Roz Kelly - Biography

Roz Kelly (born July 29, 1943) is an American actress, perhaps best known for playing Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli's (Henry Winkler) girlfriend Carol "Pinky" Tuscadero on the hit television series Happy Days.

Before Happy Days

Before Happy Days, Roz Kelly worked as a staff photographer for New York Magazine, where she took pictures of both unknowns and celebrities, including Jimi Hendrix, Soupy Sales, Andy Warhol, Cream, Leonard Cohen, Neil Diamond and photographer Diane Arbus.

Happy Days

On Happy Days, Kelly played Carol "Pinky" Tuscadero, the older sister of Leather Tuscadero (singer Suzi Quatro) who also dated "Fonzie" in a later episode. Just as Arthur Fonzarelli insisted on being called "Fonzie" or "the Fonz", Carol insisted on being called "Pinky", and usually dressed in attire to match. Pinky was slated to be Fonzie's long-term girlfriend after her initial appearances in episodes #64–66 and, in fact, commercials for the next season even began promoting Kelly's new character. When discord occurred among Kelly, the cast and producers, her character was dropped; she was only mentioned briefly in two later episodes: where her sister Leather came into town to start a fresh life from reform school; and when Fonzie was out of town at a demolition derby with Pinky.

Beyond Happy Days

Beyond Happy Days, Kelly reprised her Pinky role on episode 1 of Blansky's Beauties - a short-lived 1977 Happy Days spin-off. Kelly also played guest roles on Starsky and Hutch (1975), Match Game '76 (1976), The Paul Lynde Halloween Special (1976), Baretta (1978), Kojak (1978), The Love Boat (1978), The Dukes of Hazzard (1979), Charlie's Angels (1980) and Fantasy Island (1982). Her role in Starsky and Hutch was created when star Paul Michael Glaser (Starsky) planned to quit at the start of the third season, with Kelly's character, Officer Linda Baylor, intended to fill his place. However, Glaser was persuaded to stay, and Kelly's character ultimately only appeared in one episode, Fatal Charm.

Her characters on these other shows never reached the level of cult fame that "Pinky" gave her. So closely identified was she with the character that she was billed as Roz "Pinky Tuscadero" Kelly for her appearance in The Paul Lynde Halloween Special.

During this period, Kelly also appeared as a celebrity panelist on such game shows as Match Game and Hollywood Squares.

Kelly also played roles in low budget movies throughout the late 1970s/early 1980s including: The Owl and the Pussycat; Greetings; You've Got to Walk It Like You Talk It; You'll Lose That Beat; Okay Bill; The Female Response; American Pop; New Year's Evil; and Full Moon High. These movies were indicative of her career that was based on a lot of potential, but limited exposure due to lack of distribution. Most of these small parts emphasized her body and highly sexual demeanor.

Kelly appeared as a guest of The Jenny Jones Show episode focusing on "Whatever Happened to Your Favorite Television Stars", along with What's Happening's Danielle Spencer.

Personal life

Kelly was born in Mount Vernon, New York, of half Irish and half Jewish ancestry. Kelly spends her time in upstate New York with her family and friends. Her hobbies include sewing and writing poetry. Although not officially retired from acting, she has not worked in the film genre in over a decade. To this day, fans of Happy Days recognize her as "Pinky" and she remains amazed at her cult following and the number of people who actually know her as Roz Kelly, considering the rather small screen career she has had. She has often said sarcastically that those people scare her.

On November 29, 1998, she was arrested for firing a 12-gauge shotgun into the living room window of a neighbor's house after a car alarm woke her up; she also shot the neighbor's car and another car nearby. The neighbor was not home at the time. She pleaded no contest to the charge of firing into the house and was sentenced to three years' felony probation on October 20, 2000. Kelly was also ordered to receive psychiatric counseling and pay restitution as ordered by the probation department.

On October 27, 2000, she was sentenced to 120 days in jail after pleading 'no contest' to charges stemming from an August 20, 2000, arrest for hitting a man with her cane. She was given credit for the 98 days that she had already spent in jail awaiting sentencing, thus avoiding having to spend any more time in jail.

She is known as Roxie to her family and friends.

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