Henry Winkler

1939–1945: Family history Winkler's parents, Ilse Anna Marie (née Hadra) and businessman Harry Irving Winkler, fled to the Netherlands in January 1940 and went into hiding in Amsterdam. He and his mother, Pauline Olga Winkler, who had emigrated to the Netherlands in January 1939, were deported to Auschwitz in September 1942 and murdered. The building where Helmut had lived in Berlin was destroyed in an air raid in November 1943. A commemorative Stolperstein is embedded in the sidewalk in front of the post-war building erected on the site. The "H" in his first name is a reference to his Uncle Helmut, while his middle name refers to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. and as a teenager he was a water skiing instructor at Blue Mountain camps. When his father grew frustrated with Winkler's focus on acting, he would ask his son why he had brought the business over from Germany to the United States. Winkler would respond: "Besides being chased by the Nazis, Dad, was there a bigger reason than that?" Difficulties in school Winkler first attended P.S. 87 on West 78th Street, Manhattan, and then the McBurney School on Manhattan's Upper West Side. His parents were perpetually frustrated by his poor grades, he was not allowed to attend graduation, as he had to repeat geometry for the fourth time during summer school. After finally passing the course, he received his diploma in the mail. 1963–1967: Emerson College Winkler applied to 28 colleges but was admitted to only two of them. He enrolled in Emerson College in Boston in 1963, He was also a member of the Alpha Pi Theta fraternity, and appeared in Emerson's production of Peer Gynt as the title character. Winkler later recalled that he had nearly failed his first and second years but managed to stay for four years In 1978, Emerson awarded him an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL). 1967–1970: Yale School of Drama 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 in 1967. He appeared in They Told Me That You Came This Way; Out of his original cohort of 25 actors at Yale, Winkler was one of 11 who graduated Over two decades later, in May 1996, he served as the Senior Class Day Speaker for Yale University's graduating seniors. == Career ==

1970–1973: Early career Yale Repertory Theatre company After receiving his MFA in 1970, Winkler was one of three students from his graduating class of 11 who were invited to become a part of the Yale Repertory Theatre company. and appeared throughout the 1970–71 season. He performed in Story Theater Repertory, He also appeared in a double feature of two works by Bertolt Brecht, The Seven Deadly Sins (ballet chanté), and The Little Mahagonny during May–June 1971 and January 20–29, 1972. New York and California In the fall of 1971, Winkler was invited to be a part of the play Moonchildren which would open at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. thus, he was able to perform with the Manhattan Theater Club for free. He swore to himself that one day he would "make that right". By 1973, he had roles in two independent films, The Lords of Flatbush and Crazy Joe. He also performed with the improv group, Off the Wall New York. 1973–1984: Happy Days and stardom During his second week in Los Angeles, Winkler auditioned for the part of Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli, better known as "Fonzie" or "The Fonz", on a new show called Happy Days. he was asked to return after his first audition for a second one in costume. Winkler appeared on the first episode of Happy Days in January 1974, and was with the series continuously until it ended in July 1984. "The Fonz" was initially written as a minor role In a 2018 interview with Winkler, journalist Michael Schneider suggests that it was at this point that the character "became the biggest icon on television" at that time. During his decade on Happy Days, Winkler also appeared in a variety of roles in film and on television. In film, he appeared in Heroes (1977) with Harrison Ford and Sally Field and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama. He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his work in Night Shift. He was also an executive producer for the ''ABC Afterschool Special: Run, Don't Walk (1981), based on the novel of the same name by Harriet May Savitz, and featuring his Happy Days co-star, Scott Baio. He further directed Baio in the 13th episode of the Happy Days spin-off, Joanie Loves Chachi, also starring Erin Moran. 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. I had a strict rule about that, but they asked me and it was my pleasure." Winkler did appear as "Fonzie" on at least one episode of Laverne and Shirley, when he asked Laverne to allow him to host a bachelor party at the Pizza Bowl. Winkler was the co-host with Cheryl Ladd of the 1979 Emmy Awards. Post- Happy Days After Happy Days ended in 1984, Winkler was typecast, and could not get acting roles until 1991. In 1987, he inked a new feature film and development pact with the studio. which won the 1985 Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Children's Special In addition to a few episodes of television sitcoms that he directed in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Winkler was an executive producer for Rob Reiner's second film as a director, The Sure Thing (1985). He was also the executive producer for the original MacGyver television series, and for ''Dead Man's Gun, which won the Bronze Wrangler in 1998. In 1988, he was the executive producer for the ABC Afterschool Special: A Family Again starring Jill Eikenberry and Michael Tucker. In addition, he was the executive producer for a number of series, including Sightings In 2002, he partnered with Michael Levitt to revamp and update The Hollywood Squares'' for the fifth season of the 1998 reboot. It was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show in 2003. 1991–2003: Acting roles Winkler returned to acting in the early 1990s. He starred in the 1991 television film, Absolute Strangers, and in the short-lived 1994 television series Monty with David Schwimmer (before his debut on Friends). He also starred in the 1994 television film One Christmas, with Katharine Hepburn in her last role and Swoosie Kurtz. In 1996, he appeared in his friend Wes Craven's 1996 film Scream as foul-mouthed high school principal Arthur Himbry. Work with Adam Sandler at a ceremony for Sandler to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, February 1, 2011. Winkler began to collaborate with Adam Sandler in the 1990s, after Sandler included Fonzie in the Saturday Night Live skit, The Chanukah Song (1994). Winkler called Sandler to thank him, which led first to a friendship, ''You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008), and Sandy Wexler'' (2017). Work with John Ritter Winkler worked on a few projects with his longtime friend, actor John Ritter, whom he first met in 1978 at ABC's 25th anniversary party, when Winkler was still on Happy Days, and Ritter was Jack Tripper on the television series ''Three's Company. He directed Ritter in the 1986 television movie A Smoky Mountain Christmas starring Dolly Parton, and in 1993, they co-starred in the made-for-television movie, The Only Way Out''. Later in 1999, Neil Simon gave Winkler the chance to be involved with his first theatrical production since 1973, when he asked him to do a read-through of The Dinner Party. Given the problems he had with cold-readings, Winkler initially panicked. In September 2003, he was slated for a guest appearance on Ritter's show, 8 Simple Rules. However, during the filming of the episode, Ritter became ill and had to be taken to the hospital, dying hours later. 2003–2019: Arrested Development In 2003, Mitch Hurwitz wanted Winkler to portray the incompetent lawyer Barry Zuckerkorn on one episode of Arrested Development. However, he made numerous further appearances in the original three seasons, and also returned for the later seasons in 2013 and 2018. In 2014, Winkler was nominated as part of the cast for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. 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, Barry's hopping over a shark on the pier in "Motherboy XXX" is a reference to Jon Hein's phrase jumping the shark. Hein coined the phrase in 1985, in reference to a 1977 Happy Days episode in which Fonzie jumps over a shark while on water skis. Winkler and Oliver's writing process, which involved developing ideas during in-person discussions, drew upon their mutual background in television. The original series spanned 17 books, published from 2003 to 2010. After the series was successful on the BBC, it was broadcast on the Universal Kids Channel in the United States. They also produced the 2016 stand-alone television film ''Hank Zipzer's Christmas Catastrophe''. 2004–present: Acting roles Theater Winkler returned to the stage in 2006 as Captain Hook in Peter Pan at the New Wimbledon Theatre, London. A few years later in 2012, Winkler made his third Broadway appearance as "Chuck Wood" in The Performers (November 14–18). Television and film Winkler has continued his work as a character actor in television and film. In television, he was nominated in 2004 for a Daytime Emmy, Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program, and in 2005, he won the Daytime Emmy, Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program, for his voice-work as Norville in ''Clifford's Puppy Days. Dr. Saperstein in Parks and Recreation (2013–2015), the villainous Uncle King Julien in animated series All Hail King Julien and its spinoff season Exiled (2014–2017), and Fritz in the 2021–present animated streaming television series Monsters at Work''. His film roles include Uncle Ralph in the Christmas film The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (2008), Marty Streb in Here Comes the Boom (2012), Ed Koch in ''Donald Trump's The Art of the Deal: The Movie (2016), Grandpa Bill in All I Want for Christmas Is You'' (2017), Uncle Joe in Wes Anderson's 2021 release The French Dispatch, and a cameo appearance as Al Pratt (Uncle Al) in the 2022 release Black Adam. 2016–2018: Better Late Than Never Winkler was both an executive producer for and star of the American reality-travel show, Better Late Than Never. He starred along with William Shatner, Terry Bradshaw, George Foreman, and Jeff Dye, in this adaptation of the South Korean reality series, Grandpas Over Flowers. Winkler was the focus of the Season 2 episode "Berlin: How Do You Say Roots in German?" as the group explored the city from which his parents escaped in 1939. The journey culminated at the site of a brass memorial plaque, known as a stolperstein, embedded in the pavement in front of the workplace and home of his uncle, Helmut Winkler. The discovery came as a complete surprise to Winkler, as Jeff Dye had secretly enlisted the help of Winkler's children, who planned the surprise. In addition, Winkler's son Max, who is a director, helped him to prepare for this audition. 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. I just flipped the numbers." He also won two Critics' Choice Television Awards for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2019 and 2023. In addition, he received three Primetime Emmy nominations, 2025: Hazardous History In 2025, Winkler hosted the series Hazardous History with Henry Winkler on the History Channel. In December 2025, Winkler was a guest narrator at Disney's Candlelight Processional at Walt Disney World. ==Filmography and accolades==

Winkler states that during his lifetime, he has worked with "five directing geniuses": Garry Marshall (Happy Days), Adam Sandler, Mitch Hurwitz (Arrested Development), Bill Hader and Alec Berg (Barry). After portraying Fonzie on Happy Days, Winkler evolved into a character actor, two Golden Globe Awards, two Critics Choice Awards, and two Daytime Emmys. He was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 2025. ==Philanthropy==

(May 7, 2020). In March 2020, Winkler contributed via Zoom to social justice issues during COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. On May 7, 2020, the Office of the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, posted a video of Winkler on Facebook and Twitter reminding Californians to practice social distancing and to follow stay-at-home orders. 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. Winkler reprised the role of "Fonzie", while SAG members Glenn Close, John Carroll Lynch, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, Jamie Chung, Luke Newton, and Nicola Coughlan read the roles of Marion Cunningham, Howard Cunningham, Richie Cunningham, Ralph Malph, Joanie Cunningham, Potsie, and a waitress at Al's diner. ==Personal life==

Winkler met Stacey, formerly Weitzman (née Furstman), in a Beverly Hills clothing store in 1976, They have three children, including Max. In 2018, almost 80 years after his parents had left Germany, Winkler visited Berlin for the television show Better Late Than Never and shared their story on the Season 2 episode "Berlin: How Do You Say Roots in German?" Previously, Winkler had known that aspects of reading and memorizing were difficult for him but not why. He had developed coping mechanisms that allowed him to mask the difficulties he had with cold-reading scripts. He later recalled that prior to learning about dyslexia, he frequently embarrassed himself in front of his fellow cast members as he would "stumble at least once or twice a paragraph". == Additional books and legacy ==

Winkler's 2011 memoir ''I've Never Met an Idiot on the River'' explores his interest in fly fishing. A few years later they wrote the science fiction trilogy Alien Superstar (2019–2021). Winkler released a new memoir, Being Henry: The Fonz...and Beyond in October 2023. He also began a new series of children's books with Lin Oliver in 2023 called Detective Duck. The Fonz and Hank Zipzer TV Guide ranked "The Fonz" as No. 4 on its "50 Greatest TV Characters of All Time" list in 1999, and a 2001 poll conducted by Channel 4 in the UK ranked him as 13th on their list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters. When asked which books influenced him in childhood, American journalist Anderson Cooper, who is dyslexic, responded that, "I also loved the Fonz and read a book when I was around 8 called The Fonz: The Henry Winkler Story. I actually keep it in my office at CNN. Henry Winkler was very important to me when I was a child." This sentiment reflects National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution curator Eric Jentsch's statement on the description of Fonzie's leather jacket that Winkler donated to the Smithsonian in 1980: "Fonzie was a representation of cool at a time when you were learning about what cool was." Winkler won two Golden Globe Awards, and earned three Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for the role. In 1981, he received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (for Television), largely due to his portrayal of Fonzie. A few decades later, American artist Gerald P. Sawyer, unveiled the Bronze Fonz on the Milwaukee Riverwalk in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on August 18, 2008. Winkler would eventually be recognized for contributing to a greater understanding of dyslexia through the Hank Zipzer series. He was given the Key to the City of Winnipeg for "contributions to education and literacy" in 2010, was appointed an Honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) "for services to children with special educational needs and dyslexia in the UK" by Queen Elizabeth in 2011, was named one of the ''United Kingdom's Top 10 Literacy Heroes'' in 2013, and was awarded the Bill Rosendahl Public Service Award for Contributions to the Public Good for his children's books in 2019 by the Los Angeles Press Club. ==Bibliography==