in so many ways.
“And, you know, like you mentioned, in that inimitable voice of his was so comforting and soothing,” Most said. “I think most of America felt that way.”
“Happy Days” spent 11 seasons on ABC and Bosley, who later starred in the “Father Dowling Mysteries” also on ABC, was a part of that cast until the show ended. Now the show was created by Garry Marshall, who wanted to put the show in the 1950s after seeing George Lucas’ film “American Graffiti.”
Most Goes From Ralph Malph Role To Finding True Career In Singing, Theater
Most would leave the hit show after seven seasons, desiring to move along to other roles. It took him some time after “Happy Days” to find work, yet he did. Most’s original dream was to become a singer, one who performed many of the standards recorded by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and Ella Fitzgerald.
If you want to find Most these days, then look for him singing with a band backing him up. The East Coast kid’s dream of becoming a standards singer has come true.
Yet classic TV fans can see Most as Ralph Malph when “Happy Days” reruns show up all over the world. The role made Most a household name. While it ended up not being fulfilling as a long-term career commitment, Most would take his fame and move into other realms of acting and singing.
