Happy Days ‘Potsie’ to appear at weekend O’Reilly Car Show

     The actor who played “Warren ‘Potsie’ Weber” on the popular TV show “Happy Days,” Anson Williams, will be the celebrity guest at this year’s 54^th annual KCRG-TV9 O’Reilly Auto Parts Rod & Custom Car Show, Feb. 25 and 26, at the Monticello Berndes Center.

   Williams will be meeting with fans and car show attendees, signing autographs, and taking photos.

   “I’m looking forward to shaking hands and giving hugs and enjoying everyone coming to the show,” Williams shared during a recent interview with the Monticello Express.

   “Happy Days” ran from 1974-84. The show was set in the 1950s and ‘60s, which is why Williams feels it still resonates with people yet today after years of syndication.

   “It never goes away; it’s always entertaining,” he said of the show. “It’s as iconic today as it was then.”

   He said now there are grandparents, parents, and their kids all enjoying the show at the same time.

   “It means a lot and I feel responsible of giving back to the fans,” said Williams.

   By attending events like the Car Show, he said he’s able to get to visit with so many people who, in turn, inspire him.

   “It was a magical time,” recalled Williams. “I cherish the memories with the cast.”

   Williams was last in Monticello at the O’Reilly Car Show in 2007, appearing with co-star Erin Moran who played “Joanie Cunningham.” She passed away in 2017.

   Williams shared that there were two pilots filmed for “Happy Days.”

   “The first one didn’t sell; it had a different Joanie,” he said.

   During a hiatus, Williams was filming a Hallmark movie with a then-12-year-old Erin Moran. He recommended her as Joanie.

   “She auditioned and got the job,” he said.

   Just recently, on Jan. 25, Williams and his fellow cast members lost another dear friend, Cindy Williams. Their friendship goes back decades…

   “I couldn’t and still can’t process it,” he said of her passing. “There’s been a lot of sadness, grief and tears.”

   Cindy Williams appeared in a number of “Happy Days” as her character Shirley Feeney from “Laverne & Shirley.”

   Williams said the two traveled the world doing events like the Car Show together for years.

   “She was a good friend and tremendous actress,” he reminisced. “She was a generous actress. Her heart was bigger than her talent; that will be her legacy.”

   Aside from “Happy Days,” Williams has written, directed, and produced numerous TV shows over the years, and is still involved in the industry yet today.

   In 2014, he published a book, “Singing to a Bulldog: From Happy Days to Hollywood Director, and the Unlikely Mentor Who Got Me There.”

   Williams will be on hand Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m.; Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

   This year’s O’Reilly Car Show will feature a new selection of show entries including street rods, custom cars, street machines, hot pickups, race cars, and custom motorcycles, including some never before seen. They will all be competing for trophies from McAllister Electrical Services and Citizens State Bank cash prizes.

   The 38^th Annual Model Car Contest is also back with a new selection of model cars competing for trophies and model kit prizes.

   Spectators at the Car Show can participate in voting for three show awards: People’s Choice car/pickup, People’s Choice motorcycle, and People’s Choice model car. Guests are also eligible for door prizes.

   Back this year is Saturday “Date Night,” where ladies will be admitted for free from 6 to 10 p.m.

   The Monticello Eagles Club Ladies Auxiliary #4466 will be serving food in the concession stands. Proceeds will go toward community projects.

   Car Show hours are Feb. 25, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Feb. 26, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults; $5 for children. Children 12 and under are admitted free with a paid adult. Get $1 off by bringing a can food item to benefit Four Oaks.

   For more information, visit rodandcustomcarshow.com.