Winkler is best known for his role as Fonzie on the 1970s American sitcom Happy Days. "The Fonz," a leather-clad greaser and auto mechanic, started out as a minor character at the show's beginning but had achieved top billing by the time the show ended.
Personal life
Henry Winkler was born in Manhattan, New York, the son of Ilse Anna Maria (née Hadra) and Harry Irving Winkler, a lumber company executive. Winkler's Jewish parents emigrated from Germany to the United States in 1939, before the beginning of World War II.
Winkler attended the McBurney School and received his bachelor's degree from Emerson College in 1967, and his MFA from the Yale School of Drama in 1970. In 1978, Emerson gave Winkler an honorary doctorate of humane letters. Winkler has also received a Doctor of Humane Letters from Austin College.
Winkler has been married to Stacey Weitzman since May 5, 1978, and they have two children, Zoe Emily (b. 1980) and Max Daniel (b. August 18, 1983), and a stepson Jed from Stacey's previous marriage with Howard Weitzman. He is the godfather of Bryce Dallas Howard, daughter of Happy Days co-star Ron Howard.
Charitable works which he is involved with include Annual Cerebral Palsy Telethon, the Epilepsy Foundation, the annual Toys for Tots campaign, the National Committee for Arts for the Handicapped, and the Special Olympics.
An avid Yankees fan, Winkler announced the starting lineup on Fox for Game 5 of the 2009 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Career
Happy Days
Winkler started acting by appearing in a number of television commercials. In October 1973, he was cast for the role of Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli, nicknamed The Fonz or Fonzie, in the TV show Happy Days. The show was first aired in January 1974. During his decade on Happy Days, Winkler also starred in a number of movies, including The Lords of Flatbush (1974), playing a troubled Vietnam veteran in Heroes (1977), The One and Only (1978), and a morgue attendant in Night Shift (1982), which was directed by Happy Days co-star Ron Howard. Winkler was also one of the hosts of the 1979 Music for UNICEF Concert.
For Happy Days, director/producer Garry Marshall originally had in mind a completely opposite physical presence. Marshall sought to cast an Italian model-type male in the role of Fonzie, intended as a stupid foil to the real star, Ron Howard. However, when Winkler, a Yale MFA student, interpreted the role in auditions, Marshall immediately snapped him up. According to Winkler, "The Fonz was everybody I wasn't. He was everybody I wanted to be."
Winkler's character, though remaining very much a rough-hewn outsider, gradually became the focus of the show as time passed (in particular after the departure of Ron Howard). Initially, ABC executives did not want to see the Fonz wearing leather, thinking the character would appear to be a criminal. The first 13 episodes show Winkler wearing two different kinds of windbreaker jackets, one of which was green. As Winkler said in a TV Land interview, "It's hard to look cool in a green windbreaker". Marshall argued with the executives about the jacket. In the end, a compromise was made. Winkler could only wear the leather jacket in scenes with his motorcycle, and from that point on, the Fonz was never without his motorcycle until season 2.
To go against his Fonzie stereotype and draw more attention to his real acting abilities, Winkler starred in a TV special, Henry Winkler Meets William Shakespeare, in 1976. In this videotaped show, he was giving a group of children a tour of a theater and teaching them theatrical terms and basic stagecraft when William Shakespeare suddenly appeared from a box, acted out famous lines from his plays, and eventually directed Winkler in a scene from Romeo and Juliet. Drawing upon his Shakespearean training at Yale, Winkler played Romeo killing Juliet's cousin Tybalt in a sword duel in retaliation for Tybalt's murder of Romeo's friend Mercutio.
Beyond Happy Days
After Happy Days, Winkler concentrated on producing and directing. Within months, he had opened Winkler-Rich Productions. He produced several television shows including MacGyver, So Weird and Mr. Sunshine, Sightings, and the game shows Wintuition and Hollywood Squares (the latter from 2002–2004 only; occasionally serving as a sub-announcer). He also directed several movies including the Billy Crystal movie Memories of Me (1988) and Cop and a Half (1993) with Burt Reynolds.
Return to acting
As the 1990s continued, Winkler returned to acting. in 1991, he starred in the controversial TV-movie Absolute Strangers, as a husband forced to make a decision regarding his comatose wife and his unborn baby. In 1994 he returned to TV with the short-lived comedy series Monty on Fox. Also in 1994, he co-starred with Katharine Hepburn in the holiday TV movie One Christmas, her last film.
He is a good friend of horror movie director Wes Craven and played an uncredited role as a high school principal in Craven's 1996 movie Scream (1996).
Television
More recently Winkler had a recurring role as incompetent lawyer Barry Zuckerkorn in the Fox Television comedy Arrested Development. In one episode, his character hopped over a confined shark lying on a pier, a reference to his role in the origin of the phrase "jumping the shark". After that episode, Winkler in interviews stated that he was the only person to have "jumped the shark" twice.
When Winkler moved to CBS for one season to star in 2005–06's Out of Practice, his role as the Bluth family lawyer on Arrested Development was taken over by Happy Days co-star Scott Baio in the fall of 2005, shortly before the acclaimed but Nielsen-challenged show ceased production.
Winkler has guest-starred on television series such as Numb3rs, The Bob Newhart Show (as Miles Lascoe, a parolee just out of jail. He was in jail for armed robbery, twice.), South Park, The Practice, The Simpsons (playing a member of a biker gang. In one scene, he calls Marge "Mrs. S", a reference to Fonzie calling "Happy Days" matriarch Marion Cunningham "Mrs. C"), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Third Watch, Arrested Development, Crossing Jordan, Family Guy, King of the Hill and Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil. The Weezer video for 1994's "Buddy Holly" edited period footage of Henry Winkler as the Fonz, as well as a double shot from behind to create the illusion that Fonzie and other characters were watching Weezer as they performed in Arnold's restaurant.
Winkler's most recent appearances were on KTTV's Good Day L.A.. One time when substituting for Steve Edwards, Winkler reunited with fellow Happy Days cast member Marion Ross. Winkler made a cameo appearance in the band Say Anything's video for "Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too".
In 2008, he appeared in two Christmas movies, in the Hallmark Channel movie The Most Wonderful Time of the Year as a retired cop who plays matchmaker between his niece and a drifter he befriends, and in Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh as the judge who orders Drake and Josh to give a young girl "the best Christmas ever" or be sent to jail.
In 2009, Winkler provided the voice of Willard Deutschebog, a suicidal German teacher, in the Fox comedy series, Sit Down, Shut Up.
Hank Zipzer books
Since 2003, Winkler has collaborated with Lin Oliver on a series of children's books about a 4th grade boy, Hank Zipzer, who is dyslexic. Winkler also has the learning disability, which was not diagnosed until he was 31 and his stepson Jed was tested; the dyslexia was an unhappy part of his childhood. Winkler has published 17 books about his hero Zipzer, the "world's greatest underachiever."
In July 2008 Henry joined First News on their annual Reading Tour of schools where he read excerpts from his Hank Zipzer books. This has become an annual tour. In June 2011 Henry completed his fourth annual tour with the children's newspaper promoting their My Way! campaign to support children with learning challenges. He joined First News to launch the My Way! Awards at Downing Street.
Pantomime
Winkler appeared in his first pantomime at the New Wimbledon Theatre, London in 2006, playing Captain Hook in Peter Pan, replacing David Hasselhoff who pulled out when he was offered a TV role by Simon Cowell. He reprised the role in Woking, England for Christmas 2007. For the 2008/2009 season he played Captain Hook at the Milton Keynes Theatre and will don the hook once again for the 2009/2010 panto season at the Liverpool Empire with Les Dennis and Natasha Hamilton also in the cast. On June 2, 2010, it was announced that Winkler would become the television spokesman for One Reverse Mortgage, a reverse mortgage lender.
Obama election
In October 2008, Winkler appeared in a video on funnyordie.com with Ron Howard, reprising their roles as Fonzie and Richie Cunningham, encouraging people to vote for Barack Obama. The video entitled "Ron Howard’s Call to Action" also features Andy Griffith.
2010-
As of June 2010, Winkler is appearing on the USA show Royal Pains as the father of the two main characters.
On June 19, 2010 Winkler appeared on James Corden ITV World Cup Live show. He represented the USA in the World Cup Wall Chart.
As of the summer/fall 2010 season, Winkler has joined the cast of Adult Swim's television adaptation of Rob Corddry's web series, Childrens Hospital, playing a stereotypically feckless hospital administrator.
In late September 2010, Winkler was the voice of Professor Nathaniel Zib in the Lego Hero Factory mini-series, Rise of the Rookies.
On November 25, 2010, Winkler guest starred as the Principal of Mellowbrook School in Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil.
On 15th September 2011, Henry Winkler was appointed an honorary OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) for for his educational work on dyslexia in the UK. Henry Winkler received the honour at the British embassy in Washington DC.
Honors and awards
In 1996, Winkler was selected to be the Class Day speaker at Yale University, an honor accorded to distinguished Yale alumni.
On August 3, 2008, Winkler was chosen to be the guest conductor at the Boston Pops by the Sea Concert in Hyannis, Massachusetts.
On August 19, 2008, Milwaukeeans paid homage to their hometown hero and unveiled a life-sized, bronze statue of Fonzie along the Milwaukee Riverwalk.
On March 29, 2010, Winkler was presented the key to the City of Winnipeg for his contributions to education and literacy.
On December 23, 2010, Winkler won a Clones' Choice Award on The Jim Rome Show for Moment of the Year in the Jungle.
In September 2011 Winkler was made an honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) "for services to children with special educational needs and dyslexia in the UK."
Golden Globe Awards
(1976) Won - Best Actor - Television Series Musical or Comedy / Happy Days
(1977) Won - Best Actor - Television Series Musical or Comedy / Happy Days
(1978) Nominated - Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama / Heroes
(1983) Nominated - Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy / Night Shift
Primetime Emmy Awards
(1976) Nominated - Outstanding Lead Actor - Comedy Series / Happy Days
(1977) Nominated - Outstanding Lead Actor - Comedy Series / Happy Days
(1978) Nominated - Outstanding Lead Actor - Comedy Series / Happy Days
(1979) Nominated - Outstanding Informational Program / Who Are the DeBolts? And Where Did They Get Nineteen Kids?
(1997) Nominated - Outstanding Guest Actor - Drama Series / The Practice (as Henry Olson)
Filmography
Henry Winkler Meets William Shakespeare (TV special) (1976)
Heroes (1977)
The One and Only (1978)
An American Christmas Carol (made for television 1979)
Night Shift (1982)
Memories of Me (directing) (1988)
Macgyver(1991)
Cop and a Half (directing) (1993)
Scream (1996) (Principal Himbry) (uncredited)
Detention: The Siege at Johnson High (1997)
Dad's Week Off (1997)
Dead Man's Gun (TV series) (1997-1999) (executive producer)
Ground Control (1998)
The Waterboy (1998)
Ugly Naked People (1999)
Elevator Seeking (1999)
P.U.N.K.S. (1999)
Dill Scallion (1999)
Little Nicky (2000)
Down to You (2000)
I Shaved My Legs for This (2001)
Law and Order SVU (2002)
Holes (2003)
Arrested Development (TV series) (2003–2006)
Fronterz (2004)
King of the Hill (2004)
Berkeley (2005)
Malcolm in the Middle (2005)
The Kid & I (2005)
Out of practice (TV series) (2005–2006)
Duck Dodgers (2006)
The King of Central Park (2006)
Unbeatable Harold (2006)
Click (2006)
I Could Never Be Your Woman (2007)
A Plumm Summer (2007)
NUMB3RS (2008–2009)
You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008)
Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh (2008)
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (2008)
Sit Down, Shut Up (2009) (TV series)
Peter Pan (2010) (Liverpool Empire Theatre theatre production)
Group Sex (2010)
Royal Pains (TV, 2010-2011)
Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil (2010)
Childrens Hospital (TV, 2010)
LEGO Hero Factory (TV, 2010-2011)
Here Comes the Boom (2012)
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