Richie Cunningham

Richard Cunningham
Richie talking to a girl.
First appearance	"Love and the Happy Days"
Last appearance	"Passages Part 2"
Created by	Garry Marshall
Portrayed by	Ron Howard
Information
Nickname(s)	Richie, Rich, Sizzle Lips
Gender	Male
Occupation	Reporter, Screenwriter, Soldier
Family	Joanie Cunningham (sister), Marion Cunningham (mother) Howard Cunningham (father) Chuck Cunningham (brother)
Spouse(s)	Lori Beth Cunningham (wife)
Children	Richard Cunningham Jr. (son)
Relatives	Roger Phillips (cousin) Leopold "Flip" Phillips (cousin) KC Cunningham (cousin) Sean Cunningham (grandfather) Charles "Chachi" Arcola (brother-in-law) Emily Allen (mother-in-law) David Allen (father-in-law) Alfred Delvecchio (Stepuncle-in-law?) Louisa Arcola Delvecchio (Aunt-in-law?)

Richard J. "Richie" Cunningham is a fictional character played by Ron Howard on the sitcom Happy Days. He is the second son of Howard and Marion Cunningham, brother of Joanie Cunningham and Chuck Cunningham, and a friend of Fonzie, Ralph Malph, and Potsie Weber. Cunningham was the original lead character, but was supplanted by Fonzie when that character's popularity came to dwarf that of Cunningham's and the other characters (however, Ron Howard and Henry Winkler (Fonzie) continued to share top billing in the opening credits of the show).

Howard also played the character in several other shows: he appeared in guest appearances on Love, American Style and Laverne & Shirley, and was a regular on the animated series The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang.

Richie Cunningham was the quintessential example of the All-American, 1950s teenager. He was exceedingly wholesome and, with his red hair and freckles, he bore more than a passing resemblance to Howdy Doody. Occasionally he got into trouble, usually in some scheme designed to attract women, but he did not seem to have a malicious bone in his body.

Many of the episodes revolved around Richie's attempts to pick up women, and there was little that the clean-cut teen would not do to land a date. If buying a new car or joining a local gang was what it took, Richie was ready and willing to give it a shot. Whenever he was feeling particularly lucky—especially when he spotted a prospective girlfriend—he would sing Fats Domino's, "I found my thrill ... on Blueberry Hill." On the occasions that he would become angry or annoyed, he would call any nemesis "bucko," even going as far as calling Fonzie this on several occasions.