Henry Winkler is famous for playing Fonzie on Happy Days. Fonzie was really cool in the 1970s.
Henry Winkler was born on October 30, 1945, in New York City. He always knew he wanted to be an actor. He said in an interview with NPR in 2019, “I knew that I wanted to act since I was old enough to reason. I never had a Plan B. I never deviated. I never thought that there was anything else that I could possibly do in this world except to try and be a working actor.”
When Henry Winkler was a kid, he had a hard time with school and learning. This caused problems with his parents. He didn’t know it then, but he had dyslexia, a condition that makes reading and writing difficult. His parents didn’t know about this and thought he was dumb. They even called him names like “Dummo Hund,” which means dumb dog.
Despite struggling in school, Winkler went to college. He got a Bachelor’s degree from Emerson College in 1967 and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Yale School of Drama in 1970. Even though he faced challenges, he didn’t give up on his dreams.
After a brief time on Broadway in 1972, Winkler started doing commercials. He became really good at it and made a living from it. This allowed him to pursue his passion for acting in plays at night.
When Henry Winkler was on Happy Days, a lot of people loved him. They liked his cool style with his motorcycle and leather jacket. These things became famous because of him.
Even though playing Fonz was a big deal, it was hard for him to find good acting jobs afterward. He struggled for about eight years.
Winkler talked about having dyslexia, which made reading difficult for him. To get through auditions, he had to memorize everything. He used humor to cover up any problems and tried to capture the character’s essence.
After Happy Days, he started working behind the scenes. He made TV shows like MacGyver, So Weird, and Mr. Sunshine. He also acted in movies like Scream and The Waterboy, and on TV shows like The Practice and Arrested Development.
In 2018, Henry Winkler started acting in a show called Barry. He plays a teacher named Gene Cousineau. He works with Bill Hader in the show. But because of the coronavirus, they had to stop filming. They hoped to start again in January. Winkler has been waiting to play Gene Cousineau since December 2018.
Since the early 2000s, Winkler has written about 30 books.
At first, he didn’t think he could write books. But his agent suggested it to him. He told the Hollywood Reporter in 2011 that he didn’t believe he could do it at first.
Henry Winkler and his wife Stacey Furstman Weitzman have been married since 1978.
They first met in a clothing store where Stacey worked. Henry went there to buy a coat, and Stacey helped him pick one. A week later, Henry came back and asked her out on a date, even though she almost said no.
Henry remembered their first meeting. He said, “She was wearing purple parachute pants, and she had red hair. Without her even saying a word, I thought, ‘Wow, a beautiful woman standing in front of me.’ I came back to the store the next week, and she was there. And within 10 minutes, I learned how strong she is.”
After they started dating, Stacey and her 4-year-old son moved in with Winkler. They had to figure out how to deal with Winkler becoming more and more famous.
Stacey remembered a time when people rushed up to Henry and stepped on her feet. She told People magazine, “One time I said, ‘You’ve just completely ruined my stockings.’ And this woman said, ‘But I love Fonzie!’”
They had a daughter named Zoey and a son named Max together.
Max followed in his dad’s footsteps. He works in Hollywood as a writer, producer, and director. He’s been part of popular shows like New Girl and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
Stacey has survived cancer twice. She first had breast cancer in the 1990s, then again in 2007. She had surgery to remove both her breasts, and she’s been cancer-free ever since.
Henry Winkler supports his wife by getting involved in organizations that raise awareness about breast cancer. He was a speaker at the “In The Pink of Health” Luncheon, which raises money for breast cancer patients and their families.
Winkler isn’t shy about showing his love for his wife. When James Corden surprised them with a photo of their wedding day on his show, Winkler said Stacey has been as beautiful as the first day he saw her.
Stacey once said that their long marriage takes work. They’ve had some tough times, but their love and friendship have kept them strong.
Henry Winkler and his wife love being grandparents.
These two are a true inspiration.
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