NEED TO KNOW
Henry Winkler says Ron Howard was “panicked” during live audience tapings of Happy Days
In a new podcast interview, the actor says Howard “was one of the best acting partners I’ve ever had in my career”
Howard’s panic, Winkler said, came from not being trained in theater
Henry Winkler is opening up about Ron Howard‘s stage fright during the first few episodes of Happy Days.
Speaking on the Wednesday, Feb. 18 episode of the What Matters with Liz podcast, Winkler, 80, said that Howard, 71, “was one of the best acting partners I’ve ever had in my career.”
“When we did Happy Days together, now here’s a guy who’s never done theater before, he’s only done film,” Winkler said, adding that he was trained in theater.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Ron Howard, Henry Winkler on Happy Days
ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty
He continued: “Ron had never done it before and was really nervous — especially in 1975 when we went from doing it like a little movie to in front of an audience. He was panicked.”
“And I’m telling you — things would come to me during the show, and I would just do them, I wouldn’t stop my imagination,” Winkler added. “And Ron went wherever I went.”
Winkler added: “And then I went wherever he went. And it was uncanny, you could not fake it. You couldn’t make it up.”
The sitcom ran for 11 seasons between 1974 and 1984 on ABC.
The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!
Howard starred as the all-American boy next door Richie Cunningham for the first seven seasons of the series, returning in a guest capacity in the final season.
Winkler, on the other hand, was initially in a recurring role as the ultimate cool guy Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli in the first season before being upped to a series regular for the rest of the show’s run thanks to his character’s popularity.
The show ran from 1974 to 1984.
Speaking to PEOPLE in 2025, Winkler’s daughter Zoe Winkler Reinis spoke about the special bond between the two.
“What they lived was such a one-of-one situation,” she said. “The fact that they have each other, and they are still working, and they’re still getting to do what they love I think is such an amazing thing. So many people don’t get that, especially in this world of entertainment.”
Read the original article on People