Anson Williams Reveals His 'Happy Days' Salary Wasn't Enough, So He Started Singing

Anson Williams played Potsie Weber on“Happy Days,”one of the biggest sitcoms of the 1970s. What most fans never knew is that the role didn’t exactly set him up for life. Williams says he earned between $900 and $1,200 per episode, a number that sounds solid until you factor in the era’s lack of streaming residuals and the fact that the show ran for a decade.

So he made a move. After conversations with David Cassidy and Barry Williams about how much income music was bringing them, Williams pitched“Happy Days”creator Garry Marshall on working a band into the show. Marshall’s test was unusual: he had Williams sing to a bulldog. The gamble paid off. Fan letters came pouring in, a major agent signed him, and Williams spent roughly ten years booked at state fairs across the country.

When“Happy Days”ended, he reinvented himself again, this time as a writer and director on shows including“Beverly Hills, 90210.”Now 77, Williams shared the whole story on the“Still Here Hollywood Podcast.”It’s a reminder that a big break doesn’t always come with a big paycheck, and the people who thrive are the ones who keep building. What’s the most creative side hustle you’ve ever pulled off?