Fame & Fortune: Actress/singer Linda Purl Fonzie's fiancee keeps career and portfolio diversified
By Tamar Alexia Fleishman • Bankrate.com

Actress and singer Linda Purl is one of those entertainers you always recognize but rarely can name.

Viewers will remember her as Fonzie's fiancee Ashley Pfister on "Happy Days" and Charlene Matlock on "Matlock." Purl is a fixture in the made-for-TV-movie genre, including "Born Free," "The Last Days of Pompeii" and "Like Normal People." She has also worked in several feature films, including "Mighty Joe Young."

A solid singer as well as actor, Purl has made many appearances in Broadway and off-Broadway productions, like "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "Getting and Spending." Her song stylings can be heard on such recordings as "George and Ira Gershwin: A Musical Celebration," "Cole Porter: A Musical Toast," "Adler, Boch, Coleman," "A Hollywood Christmas" and her solo album, "Alone Together." She released a solo CD, "Out of this World," in July and subsequently finished work on romantic thriller for Lifetime, "Maid of Honor."

Bankrate: How do you compare the business of acting on TV to that of a singer? Is it different because of union rules, for example?

Linda Purl: I think for cabaret, there's a lot more autonomy. You can call, book yourself a club and get yourself a gig. Autonomy is a big factor for me. I don't miss waiting for somebody else's cue.

Bankrate: A lot of people who were on "Happy Days" were mentored in their careers by Garry Marshall. Were you?

Linda Purl: Oh, yes. He was an archetypal patriarch; he provided a very grounded culture. He formed a softball team to level the playing field between director and actors. It was very family-oriented. The humor was innocent, so the atmosphere was innocent. It was different from a lot of shows that were out then.

Bankrate: Your ex-husband, Dezi Arnaz Jr., produced your album. Tell me what it's like to work with an ex-husband?

Linda Purl: Ha ha! We worked together a lot over the years, with albums and plays. This was one more project. We were in "Grease" together.

Bankrate: Did you work together while you were married?

Linda Purl: We worked before, not so much during, and then after. I trust him. We have an entirely sick relationship -- we finish each others' sentences.

Bankrate: You are the festival director of the Rubicon International Theatrical Festival. What types of business decisions do you make in that role?

Linda Purl: I love the theater. After Sept. 11, we have to create an arena where we talk to each other across cultural lines. I grew up in Japan, went to school in England and France. It exposed me to international theatrical groups; I want to bring them over. Working on "Happy Days" prepared me to do this work, absolutely. I learned about teamwork, hierarchy, translation of a dream into reality.

Bankrate: Do you manage your own money?

Linda Purl: I do. I have a company; I'm able to run a lot of expenses through the company. It's a pleasure for me to do the bills myself, pay the electric bills. I like to keep a close eye on things. With the festivals, they're not for profit. You have to pull in the funds. The fund-raising aspect is very interesting. You have to find the companies to whom it's interesting.

Bankrate: Do you have investments?

Linda Purl: Yes, I work with a very conservative stock broker. Being in the entertainment business, my quota for risk taking is used up. I have property that I've held onto in Colorado and LA, vacation properties. My stock-market portfolio is pretty balanced. I never was heavily into tech. I have a balance of old and new companies.