Marshall broke ground as the first female director to gross $100 million with "Big" in 1988," which starred Tom Hanks.
ADVERTISEMENTPenny Marshall, who rose to fame as Laverne in the 1970s sitcom "Laverne and Shirley" and evolved into a powerhouse director, has died at age 75.
Marshall died Monday night at her home in Los Angeles due to complications from diabetes, according to her publicist, Michelle Bega.
Marshall broke ground as the first female director to gross $100 million with "Big" in 1988," which starred Tom Hanks.
She also directed and executive produced "A League of Their Own," also starring Hanks, Geena Davis, and Madonna. "A League of Their Own" was the second of her films to surpass the $100 million mark.
Her other directing credits include "Renaissance Man," starring Danny DeVito, Gregory Hines, and Mark Wahlberg in his first feature film role; "The Preacher's Wife," which starred Whitney Houston opposite Denzel Washington and "Riding in Cars with Boys."
The Marshall family said in a statement: "Our family is heartbroken over the passing of Penny Marshall."
