Stepping out circa the 1980s, Linda Purl embraced the decade’s relaxed tailoring in a structured, oversized blazer layered over a dark button-down shirt. Her wispy fringe and swept-back tresses drew focus to the softening contours of her face and engaging smile, capturing an effortless transition into her late 20s. | Source: Getty Images
Ashley was far more than another romantic interest for television’s most famous leather-jacketed bachelor. She was a divorced mother raising her young daughter, Heather, played by Heather O’Rourke.
The pairing created a new family around Fonzie and allowed viewers to see a softer, more settled side of the impossibly cool character. Away from the scripts, Linda and Heather were forming a bond that became even more tender.
Glitz and glamor defined 27-year-old Linda Purl’s appearance in the 1982 ABC television movie “Money on the Side”. Shimmering emerald-green sequins, dramatic smoky eye makeup, and voluminous blonde waves captured a striking, sophisticated transition into her late 20s. | Source: Getty Images
In real life, Heather’s mother was raising her children alone, working full-time, and living some distance from the studio. Linda began welcoming Heather into her home for overnight stays, giving the young actress a safe place to rest when the demands on her mother became difficult.
“It was very easy to have Heather spend a few nights with me,” Linda recalled in a 2025 interview. “Heather and I would make dinner; I would read her stories and tuck her in at night.”
