Henry Winkler Says He Regrets Turning Down John Travolta's Grease Role: 'I Should've Just Shut Up'

Nov 30, 2022

Few people have had to overcome as much difficulty to succeed in their profession as actor, producer and children's book author Henry Winkler. The talented star is best known for playing the greaser with a roguish charm, Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli, on the popular sitcom "Happy Days" opposite Ron Howard from 1974 to 1984. His character would go on to surpass others on the show in popularity, leading the producers to write an even bigger part for him in the show. So convincing was he as the bad boy with a heart of gold that he earned three Primetime Emmy nominations and two Golden Globe awards for the role. 

“Happy Days” made Winkler a household name, but he didn’t want to get stuck playing bad-boy types forever. For a few years in the 1980s and early 1990s, he struggled to find work on screen, which led him to try his hand behind the scenes instead. He found success as a producer and director, including for the hugely successful series "Macgyver."

In later years, he excelled as a comedic actor, playing iconic roles on popular television shows such as "Arrested Development," "Parks and Recreation" and he even won an Emmy award for his performance as Gene Cousineau on the HBO dark comedy series "Barry." After first acting alongside Adam Sandler in 1998’s “The Waterboy,” he would return for roles in later Sandler films, such as “Little Nicky,” “Click” and “You Don’t Mess With The Zohan.”

Since Winkler didn’t want to be typecast, he ended up turning down a pretty big role following his time on “Happy Days,” as he almost had John Travolta’s leading role as Danny Zuko in “Grease.”

In 1978, the musical “Grease” hit theaters' screens and turned out to be a massive box office hit. Anyone who thought 1950s nostalgia and big-screen musicals were dead learned audiences felt a different way. Both Travolta and the late Olivia Newton-John further established themselves as 1970s icons in the film.

It turns out that Newton-John almost turned down the iconic role of Sandy in “Grease.” Ahead of the airing of a “Grease” sing-along version, Entertainment Tonight featured the star in a video-call interview. During the interview, she revealed that she wasn't even sure she should accept the role. Since many other actresses were also in the running for the role, there was a good chance Newton-John would never have made the cut.

However, Travolta seemed to be very much in favor of Newton-John. He took to making flattering comments about his co-star-to-be and was even sent to talk Newton-John into going for the role. “I was really quite hesitant to be in Grease, so they sent John Travolta to talk me into it. And how can you say no to those blue eyes?” the star said.

“Grease” casting director Joel Thurm said that he had “nobody” in mind as a “backup” in case Newton-John turned down the role. “If she said no, I’d be playing the part in a poodle skirt,” he said. “So everybody wanted Olivia here, but Olivia didn’t jump at the offer. That’s the important thing to know.”

While Newton-John ended up taking on the role, it seems like the role of Danny Zuko was also almost played by someone else – Winkler.

According to Variety, Winkler rejected an offer to play the leading role that ended up going to Travolta. The offer had come at a time when Winkler was struggling with his career. He explained:

“It was so bad that not only could I not find work, but I was sitting at my desk at Paramount and I literally thought, ‘Am I ever going to find anything with as much impact as the Fonz?' How will I know? Will anybody ever ask me? I’m not getting any offers.”

However, when Winkler was offered the role of Danny Zuko, he thought it was too similar to his role on “Happy Days,” and didn’t want to be typecast as the bad boy. So, he turned it down.

CNN’s Chris Wallace asked if he was a “fool” for doing so, to which Winkler replied, “Yes. I am. I only realized years afterwards … I thought, ‘I’ve played the Fonz. I don’t wanna do it again, but it’s already happened, I’m already typecast.”

Winker continued:

“I should’ve just shut up and had a really good time making that movie. Now, I go home, I say no, and I have a Diet Coke. John Travolta goes home, and has done the movie, and buys a plane.”

Despite his admission, however, PEOPLE reported that Winkler was never technically offered the role. Thurm explained that Winkler was never officially offered the role but may have been in conversations about who should play Danny. However, Paramount Pictures signed on as the film’s distributor because Travolta was cast.

Despite all of the possibilities that never came to be, “Grease” is still recognized as one of the most beloved musical films. And even though he wasn’t in it, Winkler has still had a remarkable career.

Do you think “Grease” would have been as successful if Danny Zuko had been played by Henry Winkler instead of John Travolta? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your family and friends.