CIVIL STATUS
Professions Actor, Executive Producer, Director more
Birth Name Henry Franklin Winkler
Nationality American
Born 30 October 1945 (New York, New York – United States)
BIOGRAPHY
After graduating from the Yale School of Drama in 1970, Henry Winkler began his career with television commercials and minor roles in the soap Another World and the cult series Mary Tyler Moore Show.
1974 was a pivotal year for the actor. In the cinema, he played one of the main roles in the comedy-drama Hands in the Pockets alongside Sylvester Stallone. In it, he plays a little Brooklyn hit proudly wearing a black jacket that will soon become his second skin. That same year, he landed the role of Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli in Happy Days. After 11 seasons on the sitcom, and appearances in its spin-offs Laverne & Shirley, Mork and Mindy and Joanie Loves Chachi, the “Fonz'”, symbol of cool attitude and always dressed in his black leather, is definitely entering the annals of television. Despite his omnipresence on the small screen, Henry Winkler did not abandon the cinema. His portrayal of a Vietnam veteran in Heroes earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in 1978, and four years later Ron Howard cast him in his second film, Night Shift.
When Happy Days came to an end in 1984, Winkler decided to put his acting career on hold in favor of that of producer and director. With his partner John Rich, he produced MacGyver, and directed Burt Reynolds in the crime comedy One and a Half Cops.
With Monty, Henry Winkler misses out on his comeback as a comedian on television, but the same cannot be said for film. After his uncredited role as a terrified principal in Scream, he made numerous appearances, sometimes on the big screen (Waterboy, with Adam Sandler, The Lizard’s Bite), sometimes on the small screen (The Practice, Arrested Development).
In 2005, Henry Winkler finally made a comeback in the top corner with the CBS sitcom Out of Practice. He plays Stewart Barnes, a renowned gastroenterologist who has just left his wife for his young assistant. While the leather jacket is gone, the cool attitude is still the order of the day. Unfortunately, the temporary suspension and the change of time slot got the better of the series, which was cancelled at the end of the season. Henry Winkler is once again taking over as director of cinema. He reunited with Adam Sandler for Click, then co-starred with Michelle Pfeiffer in the romantic comedy I Could Never Be Your Woman.
