It happened a few minutes ago! Condolences to all Henry Winkler's fans

It happened a few minutes ago! Condolences to all Henry Winkler's fansShow more

It happened a few minutes ago! Condolences to all Henry Winkler's fans

#henrywinkler

Henry Franklin Winkler, OBE (born October 30, 1945), is an American actor, comedian, author, executive producer, and director. After 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 The Waterboy, Barry Zuckerkorn in Arrested Development, Eddie R. Lawson in Royal Pains, Fritz in Monsters at Work, Stanley Yelnats III in Holes, Uncle Joe in The French Dispatch, Judge Newman in Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh, Al Pratt in Black Adam, and Gene Cousineau in Barry. His accolades include a Primetime Emmy, two Daytime Emmys, two Golden Globe Awards, and a 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 up money, he traveled to California in September 1973, and was cast in a small role for The Mary Tyler Moore Show. He also auditioned for Happy Days and won the part of Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli, a role he played 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. He helped develop the original MacGyver television series 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 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. In 1981, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and in 2008, The Bronze Fonz statue was unveiled along the Milwaukee Riverwalk. In 2011, he was appointed an Honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire by Elizabeth II, and was named one of the United Kingdom's Top 10 Literacy Heroes in 2013.

Winkler's parents, Ilse Anna Marie (née Hadra)[2] and businessman Harry Irving Winkler[2] were German Jews living in Berlin during the rise of Nazi Germany.[3] By 1939, rising hostilities against Jews led his father to conclude that it was time to leave Germany. He arranged to take his wife on a six-week business trip to the United States.[1][3] Although Winkler's Uncle Helmut was supposed to join them, at the last minute he decided to leave later, and was eventually taken away by the Nazis.[1][4] Winkler later said, "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 during the Holocaust."[5] Soon after arriving, his parents settled in New York City, where his father established a new version of his German company, which bought and sold wood.

Henry Franklin Winkler was born on October 30, 1945, in the West Side of New York City's Manhattan borough.[6] The "H" in his first name is a reference to his Uncle Helmut, while his middle name refers to President Franklin D. Roosevelt.[7][8] He has an older sister named Beatrice,[8] and is a cousin of actor Richard Belzer.[9]

Although his family did not keep kosher, Winkler was raised in the traditions of Conservative Judaism.[8] During his childhood, Winkler and his family spent their summers at Lake Mahopac, New York,[1][10][11] and as a teenager, he was a water skiing instructor at Blue Mountain camps.[1]

While growing up, Winkler had a difficult relationship with his father who "wanted me to go into the family business, buying and selling wood. But the only wood I was interested in was Hollywood.”[12][13][14] When his father grew frustrated with Winkler's focus on acting, he would ask his son why he had brought the business over from Germany to the United States. Winkler would respond: "Besides being