Henry Winkler is an American actor, comedian, author, producer, and director who has a net worth of $40 million. He is best known for his role as Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli on the hit sitcom Happy Days, which ran for 10 seasons from 1974 to 1984. He has also appeared in many other films and TV shows, such as Night Shift, Scream, The Waterboy, Arrested Development, Barry, and The French Dispatch. In this article, we will look at how Henry Winkler achieved his wealth and fame, as well as some interesting facts about his life and career.
Early Life and Education
Family Background
Henry Winkler was born on October 30, 1945, in Manhattan, New York City. He is the youngest of three children of Lee N. Winkler, a physician and headache specialist, and Nedra S. Winkler, a travel agent. He has two older siblings: a sister named Helene Marla, and a brother named David B. Winkler, who is also a neurologist.
Henry Winkler comes from a Jewish family with roots in Belarus, Poland, Hungary, and Germany. His paternal grandparents, David Winkler and Gertrude Farberman, immigrated to the United States from Ilya, Belarus. His maternal grandparents, Henry Stern and Mera Mordejovich, were also from Belarus. His grandmother Mera was killed in the Holocaust.
Henry Winkler was named after his great-grandmother Lisa Katzovitz on his father’s side. He also has a middle name Valerie, which was given to him by his mother.
Education and Early Career
Henry Winkler attended Portola Middle School and Taft High School in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles. He was an excellent student who excelled in science and math. He graduated from high school in 1961 as valedictorian of his class.
He then enrolled at Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts, where he majored in theater arts. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1967. He then earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Yale School of Drama in 1970. He spent a year and a half with the Yale Repertory Theater, where he appeared in several plays.
He moved to New York City to pursue an acting career. He worked as a game show extra and a commercial actor to support himself. He also performed theater for free at the Manhattan Theater Club.
Career Breakthrough and Success
Happy Days
Henry Winkler’s career breakthrough came in 1974 when he was cast as Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli on the ABC sitcom Happy Days. The show revolved around the lives of a group of teenagers and their families in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the 1950s and 1960s. The main characters were Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard), Potsie Weber (Anson Williams), Ralph Malph (Donny Most), Joanie Cunningham (Erin Moran), Marion Cunningham (Marion Ross), Howard Cunningham (Tom Bosley), Chachi Arcola (Scott Baio), and Fonzie (Henry Winkler).
Fonzie was a cool, charismatic, leather-jacket-wearing greaser who rode a motorcycle and had a knack for fixing things. He was initially a minor character who only appeared in one scene per episode. However, he soon became the most popular and iconic character of the show, thanks to his catchphrases like “Ayyy!”, “Whoa!”, “Sit on it!”, and “Correctamundo!”. He also had a trademark gesture of hitting jukeboxes or other machines with his fist to make them work.
Henry Winkler received critical acclaim and public admiration for his portrayal of Fonzie. He won two Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy in 1977 and 1978. He also earned three Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series from 1976 to 1978.
He also became a cultural phenomenon and a sex symbol. He appeared on the cover of magazines like Time , People , TV Guide , Rolling Stone , and Esquire . He also inspired merchandise like T-shirts , posters , lunch boxes , dolls , comic books , records , and even a pinball machine .
He stayed with the show until it ended in 1984 after 11 seasons and 255 episodes.
Film Career
While he starred on television as Fonzie, he also appeared in films like Heroes (1977), The One and Only (1978), Night Shift (1982), An American Christmas Carol (1979), and The Lords of Flatbush (1974).
He also branched out into directing and producing films. He directed and co-produced Memories of Me (1988), starring Billy Crystal and Alan King. He also directed and co-produced Cop and a Half (1993), starring Burt Reynolds and Norman D. Golden II.
He continued to act in films such as Scream (1996), The Waterboy (1998), Holes (2003), Click (2006), You Don’t Mess with the Zohan (2008), Here Comes the Boom (2012), The French Dispatch (2021), and Black Adam (2022).
Television Career
Besides Happy Days, Henry Winkler has also appeared in several television shows and specials. He hosted Saturday Night Live twice, in 1980 and 1982. He also had his own comedy series, The Henry Winkler Show, in 1976, but it was canceled after one season.
He made guest appearances on shows like The Simpsons, Family Guy, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Numb3rs, Arrested Development, Royal Pains, Parks and Recreation, Childrens Hospital, New Girl, and The Good Place.
He also starred in several TV movies, such as Absolute Strangers (1991), A Child Is Missing (1995), The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (2008), and Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! (2015).
His most recent and acclaimed television role was that of Gene Cousineau on the HBO dark comedy series Barry, from 2018 to present. He plays a self-important acting teacher who mentors a hitman-turned-actor named Barry Berkman (Bill Hader). The show has received rave reviews from critics and audiences alike.
Henry Winkler won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2018 for his performance on Barry. He also won two Critics’ Choice Television Awards for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2019 and 2020. He also earned two more Emmy nominations in 2019 and 2020.
He was also a member of the main cast of the NBC reality series Better Late Than Never, from 2016 to 2018. He traveled around the world with fellow celebrities William Shatner, Terry Bradshaw, George Foreman, and Jeff Dye.
Personal Life and Controversies
Relationships and Family
Henry Winkler has been married to Stacey Weitzman since 1978. They have three children: two sons named Jed Weitzman and Max Winkler, and a daughter named Zoe Emily Winkler. Jed is a music producer and manager, Max is a film director and writer, and Zoe is a preschool teacher.
Henry Winkler also has a stepson named Adam Weitzman from Stacey’s previous marriage.
Health Issues
Henry Winkler has struggled with dyslexia since childhood. He was not diagnosed until he was 31 years old. He had difficulty reading and writing in school, which affected his self-esteem and confidence. He said that he was called “stupid” and “lazy” by his teachers and parents.
He has overcome his learning disability with the help of his wife and children. He said that he learned to read at the age of 31 when he read scripts for auditions. He also said that he reads slowly but comprehensively.
Legal Issues
Henry Winkler has not been involved in any major legal disputes or controversies. He has maintained a clean image and reputation throughout his career.
Philanthropy and Activism
Henry Winkler is involved in various charitable causes and organizations. He is an honorary chairman of United Friends of the Children , which helps foster children transition into adulthood. He is also a founding member of the Children’s Action Network , which advocates for children’s rights and welfare.
He is also a supporter of the Epilepsy Foundation , the National Stroke Association , the American Cancer Society , the Special Olympics , the Cerebral Palsy Foundation , the National Committee for Arts for the Handicapped , among others.
He is also an advocate for dyslexia awareness and education. He co-wrote a series of children’s books called Hank Zipzer , which are based on his own experiences as a dyslexic kid. The books have been translated into several languages and have sold over four million copies worldwide. They have also been adapted into a TV series by the BBC , in which Winkler plays Mr. Rock, Hank’s music teacher.
He has also written two memoirs: I’ve Never Met an Idiot on the River: Reflections on Family, Fishing, and Photography (2011) , which chronicles his passion for fly fishing; and The Other Side of Henry Winkler: My Story (1976) , which details his early life and career.
