Henry Winkler, American actor, comedian, director, and producer
Henry Franklin Winkler (born October 30, 1945) is an American actor, comedian, author, executive producer, and director. Initially rising to fame as Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli on the American television series Happy Days, Winkler has distinguished himself as a character actor for roles such as Arthur Himbry in Scream, Coach Klein in Adam Sandler's The Waterboy, Barry Zuckerkorn in Arrested Development, Dr. Saperstein in Parks and Recreation, Eddie R. Lawson in Royal Pains, Fritz in Monsters at Work, Uncle Joe in The French Dispatch, and Gene Cousineau in Barry. He is the recipient of a number of accolades, including a Primetime Emmy, two Daytime Emmys, two Golden Globe Awards, and one Critics Choice Award.
As a child, Winkler struggled at P.S. 87 on West 78th Street, Manhattan and the McBurney School, where he was berated for his poor academic performance. He then studied theater at both Emerson College and the Yale School of Drama, spent a year and half with the Yale Repertory Theater, did regional theater and commercial work, and appeared in two independent films. After saving enough money, he traveled to California in September 1973, and won a small role on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. He also auditioned for Happy Days and won the part of Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli, a role he portrayed for the next ten years. During his time on Happy Days, Winkler was diagnosed as dyslexic.
After the end of Happy Days, Winkler found himself typecast and moved into producing and directing. In this capacity, he was directly involved in the development of the original MacGyver and worked on programs such as Sightings and The Hollywood Squares. He also directed the theatrical releases Memories of Me with Billy Crystal and Cop and a Half with Burt Reynolds. In 2003, he drew upon his childhood struggles with dyslexia to co-write the Hank Zipzer series of children's books with children's literature author Lin Oliver. Winkler also appeared as Mr. Rock in the BBC adaptation of the series. Winkler and Oliver next created the prequel series Here's Hank, the Ghost Buddy series, and the Alien Superstar series. In 2016, he became a reality television star on the NBC series, Better Late Than Never.
Winkler has been honored both for his role as "The Fonz", and for his work with dyslexia through the Hank Zipzer series. In 1980, he donated one of Fonzie's leather jackets to the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution. In 1981, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and in 2008, The Bronze Fonz was unveiled along the Milwaukee Riverwalk. In 2011, he was appointed an Honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth, and was named one of the United Kingdom's Top 10 Literacy Heroes in 2013.