Henry winkler author biography outline
Being Henry
From Emmy-award winning actor, author, comedian, producer, and director Henry Winkler, a deeply thoughtful memoir of the lifelong effects of stardom and the struggle to become whole.
Henry Winkler, launched into prominence by his role as “The Fonz” in the beloved Happy Days, has transcended the role that made him who he is. Brilliant, funny, and widely-regarded as the nicest man in Hollywood (though he would be the first to tell you that it’s simply not the case, he’s really just grateful to be here), Henry shares in this achingly vulnerable memoir the disheartening truth of his childhood, the difficulties of a life with severe dyslexia, the pressures of a role that takes on a life of its own, and the path forward once your wildest dream seems behind you.
Since the glorious era of Happy Days fame, Henry has endeared himself to a new generation with roles in such adored shows as Arrested Development, Parks and Recreation, and Barry, where he’s revealed himself as an actor with immense depth and pathos, a departure from the period of his life when he was so distinctly typecast as The Fonz, he could hardly find work.
Filled with profound heart, charm, and self-deprecating humor, Being Henry is a memoir about so much more than a life in Hollywood and the curse of stardom. It is a meaningful testament to the power of sharing truth and kindness and of finding fulfillment within yourself.
Henry Winkler
American actor (born 1945)
For other people named Henry Winkler, see Henry Winkler (disambiguation).
Henry Franklin Winkler (born October 30, 1945) is an American actor, producer, director, and author. Widely known as Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli on the sitcom Happy Days (1974–1984), Winkler has distinguished himself as a character actor for roles on stage and screen. His many accolades include three Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards and two Critics Choice Awards.
Winkler studied theater at both Emerson College and the Yale School of Drama and spent a year and half with the Yale Repertory Theater. After getting cast in a small role in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, he became a star playing the role of "Fonzie" on the sitcomHappy Days (1974–1984). He then helped develop the original MacGyver television series and directed Memories of Me (1988) and Cop and a Half (1993).
Winkler acted in films such as Heroes (1977), Night Shift (1982), Scream (1996), The Waterboy (1998), Holes (2003), The French Dispatch (2021), and Black Adam (2022). He also found a career resurgence in television portraying humorous characters such as Barry Zuckerkorn in Arrested Development (2003–2019), Eddie R. Lawson in Royal Pains (2010–2016), Dr. Saperstein in Parks and Recreation (2013–2015), and Gene Cousineau in Barry (2018–2023). The last earned him the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Winkler was a member of the main cast of the reality series Better Late Than Never (2016–2018).
Winkler has drawn upon his childhood struggles with dyslexia to co-write the children's book series Hank Zipzer (2003–2010), which was adapted into the Hank Zipzer television series (2014–2016) in which Winkler appears as Mr. Rock. He has also 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: Th Henry Winkler: From Actor to Author Henry Winkler is an actor, writer, producer, director, and now author -- with Lin Oliver -- of a new children's-book series, Hank Zipzer: The Mostly True Confessions of the World's Best Underachiever.The first book in the series, Niagara Falls or Does It? came out in May; two books have since followed, with two more on the way. When we hear the name Henry Winkler, most of us smile and remember the actor in the role of the Fonz on the 1970s sitcom "Happy Days." The guy in the leather jacket could summon women with a snap of the fingers, and he somehow made an office with a men's-room view the height of cool. Winkler's been busy since then, to say the least -- he's continued to act in movies, on Broadway, and on television, and has also directed and produced. At present, he is a producer of television's "Hollywood Squares." Winkler has also been writing books: he is the author, with Lin Oliver, of a new series of children's books called Hank Zipzer: The Mostly True Confessions of the World's Best Underachiever, published by the Grosset & Dunlap imprint of Penguin Putnam. The books feature whimsical illustrations by Carol Heyer that evoke the days of looseleaf paper and three-ring binders, and the amusing author biographies are fun, too. It is through Winkler's foray into author-dom that we learn things weren't always so easy for the man we watched on TV; rather, Winkler has dyslexia, which went undiagnosed until his own stepson's diagnosis. "[My stepson] is so verbal, funny, and clever. We thought he just wouldn't write those paragraphs, or he didn't pay attention...he smudged and erased and put holes in the paper. When we took him to be tested [and learned of his dyslexia], I realized that everything that had been said to him applied to me." In this new children's series, those labels are applied to Hank Zipzer, a charming fourth-grader (1945-) Henry Winkler is an American actor, producer and director best known for his portrayal of Fonzie on the hit 1970s sitcom Happy Days. He later appeared in movies like Scream (1996) and surfaced on numerous TV programs, including The Practice and Arrested Development. He currently stars in the hit show Barry as Gene Cousineau, for which he won his first Emmy. Henry Franklin Winkler was born on October 30, 1945, in New York City. An effervescent child, he loved performing and by the age of 14, Winkler decided to become an actor. After attending Emmerson College, he was accepted into Yale University's Drama School. At Yale, Winkler devoted his time to performing, often rehearsing one play by day and performing in another by night. After graduation, he moved back to New York to make his mark on Broadway. In 1973, Winkler moved to Los Angeles to take his shot at a career in television. Within two weeks he won a part as Valerie Harper's date on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and followed with a bigger role on The Bob Newhart Show. After a month in Los Angeles, Winkler was homesick for life in New York and decided to move back. Before packing his bags he went on one last audition, for the role of a biker in producer Garry Marshall's new TV series, Happy Days. Marshall originally envisioned a big hunky Italian in the part, but after Winkler's audition, his exhausting search ended. On January 15, 1974, Winkler made his television debut as Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli on Happy Days. Despite only having a few lines and a secondary place in the storyline, Winkler began attracting attention. Before long, Winkler was receiving top billing alongside Ron Howard. His newfound fame was almost overwhelming as "Fonzie Fever" swept the nation. Henry Winkler as Fonzie Winkler's first major film role also came in 1974 with The Lords of Flatbush, in wh Henry Winkler Interview
By Linda M. CastellittoHenry Winkler
Who Is Henry Winkler?
Early Life
'Happy Days' and Later Projects