Photo: Super Festivals from Ft. Lauderdale, USA / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Henry Winkler might be my favorite second act in American television. Playing Fonzie made him an icon and then a prisoner — typecasting like that buries most actors. Instead he produced, directed, wrote a beloved series of children's books inspired by his own dyslexia, and then, in his seventies, won an Emmy for Barry playing a vain acting teacher with surprising tenderness. What moves me is the consensus around his character: in an industry built on ego, nearly everyone describes him as the kindest man they have ever met. Longevity in entertainment usually rewards ruthlessness; Winkler is the rare proof that decency and patience can outlast cool.
Overview
Henry Franklin Winkler (born October 30, 1945) is an American actor, producer, director, and author. Widely known as Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli on the sitcom Happy Days (1974–1984), Winkler has distinguished himself as a character actor for roles on stage and screen. His many accolades include three Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards and two Critics Choice Awards.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Henry Winkler
- Name (Japanese)
- ヘンリー・ウィンクラー
- Reading
- へんりー・うぃんくらー
- Born
- October 30, 1945 (age 80)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Scorpio / Rooster
- Origin
- West Side, New York, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- actor / film producer / writer / film director / television actor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Emerson College
Awards & achievements
- Officer of the Order of the British Empire
- 2018 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
- star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
- 1988 Jane Fonda Humanitarian Award
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Actor — see all → · Film producer — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-11
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.