Henry Winkler

Henry Franklin Winkler is an American actor, producer, director, and author born on October 30, 1945. He is widely recognized for playing Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli on the television sitcom Happy Days from 1974 to 1984. Over his career, Winkler has established himself as a prominent character actor across stage and screen, earning accolades that include three Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and two Critics Choice Awards.

Winkler was born on the West Side of Manhattan in New York City. His parents, Ilse Anna Marie and Harry Irving Winkler, were German Jews who left Berlin in 1939 and settled in New York. Growing up, Winkler experienced constant anxiety due to childhood struggles with undiagnosed dyslexia and poor grades at the McBurney School. He graduated from high school in 1963 after repeating geometry in summer school, then earned a bachelor's degree from Emerson College in 1967 and a Master of Fine Arts from the Yale School of Drama in 1970.

After completing his education at Yale, Winkler joined the Yale Repertory Theatre company for the 1970–1971 season and later worked in New York appearing in commercials, stage plays, and independent films. In September 1973, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue television roles. Following a small role on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Winkler was cast as Fonzie on Happy Days in 1974. Although initially written as a minor character, Fonzie quickly developed into the breakout lead of the series and a major television icon.

Alongside his success on Happy Days, Winkler appeared in films such as Heroes (1977), The One and Only (1978), and Night Shift (1982). Following the conclusion of Happy Days, he expanded into behind-the-camera work. Winkler helped develop the original MacGyver television series, served as an executive producer for documentary and educational projects, and directed feature films including Memories of Me (1988) and Cop and a Half (1993).

Winkler continued acting in feature films, with roles in Scream (1996), The Waterboy (1998), Click (2006), The French Dispatch (2021), and Black Adam (2022). He also experienced a television career resurgence through recurring and starring roles, including Barry Zuckerkorn in Arrested Development, Eddie R. Lawson in Royal Pains, Dr. Saperstein in Parks and Recreation, and Gene Cousineau in Barry. His role in Barry earned him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He was also a main cast member on the reality series Better Late Than Never from 2016 to 2018.

Drawing upon his childhood experiences with dyslexia, Winkler co-wrote the Hank Zipzer children's book series from 2003 to 2010, which was later adapted into a United Kingdom television series in which he played Mr. Rock. In addition to his children's literature, Winkler has written three memoirs: The Other Side of Henry Winkler: My Story (1976), I've Never Met an Idiot on the River (2011), and Being Henry: The Fonz ... and Beyond (2023).