Richie Cunningham

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).