Henry Winkler Early Life Is So Famous; But Why?

Henry Franklin Winkler was born in Manhattan, New York City, on October 30, 1945.

• Ilse Anna Marie (née Hadra), his mother, was a homemaker, while his father, Harry Irving Winkler, was a lumber import-exporter.
• Richard Belzer, his cousin, is also an actor and has a sister named Beatrice.
• Winkler was born in Berlin to German Jewish parents. They arrived in the United States in 1939;
• shortly before World War II broke out. Due to his dyslexia (which was misdiagnosed at the time), he struggled through school and only graduated from McBurney School on Manhattan’s Upper West Side in 1963 after finishing summer school.
• He moved on to Emerson College, where he received a BA in 1967, and the Yale School of Drama, where he received an MFA in 1970.

Henry Winkler Acting Career

Winkler was cast as Butchery Weinstein in the drama film “The Lords of Flatbush” in 1973.

• Perry King and Sylvester Stallone also starred in the film. The film, however, was not released until 1974.
• He performed on series such as “The Mary Tyler Moor Show,” “The Bob Newhart Show,” and “Rhoda” in 1973.
• In 1973, Winkler was cast as Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli, commonly known as “The Fonz” or “Fonzie,” on the comedy “Happy Days,” according to producer Tom Miller.
• The first episode of “Happy Days” aired in January 1974, and it helped Winkler gain more popularity and renown.
• He stayed on as The Fonz until the show concluded in 1984.
• He performed in films such as “Heroes” (1977), “The One and Only” (1978), and “An American Christmas Carol” (1979) while playing The Fonz on television (1979).
• In the 1990s, Winkler began acting again after a sabbatical in the 1980s.
• 1991, he acted in “Absolute Strangers” and in 1994, he co-starred with Katharine Hepburn in “One Christmas.”
• In 1994, he returned to TV in “Monty”
• “Monty” was canceled after six episodes.
• Adam Sandler invited him to appear in “The Waterboy” (1998), beginning a wonderful friendship and professional partnership.
• Winkler later appeared in “Little Nicky,” “Click,” and “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan” (2008).
• Winkler has since appeared in “Numb3rs,” “The Bob Newhart Show,” “South Park,” “The Practice,” “The Drew Carey Show,” “The Simpsons,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “Third Watch,” “Arrested Development,” “Family Guy,” “King of the Hill,” “Royal Pains,” “Children’s Hospital,” “Parks and Recreation,” and “Barry,” among others.

Henry Winkler’s Personal Life

In 1978, Winkler married Stacey Weitzman (née Furstman).

• Zoe Emily (1980) and Max Daniel (born 1983).
• Howard Weitzman was Stacey’s ex-husband.
• Winkler is her son Jed Weitzman’s stepfather.
• Henry and Stacey bought a $3.4 million property in Brentwood, LA, in 1993.
• In today’s money, that’s $6 million. It’s worth $11-15 million today.
• The Winklers sold their longtime Toluca Lake home to actor Andy Garcia for $2.26 million around the same time as the acquisition.

They acquired the house the same year they married, in 1978.

What Disease Does Henry Winkler Have?

He also auditioned for Happy Days and was cast in the character of Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli, which he played for ten years.

Winkler was diagnosed with dyslexia during his time on Happy Days.

Winkler felt typecast after the end of Happy Days and moved into producing and directing.