Being Henry: The Fonz . . . and Beyond

Winkler briefly hesitated about whether he should try expanding his acting career in Hollywood but convinced himself to try. He traveled to Los Angeles in September 1973 with his The Lords of Flatbush co-star Perry King. His agent Joan Scott encouraged him to find a place to live before auditioning for anything. He stayed with his friend and Emerson College colleague Stephanie Axelrod and her publicist boyfriend Francis X. Feehan for a few days. After accidentally walking in on the couple one night while grabbing a soda, Winkler left the following morning. He stayed at the Sunset Marquis after meeting the actor Charles Haid, who lived there with his wife Penny Windust and their infant daughter and pet Labrador retriever.

Winkler recalls his efforts to save as much money as possible. He notes that his frugality stems from his father’s expensive living, which required his father to ask family friend Carl Stohl to lend him money and then to take Winkler’s bar mitzvah money. Winkler got a call from Joan Scott’s assistant, who encouraged him to audition as a walk-on for an episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. The show was one of the biggest at the time, and Winkler accepted. He got the part of Steve Waldman on the 10th episode of the fourth season and befriended actors Mary Tyler Moore, Ed Asner, and Betty White and producer Ed Weinberger. They were all warm and kind to him.

Winkler made the audience laugh, and his performance got him another audition. The casting director of The Mary Tyler Moore Show Marsha Kleinman had told others about Winkler’s performance, and Paramount Studios called him to audition for the television series Happy Days. He doubted his ability as a short Jewish man competing with taller, more prominent actors, but he landed the role of Arthur “the Fonz” Fonzarelli. At the second audition, he was given a costume change, eyebrow plucking, and hair trim to get him into character. He then delivered the reading to ABC head of development Barry Diller, ABC executive Michael Eisner, and show creator Garry Marshall. Though Diller and Eisner did not think Winkler was good for the role, Marshall connected with Winkler’s portrayal and chose him.

Winkler’s mother called him to say that she and his father wished to take him, his sister, and his brother-in-law on a trip to Europe before the two of them died. Winkler was supposed to start filming Happy Days after Thanksgiving and wanted to spend Thanksgiving with his then-girlfriend Glenda Miller. He told his parents he could not have Thanksgiving with them or go on the trip. He recalls having Christmas dinner with his Yale classmate Jimmy Naughton and his family and finding it delightful, warm, and vibrant in contrast to his family’s cold, severe, and spirit-less country home in upstate New York. However, his Thanksgiving with Glenda turned out disappointing. She invited her friend and did not seem interested in him anymore, which he notes was something that happened with girlfriends, perhaps due to him accidentally ignoring them during events.

After getting the part of the Fonz, Winkler befriended Howard and the other cast members. He notes how his theater experience and their differing backgrounds required them to learn how to work with each other. He recalls trying to execute a technique with the radiator going in one scene and then, another time, hitting the script in frustration. Howard, a seasoned television and film actor, calmly and kindly told him to be patient because the writers were doing the best they can. Winkler realized that Howard’s experience in television helped him gain more patience.

After starting on Happy Days, Winkler found his new fame overwhelming, but soon enjoyed the positive attention. He recalls a couple of police officers in plain clothes visiting to get pictures with him. After a press meeting, he got in character to convince a crowd of adoring female fans to let him and his co-stars get back to their car. He also remembers getting far more attention from the women in his life, including his ex-girlfriend Glenda. He was uneasy with whether women liked him because they were attracted to him or because he was famous.

The show grew in popularity, with Winkler deciding that he would not rely on greaser stereotypes for Fonzie’s character. Winkler’s fame drew in people from his earlier life, including Mrs. Rosenthal from his synagogue, which led him to confront his mother when she called him. He remembers his bar mitzvah and how his dyslexia made the ceremony a difficult process. He recalls the CBS sitcom Good Times gaining popularity, which caused Happy Days’s ratings to drop during its second season. As the show faced likely cancellation, Garry Marshall and ABC shifted from the cinematic camera format to the sitcom camera format. ABC also put Fonzie more at the center of the show. This saved Happy Days from cancellation and made it a success once again.

The network’s then-president Leonard Goldenson offered Henry Winkler his own show and proposed changing the title of Happy Days to Fonzie’s Happy Days. Winkler rejected both offers, believing that accepting either would be a betrayal to the rest of the cast. Howard and Marshall also adamantly disapproved of the proposed title change. As the show continued, Winkler’s fame warmed his parents up to him, making them show pride in their son for the first time. Winkler feels that their approval came too late and wishes they had shown love and support for him when he was a child. His sister and her husband sold a book about him as a child to make money, and sold watches with Fonzie on the clock.

In 1976, Winkler visited Australia to present at the Logie Awards. During a tour of the outback, he bought a pointing bone and learned the myths and beliefs of the Aboriginal people, which amazed him. As Happy Days continued, the network’s preferential treatment of Winkler—such as giving him an expensive VCR while giving the rest of the cast nice wallets—caused some resentment from the cast toward ABC, though they did not blame Winkler.

Garry started a softball team consisting of the show’s cast in which they played against talent agencies and other television show casts. This rebuilt camaraderie. Howard’s brother Clint taught Winkler how to pitch, which he turned out to have a natural gift for. Winkler’s struggles with dyslexia still made him self-conscious, though his costars supported him.

While buying a jacket at a boutique, Winkler met a woman. The second time there, he talked to her again. She appeared to either not know or care about who he was and acted normal and polite toward him. He invited her to get a soda. She accepted.