oh. she got a cough drop stuck in her. reporter: penny marshall bringing her dry wit and that accent from the bronx. there is only one fair way to settle this. fine by me. ahh! reporter: carole penny marshall was born october 15th, 1943, in the bronx, where she would grow up, never losing that accent. attending her mother, marjorie s, dance school. there she is, right there on the far right. it was her brother, legendary director and producer, gary marshall, who gave her a break. first casting his sister in a show, the odd couple, and then happy days. hey, fonzi! hey, defazio. they re here. reporter: and then getting her own show in 1976. one of the most successful spinoffs of all time. here it is, i got it right here. reporter: by its third season, laverne & shirley was the most watched show in america. later, penny marshall would move behind the lens, becoming a director, directing tom hanks in big.