Henry Winkler discusses life and work in Town Hall South lecture
Courtesy of Town Hall South
UPPER ST. CLAIR-It may be a bit of a cliche, but Henry Winkler’s life does represent a genuine triumph over adversity.
The actor, who will be 79 in October, managed to become one of the most recognizable actors in the world in the 1970s by playing Fonzie on the beloved ABC-TV series “Happy Days,” despite a childhood marked by poor grades in school and a lack of support from German-emigre parents who had hoped he would follow his father into the wood trade.
“I’ve always wanted to be an actor,” Winkler told an audience at Upper St. Clair High School Friday morning. “We were always born to do something. … Reading was hard, writing was hard, math was out of the question.”
Winkler pointed out that “there are many talented human beings” in the bottom third of any graduating class, and “we can’t always look to the top.”
Winkler recounted in a talk that wrapped up the Town Hall South 2023-24 lecture series how he managed to scrape his way into Emerson College in Boston and then the Yale School of Drama before heading to Hollywood – “the only ‘wood’ I was interested in,” he said – and catapulted to fame as a 1950s greaser in a leather jacket and a heart of gold on “Happy Days.” This happened despite his agent warning that “it would be hard to sell you.”
When it comes to acting, Winkler explained, “There is no right, there is no wrong. It’s you, filling time and space with your imagination.”
And though Winkler is perhaps best known for his “Happy Days” tenure, he’s had a busy career outside the leather jacket. He’s produced and directed movies and television series and was involved in the development of the ABC-TV series “MacGyver.” He also has remained busy on the other side of the camera, appearing in such series as “Arrested Development,” “Parks and Recreation,” and “Barry,” the latter of which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award in the category Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
“I’ve had a remarkable career I was told I would never have,” Winkler said.
The New York native also has been a prolific writer over the last 13 years, co-writing almost 40 children’s novels and two memoirs, one of which explored his love of fly fishing. In 2023, Winkler published the autobiography, “Being Henry…The Fonz and Beyond.”
Shortly after Winkler broke into the world’s consciousness as Fonzie, he was diagnosed as dyslexic, and in the years since has been an advocate for children, particularly those with learning disabilities. In 2011, he was made an honorary Officer of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II for his work with children.
“Our children are not extensions of who we are,” Winkler said. “They are not there to make us look good. They are individuals with their own destiny.”
He added, “A heard child is a powerful child.”
Winkler’s talk not only wrapped up the 2023-24 Town Hall South series, but brought the curtain down on Town Hall South altogether. Organizers announced in November that the series would be ending due to declining subscriptions and increased costs. They have indicated lectures could eventually continue, but in another format.
The series was first launched in 1969 by Westminster Presbyterian Church. Guests over the years have included such luminaries as Walter Cronkite, Anthony Bourdain and Ralph Nader.