Henry Winkler

Henry Franklin Winkler (born October 30, 1945) is an American actor, comedian, children's book 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, Dr. Henry Olson in The Practice, Dr. Stewart Barnes in Out of Practice, Barry Zuckerkorn in Arrested Development, Sy Mittleman in Childrens Hospital, Dr. Saperstein in Parks and Recreation, Eddie R. Lawson in Royal Pains, Fritz in Monsters at Work, and Gene Cousineau in Barry. He is the recipient of a number of accolades, including seven Primetime Emmy nominations (winning one) five Daytime Emmy nominations (winning two), six Golden Globe nominations (winning two), two Critics Choice Award nominations (winning one), and four Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations.

After greatly struggling with school and getting berated for his poor performance, Winkler studied theater at Emerson College and the Yale School of Drama, and was invited to be a member of the Yale Repertory Theater. After saving enough money through commercials and his work on the independent film, The Lords of Flatbush (starring then-unknown Sylvester Stallone), he traveled to California in September 1973 on the advice of his agent, and won a small role on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. He was then asked to audition for Happy Days, where he won the part of Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli, a role he portrayed for the next ten years.

After the end of Happy Days, and finding himself typecast, Winkler moved into producing and directing for many years. 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 addition, in 2003 he drew upon his childhood struggles with school in order to create the Hank Zipzer series of children's books (about the dyslexic schoolboy, Hank Zipzer), with children's literature author Lin Oliver. He also appeared as Mr. Rock in the BBC adaptation of the series. Winkler and Oliver next created the prequel series Here's Hank, as well as the Ghost Buddy series. They are currently writing the Alien Superstar series.

Winkler has been honored both for his role as "The Fonz," as well as his work with dyslexia (through the Hank Zipzer books). 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. A few decades later in 2011, he was appointed an Honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth, was named one of the United Kingdom's Top 10 Literacy Heroes in 2013, and was awarded the Bill Rosendahl Public Service Award for Contributions to the Public Good for his children's books in 2019.

Winkler's parents, Ilse Anna Marie (née Hadra) and businessman Harry Irving Winkler,[3][4] were German Jews who were living in Berlin during the rise of Nazi Germany. By 1939, his father knew that they were no longer safe and they had to leave Germany as a result. He thus arranged to take his wife on a six-week-long business trip to the United States, and he smuggled the family's jewels out of Germany by disguising them as a box of chocolates. Winkler's Uncle Helmut was supposed to join them, but at the last minute decided to leave at a later date (and was eventually taken away by the Nazis). Winkler later stated that, "at the time, my father, Harry, told my mother, Ilse, that they were traveling to the U.S. on a brief business trip. He knew they were never going back. Had he told my mother that they were leaving Germany for good, she might have insisted on remaining behind with her family. Many in their families who stayed perished in the Holocaust."

Soon after he and his wife arrived in the United States, Winkler's father sold the jewels at a pawn shop, and settled in New York (in an apartment on the 10th floor of a building on West 78th Street). His father then developed the same business (importing and exporting wood) that he had in Germany, and he eventually bought the jewelry back from the pawn shop. Almost 80 years after his parents had left Germany, Winkler returned to Berlin in 2018 and shared this story on a season 2 episode of Better Late Than Never.

Winkler's career as an author began in 2003 with the Hank Zipzer series of children's books. He would follow the series with a prequel in 2012 (Here's Hank), and the 2014-1016b BBC television series, also titled Hank Zipzer.

During the early 2000's, while Winkler experienced "a lull in [his] acting career," his manager Alan Berger suggested that he write children’s books about the difficulties he experienced as a child before he knew that he was dyslexic. Winkler was resistant to the idea, which he initially thought “was insane,” saying that he "couldn't do it." He finally agreed however, after Berger suggested that he co-write the books with an experienced author. Berger then introduced Winkler children's book author Lin Oliver, and they met for lunch. Oliver recalls thinking (after Winkler described his childhood experiences) that, "here is this very articulate accomplished man, who suffered all through childhood because he wasn't good in school. It's a very moving story. So we created a character together who is smart, funny, resourceful, popular, who’s got all the gifts - except that he is bad in school."

The result of this meeting was a partnership that produced the 17 volume Hank Zipzer series of children's books about the adventures of a dyslexic child (2003-2010). As the character is based on himself, Winkler chose "Hank" (short for Henry), and "Zipzer", the name of a neighbor in the apartment building that he grew up in (and that Hank Zipzer lives in). They created these novels through a form of collaboration that was based on their mutual background in television, that involved “discussing ideas and working them out in a room together." In addition Winkler notes, this system specifically draws upon Winkler's strengths as an actor (he would work through ideas out loud) and Oliver's strengths as a writer (she would type his and her ideas). When she would read back what she had typed, they would, "argue over every word, and then [she would] say ‘I have to get up, you drive me to drink.’ And she gets a Snapple from the kitchen.”

After they finished the first series, Winkler and Oliver created the prequel series, Here's Hank (2014 to 2019), that explores Hank's life as a second grader, before he was diagnosed as dyslexic. The Here’s Hank series also uses a special font called “dyslexie” (marking the first time that this font was used in book published in the United States).

Winkler and Oliver next developed the television show Hank Zipzer (2014-2016) based on the book series. According to Winkler however, they "could not sell the show in America. We couldn't sell the books. They said, 'Oh Hank Zipzer is so funny...but we won't do the television show. So we sold it to the BBC." At a later date, after the series was successful on the BBC, it was broadcast on the Universal Kids Channel in the United States.

For the series, Nick James was cast as Hank, while Winkler played the role of the music teacher Mr. Rock (who was based on one of Winkler's teachers at McBurney). Winkler has said that the real Mr. Rock was the only teacher in his high school who believed in him saying: "Winkler if you ever do get out of here you are going to be great." They also produced the 2016 stand-alone television film, Hank Zipzer's Christmas Catastrophe. Nick James won the British Academy Children's Awards for Performer for his portrayal of Hank Zipzer in 2016.