(Credit: Far Out / Foreign Office)

Sun 7 December 2025 21:00, UK

Best known for playing ‘The Fonz’ in Happy Days, Henry Winkler spent decades showing he’s far more than a one-trick pony. His career has spanned everything from comedy to drama and plenty in between, earning him a spot as one of Hollywood’s most well-liked and respected names – both on and off screen. But like plenty of old hands in the business, his path hasn’t been without its rough patches.

It’s often that the best actors are so synonymous with different iconic roles that they are best known for very different parts, depending on how old their fans are. Those who grew up with Happy Days will always remember Winkler for his performance as a character who quickly became the most beloved co-lead in the most popular show on television.

That being said, Winkler has managed to consistently reinvent himself in order to remain relevant decades into his career. He had a memorable, albeit brief, role as the unfortunately-fated Principal Arthur Himbry in the original Scream, as well as a hilarious guest part as the incompetent lawyer Barry Zuckerkorn in the cult sitcom series Arrested Development. More recently, Winkler finally earned the first Primetime Emmy Award for his terrific performance as the quirky acting teacher Gene Cousineau on the HBO series Barry.

Barring the odd rare feud, Winkler’s built a bit of a reputation as one of the nicest blokes in the business – which is saying something, given how long he’s been around. With all the awkward, uncomfortable and downright tough situations actors end up in, it’s no small feat staying upbeat and not turning bitter about the whole thing.

Winkler’s relatively pristine reputation is even more admirable when considering that he had to deal with some particularly aggressive co-stars at different points in his career. In an interview with Newsweek, Winkler warned aspiring actors to “not take it personally” when dealing with other cast members, as he had one co-star who repeatedly referred to him as “Thumper”. 

“I worked with an actor who was mean and overbearing, and no matter what he said to me,” Winkler said. “He said to me at a moment in my working with him, ‘You are so lucky that you are short, or I would rip your head off your neck,’ and I said, ‘Let me say, I have never been so happy to be this short.’”

Being the gentleman that he is, Winkler avoided naming names, although it’s possible that he may have lost memory of his co-star altogether. Considering that Winkler has hundreds of credits on his résumé, including many guest roles in television shows, it’s totally possible that the name of that nasty actor was lost on him, even if the scary memory is forever ingrained in his head.

The honesty with which Winkler has been willing to discuss his career has actually come to his advantage in some instances, in which he can draw on his own experiences. One of the reasons that Winkler’s performance in Barry was so good is that he was completely believable as a struggling actor who was desperately trying to pass along any advice he could to a new generation of aspiring stars.

It’s a performance that feels quite honest because there was a point in Winkler’s career where he struggled to break out of the mould set by Happy Days, as casting directors were unable to differentiate him from The Fonz. Thankfully, Winkler’s hard work has allowed him to pop up in a multitude of different projects that appeal to all different types of fans; there aren’t many other actors who can say they’ve become a member of the Adam Sandler troupe, voiced roles in nearly every adult animated sitcom, and earned a cameo in a Wes Anderson film.

Related Topics