She starred as Laverne in the sitcom Laverne & Shirley ( which aired between 1976 and 1983 ) and directed multiple films including 1988 's Big . The pair were a hit with the studio audience and Garry Marshall co-created and starred them in a hit spin-off , Laverne and Shirley ( 1976 â `` 1983 ) . The characters of Laverne and Shirley also appeared in five more episodes of Happy Days .