Who is Henry Winkler?
There’s much more to Henry Winkler than a thumbs up and an 'Ayyyyyy'. Meet the man behind the Fonz here.
Image: Hazardous History with Henry Winkler
Best known for playing the charismatic greaser Arthur 'The Fonz' Fonzarelli on the smash-hit 70s sitcom Happy Days, Henry Winkler is one of the most iconic faces working in television today. According to all who have met him, he’s also one of the nicest.
Despite his on-screen cool-guy image, Winkler himself suffered from a difficult childhood fraught with adversity and self-doubt. What’s more, the role that launched him as an actor would also go on to cripple his career for the best part of a decade.
To learn more about the fascinating life of this man, read on… and if you still can’t get enough Henry Winkler in your life, be sure to check out his new series on Sky HISTORY, Hazardous History with Henry Winkler, which is coming soon later this year.
A troubled childhood
Henry’s parents were Harry and Ilse Winkler, who escaped Nazi Germany in 1939 just in the nick of time – their uncle, who was due to leave a single day later was not so lucky. He, along with the rest of their extended family, was executed during the Holocaust.
Six years later, Henry was born in New York City. Although a lively and enthusiastic child, he suffered badly from dyslexia and, with the condition not fully understood at the time, his symptoms were mistaken by his parents and teachers as a lack of intelligence. Indeed, the former even went so far as to nickname him dummer Hund (dumb dog), severely denting his self-confidence.
Henry’s parents both worked in the family lumber business and wished their son to follow in their footsteps – but he had other ideas. After watching the Moiseyev Dance Company perform at Madison Square Gardens and seeing West Side Story on the silver screen, the young Winkler knew that acting was what he wanted to do.
He studied drama at Emerson College in Boston and graduated with an undergraduate degree, going on to land several minor film roles and TV commercials to keep himself afloat. It wasn’t until he moved to Los Angeles at the age of 27, however, that he got his big break.
Happy Days are here
Henry Winkler was one of the last people to audition for the role of Fonzie on Happy Days and, at first glance, he seemed unlikely to get the part. The producer, Garry Marshall, had initially envisaged a tall, athletic blond in the role. Winkler was a short, dark-haired man from NYC. Nonetheless, he nailed the audition and got the part.
The Fonz was originally going to serve as a side-character to Ron Howard’s Richie Cunningham, the all-American everyman student. But despite having only a few lines in the show’s pilot, the Fonz was an instant hit with audiences and he was quickly given more prominence in the show, including his own catchphrases.
Winkler would go on to play the Fonz for 11 seasons across 10 years and the fame and riches it brought him is something he has said he will be eternally grateful for. However, there was also a downside to the show’s success; once it ended Winkler struggled to break type and was not cast in any roles for nine years.
It was at this point that Winkler sought to diversify his career. He went into producing, serving as an executive producer on the hit series MacGyver and winning an award for an children’s after-school special. He also directed several movies, including Memories of Me with Billy Crystal and A Cop and a Half with Burt Reynolds.
Comeback and charity work
A friendship with Adam Sandler earned Winkler roles in several of the former’s movies, including a memorable turn in The Waterboy in 1998. It wasn’t until he was cast in the role of inept lawyer Barry Zuckercorn in Arrested Development in 2003 that his comeback was complete.
Winkler would also earn acclaim for his performances as Dr Lu Saperstein on Parks and Recreation and Gene Cousineau on Barry. Indeed, his no-nonsense acting coach on the latter series (inspired by Winkler’s own experiences with several mentors throughout his education) would eventually win him an Emmy – at the seventh time of asking and at the ripe age of 72.
Aside from commanding a reputation as an incredible character actor and as an extremely personable man, Winkler has also devoted his life to charitable endeavours. Most notably, he is involved in various projects aimed at caring for and safeguarding vulnerable children, especially those suffering from dyslexia.
His series of Hank Zipzer children’s books, for example, are printed in a special font designed to be easier for dyslexic children to read. He also gives his time and funds to organisations such as Toys for Tots and the Epilepsy Foundation, doing his best to ensure youngsters do not struggle and suffer in the same way he did.
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