Some actors struggle to escape their most iconic roles. One of those actors happens to be from the beloved American sitcom Happy Days.
Henry Winkler, who played Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli—better known as “The Fonz”—was launched into stardom throughout the show’s 11 seasons.
He appeared with his motorcycle and leather jacket in the first episode in 1974 and stayed until the series finale in 1984.
But finding work after starring in such an iconic role proved to be difficult for Winkler—in more ways than one.
Henry Winkler Couldn’t Find Work After “Happy Days”
In a recent episode of Club Random with Bill Maher, the 78-year-old actor said it was “hard work” trying to distance himself from the character that catapulted him to fame.
“You did one of the most Houdini-esque escapes that you can do in showbusiness, which is get out of massive fame in a type-castable role,” host Bill Maher said. “That’s a Houdini-esque move.”
“That was hard work,” Winkler says. “That was, oh, sometimes painful. I was not hirable. People said, ‘Oh, he’s so funny, he’s so great, but he was ‘The Fonz,’ and I could not get hired.”
Hoping to distance himself from the character, the Golden Globe Award winner says he started writing children’s books.
In a November 2023 interview with PBS Newshour, Winkler reveals he was diagnosed with dyslexia at 31. The realization came after his stepson was diagnosed.
“When we were doing Happy Days, or any table read, which is the whole cast, all of the producers, the directors, everybody on the crew, listening to the first time to the script, I couldn’t read off the page,” Winkler says. “It was humiliating.”
Working with writer Lin Oliver, who co-organized and runs the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Winkler and Oliver have written 40 children’s books together.
Of course, Winkler has been able to move away from The Fonz and become a successful actor in Hollywood.
The New York native’s long roster of characters in hit film’s and shows include Barry Zuckerkorn on Arrested Development, Gene Cousineau in Barry, as well as supporting roles alongside Adam Sandler in The Waterboy and Click. Winkler also voiced Fritz in Monsters at Work.
“Destiny is strange,” Winkler says.
This article is based on interviews and public statements from Henry Winkler, including his appearance. Trendy Matters has no affiliation with any of the people or brand mentioned in this article.
