At 77, Henry Winkler Isn’t Considering Retirement Even After 5 Decades Of Acting

Apr 27, 2023 by apost team

It’s been decades since Henry Winkler rose to fame in the 1970s with his portrayal of the iconic character Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli on the hit TV show “Happy Days.” While he’s since gone on to have a successful career in film and television, as well as become a bestselling author and advocate for dyslexia awareness, the icon of the big and small screen revealed he’s not throwing in the towel anytime soon.

Winkler was born on Oct. 30, 1945, in Manhattan, New York City. He grew up in a Jewish family, and his parents immigrated from Germany to the United States before he was born. As a child, Winkler struggled with undiagnosed dyslexia, which made school difficult for him. He was often made to feel dumb by his teachers and peers, which had a profound impact on his self-esteem.

Despite his struggles in school, Winkler discovered his passion for acting while attending the McBurney School in New York City. He continued to pursue acting in high school and went on to study drama at Emerson College in Boston. After college, he moved to New York City to pursue a career in acting.

Winkler struggled to find work as an actor in the early years of his career. He worked odd jobs to make ends meet, including as a gas station attendant and as a crossing guard. In 1973, he landed his breakthrough role as Fonzie on “Happy Days,” a role that would make him a household name and earn him two Golden Globe nominations.

After “Happy Days” ended its run in 1984, Winkler continued to work in television and film. He has appeared in numerous films, including “Night Shift,” “The Waterboy” and “Click,” as well as television shows such as “Parks and Recreation” and “Arrested Development.” 

In addition to his work in the entertainment industry, Winkler is a bestselling author. He has written over 30 children’s books, many of which feature characters with dyslexia, a topic that is close to his heart. Winkler was not diagnosed with dyslexia until he was in his 30s, but he has since become a prominent advocate for dyslexia awareness and education.

Winkler is also set to commit to paper much of his experiences and memories from his 50-year acting career in a memoir scheduled for release in 2024. Titled “Being Henry,” the book will delve into some of Winkler’s career highs and lows.

“I am both excited and nervous to contemplate writing a memoir, because it’s hard for me to remember what happened the day before yesterday. But here I go!” Winkler remarked in a statement. 

He also told People the process of looking back on his life and career was “so scary” as he had a million different worries throughout the writing process.

“What happens if they’re not interesting? What happens if I left something out? What happens if I didn’t mention one child better than the other? I’ll be dead, if not from ‘Barry,’ then from my kids,” he said.

However, the process also allowed him to make new discoveries about himself after realizing he had been “less in touch with my authentic self.”

He revealed the “journey allowed me to connect and it is freeing.”

It’s likely a large chunk of the memoir will focus on Winkler’s time playing the role of acting teacher Gene Cousineau on the highly acclaimed HBO series “Barry,” for which he has received much praise, as well as his first Emmy award in 2018.

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Winkler has made no bones about being one of the biggest fans of “Barry,” and has spoken highly about its star, writer and director, comedian Bill Hader. He told People at the show’s season 4 premiere in Los Angeles on Apr. 16, 2023, that “This is where Bill wanted to be,” and that despite taking on so much for the show, Hader never showed “a ripple in the water. Not a moment where you think, ‘Oh my God, he’s stressed. I’m stressed. Oh my Lord.’” He also described the star as “instantly funny” and added, “Oh my God, I adore him.”

The show clearly holds a special spot in Winkler’s heart. He said, “Being on this show, it gives you a tremendous amount of pride” and that working alongside its tremendous cast “takes you to another place.” He described the role of Cousineau as one of his career highs, comparable even to one of his most memorable roles as “The Fonz.”

“This has got to be right up there. I mean, oh my goodness. This was a gift from the heavens. Truly,” he exclaimed.

As for why it’s been such a hit, he boiled it down to “the puzzle.” “Taking all these pieces and making a human being. Every scene, every year, it is the puzzle,” he stated.

With such an impressive body of work already under his belt, it would seem natural for Winkler to think about either slowing down or hanging it all up to enjoy the rest of his years in relative peace and quiet, but the star has absolutely no plans to do so.

“I have no license for that,” Winkler said of retirement. “I just have that feeling. I will stop when I have to stop.”

Isn’t it great to see Winkler still enjoying the work he does? What are some of your favorite roles he’s played? Let us know and don’t forget to pass this along to all the Winkler and “Barry” fans you know out there.