Henry Winker on his family struggles, global fame – and the void after the Fonz jumped the shark
Henry Winkler in West Hollywood, California, in 2022. Photo: FilmMagic for HBO
It's funny to hear that Henry Winkler, the Fonz himself, had an Irish childhood. Or not exactly Irish, but with many of the classic elements: poverty, a difficult parent, a long climb out of low self-esteem.
The parallels became clear to him through literature. Winkler, who grew up in a Jewish family in New York, is dyslexic and always had trouble reading, so he listened to recordings of Frank McCourt's Angela's ashes. By the end, he had seen a reflection of his own life, he says. He then contacted McCourt by phone and told him about the book's impact.