Henry Winkler: From "The Fonz" to Emmy Award Winner and Children's Author
Henry Franklin Winkler is an American actor, producer, director, and author. He is widely recognized as Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli on the sitcom Happy Days (1974-1984), and has distinguished himself as a character actor for roles on stage and screen. Audiences always leave Henry's presentations inspired and entertained. Through humorous anecdotes and inspirational life lessons about overcoming adversity to his storied career in television and entertainment, groups of all ages can learn from Henry's speeches.
Early Life and Education: Overcoming Challenges
Henry Franklin Winkler was born on October 30, 1945, in Manhattan, New York City. His parents, Harry Irving Winkler and Ilse Anna Maria Hadra Winkler, were German Jews who immigrated to the United States in 1939 to escape Nazi Germany. Only one day after they fled, Winkler’s uncle was unable to leave Germany; he and most of Winkler’s extended family perished in the Holocaust. The "H" in his first name is a reference to his Uncle Helmut, while his middle name refers to President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Growing up on Manhattan’s West Side, Winkler faced significant academic challenges due to undiagnosed dyslexia. Winkler had a tough childhood, partly because of dyslexia that went undiagnosed until he was an adult. His parents, who ran a lumber company, had planned for him to join the family business, but his learning disability led them to mistake his struggles for low intelligence. His parents were verbally and physically abusive at times, nicknaming him dummer Hund (German: “dumb dog”). Winkler first attended P.S. 87 before attending McBurney School. Although Winkler graduated from the McBurney School in 1963, he was not allowed to attend graduation, as he had to repeat geometry for the fourth time during summer school.
Despite these obstacles, Winkler developed an early interest in acting. When he was in the sixth grade, Winkler saw the Moiseyev Dance Company perform at Madison Square Garden in New York City; when he was 13 years old he saw the film West Side Story (1961). Both experiences helped to generate his interest in acting and provide him with a vision of a way out of his unhappy circumstances at home and in school. After graduating from high school, Winkler attended Emerson College in Boston to study drama. He won the lead role in a production of the play Peer Gynt and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1967 despite nearly flunking out. He then attended the Yale School of Drama, where he studied under Stella Adler and Norma Brustein. Both teachers were harsh critics, which proved to be valuable fodder for Winkler’s later turn as an acting coach in Barry. Because of his traumatic childhood and learning disability, Winkler often struggled with confidence at Yale. He told The New York Times Magazine in 2022: I was like a hummingbird, flapping my wings to stay up. I didn’t mean to be defensive, I tried to stay open. I took notes, but I couldn’t spell, so I couldn’t read back my notes because I couldn’t tell what…it said.
Winkler applied to 28 colleges but was admitted to only two of them. During his senior year at Emerson, Winkler decided to audition for the Yale School of Drama. Although his then-undiagnosed dyslexia led to his forgetting the Shakespearean monologue he was supposed to perform, forcing him to improvise, Winkler was still admitted to the M.F.A. program.
Read also: Understanding the Henry Scholarship
Early Career and the Rise of "The Fonz"
After Yale, Winkler pursued acting roles in New York. In 1970 he appeared with the Yale Repertory Theatre in a stage adaptation of three short stories by Philip Roth in East Hampton on Long Island, New York, playing multiple roles. The New York Times praised his performance as Private Grossbart, noting that “Grossbart’s crusade of self-interest is almost Iago-like in its intensity, but with charm, both sides captured by the boyish Henry Winkler.” For the next few years his career was sporadic; he appeared in some television commercials, landed a role in a Broadway show that closed after opening night, and had a brief scene in a soap opera, in which he had just one line. His first film role was in Crazy Joe (1974), starring Peter Boyle.
In 1973 Winkler moved to West Hollywood, and his luck quickly changed. That year he was cast in cameos on the popular sitcoms The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Bob Newhart Show. He also auditioned for the pilot of Happy Days, a nostalgic ABC sitcom set in 1950s and ’60s Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The diminutive Winkler, who is about 5-feet, 6-inches tall (1.67 meters), was not what producer Garry Marshall initially had in mind for the part of Fonzie. “I thought I wanted a tall, handsome blond, and in walked a short, dark-haired actor from Emerson College and the Yale School of Drama,” Marshall wrote in his memoir, My Happy Days in Hollywood (2012). “Henry wasn’t Fonzie, but he could ‘act’ like Fonzie.” Ultimately, Winkler beat out Micky Dolenz of the Monkees for the part.
Winkler's first appearance on Broadway was as "John" in 42 Seconds from Broadway, a play that opened and closed on March 11, 1973. By 1973, he had roles in two independent films, The Lords of Flatbush and Crazy Joe. By 1973, his agent told him that it was time to leave New York and explore possibilities in California. Although Winkler was initially resistant, thinking he was not a good fit for Hollywood, his agent was persistent.
"The Fonz" was initially written as a minor role and developed as the foil for the central protagonist of the series, Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard). Winkler made his own interpretation of the character during the first episode, choosing not to comb his hair, chew gum, or keep a box of cigarettes rolled in his sleeve like actors typically did with this type of character. Although he tried to explain this philosophy to the producers, he was told he had to follow the script and comb his hair. He thus stood at the mirror, motioned in a way that suggested "Hey I don't have to because it's perfect," and in doing so, created the seminal moment which defined the character.
ABC executives did not want to see Fonzie wearing leather, thinking it would imply that the character was a criminal. Thus, during the first season, Winkler wore two different windbreaker jackets, one of which was green. Director Garry Marshall argued with the executives about the jacket, and eventually they made a compromise: Fonzie could wear the leather jacket, but only in scenes with his motorcycle. Marshall thus made certain that his motorcycle was written into every scene. In reality, Winkler did not know how to ride a motorcycle.
Read also: Explore Henry Ford College
Winkler had just a half dozen lines in the Happy Days pilot, which aired in 1974. But his character was a hit with audiences. Initially a sidekick to Richie Cunningham, the all-American teenage character played by Ron Howard, Fonzie soon stole the show with his cool demeanor, multiple girlfriends, and black leather jacket. The show’s writers gave him more lines and signature phrases: “whoa” and “ayyy,” the latter of which Fonzie usually uttered with a double thumbs-up. The Fonz became a cultural phenomenon, and his likeness appeared on everything from posters to tube socks. By the middle of the second season in December 1974, "The Fonz" began his transition as a breakout character when he was featured as the central protagonist in the episode, "Guess Who's Coming to Christmas". By the third season, he became the lead of the series, as the storylines shifted away from the original protagonist, Richie Cunningham, to "The Fonz". Winkler recalled in a 2018 interview that he directly addressed the issue with Ron Howard, who portrayed Cunningham. According to Winkler, Howard told him that although he "was signed on as the star, you did nothing except be as good as you could be.
Winkler was nominated for an Emmy Award for outstanding lead actor three years in a row (1976-78), and he won a Golden Globe Award in 1977 and in 1978 for best actor in a comedy TV series. Underneath the hype, however, Winkler had crafted Fonzie as a nuanced character full of humor and pathos. But over time, Fonzie became a caricature, perhaps best illustrated by an absurd episode in 1977 in which he water skis over a shark while wearing tight denim shorts and his signature leather jacket. The scene later became the inspiration for the pop culture phrase “jump the shark,” which describes when a TV show has gone over the top with a ridiculous storyline. The phrase “jump the shark” describes the moment when something successful, such as a TV series, undergoes a significant change for the worse. It was inspired by a ridiculous episode of Happy Days in which Fonzie (played by Henry Winkler) water skis over a shark while wearing his denim shorts and his signature leather jacket.
Overcoming Typecasting and Transition to Directing and Producing
During his run on Happy Days, Winkler had a few roles in films, including Heroes (1977) and The One and Only (1978). These performances met with scorching reviews from critics, though he later scored a Golden Globe nomination for his role in the dark comedy Night Shift (1982).
After Happy Days ended in 1984, Winkler was typecast as Fonzie and could not land roles. “I never resented the Fonz. He put a roof over my head,” Winkler told AARP in 2023. “But after Happy Days, I struggled with being locked out of opportunity.” He shifted to producing and won a Daytime Emmy Award for a children’s after-school special in 1985. He also turned to directing, notably helming the movies Memories of Me (1988), starring Billy Crystal, and Cop and a Half (1993), featuring Burt Reynolds. During his decade on Happy Days, Winkler also appeared in a variety of roles in film and on television. In television, he served as executive producer and host for the 50-minute television version of the documentary, Who Are the DeBolts? And Where Did They Get Nineteen Kids? In addition, Winkler starred in An American Christmas Carol (1979), and served as a co-host for the Music for UNICEF Concert (1979). He also appeared as "Fonzie" on Sesame Street to promote the letter "A" (ayyyy), later recalling that it was "the only time I ever appeared as the Fonz on something else.
After Happy Days ended in 1984, Winkler was typecast, and could not get acting roles until 1991. He later stated that his "agent would put me out there and people would say, 'You know, he's great, he's a wonderful guy, really good actor. Funny, So funny. But he was the Fonz.'" Winkler, who desired to be a working actor, felt "rudderless" during this period; desiring to continue a presence in the industry, he started the production company Fair Dinkum Productions in the late 1970s. Winkler has always been concerned about the quality of children’s television programming. He has produced countless worthwhile projects for young audiences, including Happily Ever After for PBS and its sequel, Two Daddies to Love Me.
Read also: The Mind of Henry David Thoreau
Career Resurgence and Acclaim for "Barry"
Winkler returned to acting in the early 1990s. In 1994, after Adam Sandler name-dropped Arthur Fonzarelli in the lyrics of “The Chanukah Song” on an episode of Saturday Night Live, Winkler called to thank him. That led to a friendship and a working relationship in which Sandler cast Winkler in several of his comedy films, starting with The Waterboy (1998). In 1996, he appeared in his friend Wes Craven's 1996 film Scream as foul-mouthed high school principal Arthur Himbry. His role was uncredited, however, as the producers were concerned that he would only be seen as The Fonz, and thus distract from the film. Winkler also landed guest roles on various TV shows, including the comedy Battery Park (2000) and the legal drama The Practice (1999-2000), which earned him two more Emmy nominations. In 2000, Winkler was nominated for a Primetime Emmy, Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, for his portrayal of Dr. Henry Olson in The Practice.
Beginning in 2003, Winkler appeared in a high-profile role on the series Arrested Development, playing the incompetent lawyer Barry Zuckerkorn. Arrested Development is known for its inside jokes. In three episodes of the 2013 reboot, Winkler's son Max portrayed "young Barry Zuckerkorn" in flashbacks. In addition, there were a number of references to Happy Days, such as in the season three episode "Forget-Me-Now", where Scott Baio joined the cast as the potentially new lawyer Bob Loblaw, stating, "look, this is not the first time I've been brought in to replace Barry Zuckerkorn." Vulture argues that this statement is "a nod to Happy Days, where [Baio] was brought on as Chachi, to be a new teen idol as Henry Winkler got older". In addition, Barry's hopping over a shark on the pier in "Motherboy XXX" is a reference to Jon Hein's phrase jumping the shark. In 1999, the celebrated playwright, Neil Simon asked him to read for his play, The Dinner Party. This was an honor that could easily turn into an embarrassment for someone who struggles to read “cold” and often improvises his lines. “My first impulse was to say, ‘thank you very much, but I’m busy,’” Henry recalled. “I then thought to myself, ‘oh my goodness; how can you say no? How could you possibly turn this down?’ And then I said to myself very easily, ‘you can’t do this, you’ll be out of the business, you’ll be out of your life.
In 2013 he was cast in a recurring role on the sitcom Parks and Recreation as Dr. Lu Saperstein, a vindictive OB-GYN who is the father of extremely insufferable and spoiled siblings, Jean-Ralphio (Ben Schwartz) and Mona-Lisa Saperstein (Jenny Slate). By this time, Winkler had at last shed the typecasting of his Fonzie character and emerged as a gifted character actor.
In 2018 Winkler began acting in the HBO show Barry, on which he played fearsome acting coach Gene Cousineau. The show ran for four seasons, with a two-year hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic. When Bill Hader developed the HBO comedy Barry with Alec Berg, he asked HBO if they could "get" Winkler for the part of acting teacher Gene Cousineau. Work for the first season of Barry began in 2016. Winkler has noted parallels between Barry and his time on Happy Days. He "was 27 when I did the Fonz, and now, I'm 72. He won rave reviews and an Emmy for his performance. In his acceptance speech for the award, Winkler quoted a friend who once told him, “If you stay at the table long enough, the chips come to you.” He added, “Tonight I got to clear the table.” In 2018 he won his first Primetime Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy for his role in the series which stars Emmy-award winning actor Bill Hader. He also won the television Critics Choice Award for Best Supporting Actor in a comedy series and received nominations for a Golden Globe and SAG Award. He was nominated again for an Emmy in 2019. The series returned for a third season in April 2022 and was renewed for a fourth season in May of that same year.
After portraying Fonzie on Happy Days, Winkler evolved into a character actor, with roles that include the high school principal Arthur Himbry in Scream, Coach Klein in The Waterboy, Barry Zuckerkorn in Arrested Development, Sy Mittleman in Childrens Hospital, Dr. Saperstein in Parks and Recreation, Mr. Rock in the Hank Zipzer BBC series, Eddie R. Lawson in Royal Pains, Fritz in Monsters at Work, Uncle Joe in The French Dispatch, Al Pratt in Black Adam, and Gene Cousineau in Barry.
Author and Advocate for Children
In addition to acting, Winkler has authored (with Lin Oliver) a series of children’s books, featuring the character Hank Zipzer, an unflappable boy with learning differences. Winkler can add to his resume the title of New York Times best-selling author. His first book, Niagara Falls or Does It? Hank Zipzer the World’s Greatest Under-Achiever, became a New York Times bestseller. The book was inspired by Winkler’s struggle throughout his education due to his learning challenges and became so popular, it grew into a series of 28 novels. To date, he and his co-author Lin Oliver have written 37 children’s novels. Winkler and Oliver also created the television adaptation Hank Zipzer, which ran for three seasons, from 2014 to 2016. The series appeared on the children's BBC Channel, as they could not find an American buyer for it. After the series was successful on the BBC, it was broadcast on the Universal Kids Channel in the United States. Winkler played the music teacher Mr.
During his time on Happy Days, Winkler realized that he was dyslexic after his stepson was diagnosed with a learning disability. Previously, Winkler had known that aspects of reading and memorizing were difficult for him but not why. Winkler would eventually be recognized for contributing to a greater understanding of dyslexia through the Hank Zipzer series.
His passion for supporting others is the result of a lifetime struggle with undiagnosed dyslexia. Henry has worked tirelessly to bring awareness and support to children who learn differently by advocating for changes in the education system and informing parents and teachers about learning challenges. Winkler has always believed in helping others and is especially passionate about children. He has been a featured speaker at WE Day Celebrations promoting education and service for students. He also received the Chevallier de l’Ordre des Artes et Lettres, the French government’s highest honor.
In 2013 he published a memoir, I’ve Never Met an Idiot on the River: Reflections on Family, Photography, and Fly-Fishing, in which he discussed his non-acting-related passions. He followed up with another memoir, Being Henry: The Fonz…and Beyond.
Personal Life and Legacy
A long-term arc of devotion defines Henry Winkler’s personal life, most notably his enduring marriage to Stacey Weitzman since May 5, 1978. The couple met in 1976, and their relationship has been a constant public presence. Winkler shares two children with Stacey, Zoe Emily Winkler and Max Daniel Winkler, and is a loving stepfather to Jed Weider Winkler, Stacey’s son from a previous marriage. The family often appears together at public events, showcasing a strong bond. Of all the titles he has received, the ones he relishes most are husband, father and grandfather. Winkler and his wife have three children, Jed, Zoe and Max, and six grandchildren.
Winkler continues to remain close with members of the Happy Days cast, telling the Hollywood Reporter in November 2021 that "I loved the people. In March 2020, Winkler contributed via Zoom to social justice issues during COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. During this time, Winkler also offered aid "to SAG-AFTRA artists and their families" through the virtual table read of Season 3, Episode 2 ("The Motorcycle", 1975) of Happy Days.
Henry Winkler's journey from a struggling student with undiagnosed dyslexia to a celebrated actor, director, producer, and author is a testament to his tenacity and resilience. His iconic portrayal of "The Fonz" made him a household name, but his later work in television and his advocacy for children with learning differences have solidified his legacy as a versatile and compassionate figure in entertainment.
tags: #henry #winkler #education #and #career
