Al Molinaro, the actor widely known for playing the lovable drive-in owner and chef Al Delvecchio in the US sitcom Happy Days, has passed away aged 96.

He died of complications from gallstone problems at Verdugo Hills Hospital in Glendale, California, his son Michael Molinaro confirmed to TMZ. Molinaro was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He played clarinet in a band as a teenager, then worked at a variety of jobs after leaving school before eventually breaking into acting.