'Happy Days' star Henry Winkler says friendship with Ron Howard was tested as Fonzie popularity soared

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Henry Winkler reflects on turning into Fonzie for 'Happy Days' audition

Henry Winkler reflects on his 'Happy Days' audition after his big win at the 2023 Critics Choice Awards. When it comes to his ‘Fonzie’ voice, Winkler reveals, 'I don’t know where it came from.'

Not every day was happy for Henry Winkler.

The Emmy Award-winning actor, who starred as Arthur Herbert "The Fonz" Fonzarelli on "Happy Days," has written a new memoir published on Halloween, "Being Henry: The Fonz… and Beyond." In it, the star detailed how he skyrocketed to fame on the hit sitcom and how his character’s popularity tested his friendship with Ron Howard, who played Richie Cunningham on the show.

"I was very aware never to be less than respectful to him," Winkler, 78, told Fox News Digital. "I was always careful never to flaunt anything that was happening to me on the sound stage in front of the cast members, including him. I'm lucky [my character’s popularity] was happening, but I was a member of an ensemble, which was higher than bragging." 

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Henry Winkler's new memoir, "Being Henry," is out now. (Celadon Books )

The series, which chronicled the lives of the Cunningham family in the 1950s, aired from 1974 to 1984.

In his book, Winkler details his unexpected rise to stardom and how he overcame typecasting. (Andrew Eccles)

"I learned a lot from Ron," Winkler reflected. "He was completely grounded by his parents, who never allowed any bad behavior. He was being a professional. This was his job, and I learned from watching him. I’m older — 10 years older — so I had the experience of theater and commercials on the East Coast on how to be a professional. I never doubted my responsibility for what I had to do, but I still had a lot to learn."

"I remember one time I got overly emotional [trying to memorize my lines]," Winkler continued. "It was Ron who took me back to the sound stage and said, ‘If I were you, I probably wouldn’t hit my script.’ I said, ‘Ron, I’ll never hit my script as long as I live.' Nor did I ever."

As Winkler's popularity soared, Ron Howard, left, felt disrespected. (Fotos International/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

In the book, Winkler describes that while "Happy Days" was designed to have Howard be the star, his greaser role had taken off. Winkler was quickly given a raise from ABC. Worried how Howard might feel, Winkler reached out to his pal.

"You’re not letting this go to your head or change who you are," Howard told Winkler, as quoted in the book. "You’re a great team player. What you’ve created is incredible... for the show. But if I’m honest, I have to say it does hurt my feelings; more than that — it’s made me angry at times. Because you’re right — I was supposed to be the star of the show. But I was never angry at you, Henry."

Leonard Goldenson, the president of ABC, even wanted to change the title of the show at one point — to "Fonzie’s Happy Days." Winkler balked at the suggestion.

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Winkler balked at the idea of "Happy Days" being renamed "Fonzie's Happy Days." (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

"I’m asking you not to do that," Winkler pleaded, as he wrote in his book. "If you do that, it is so disrespectful to everybody who has been doing ‘Happy Days’ as a family together with me… How much more of a success can you make the show by changing the name… That would be so hurtful — just as a slap in the face to everyone else in the cast."

According to Winkler, "Happy Days" producers Tom Miller and Ed Milkis even approached Howard with the title change suggestion. Howard threatened to leave "Happy Days" and return to film school at USC.

Winkler said it was show creator Garry Marshall who put his foot down at the idea. He also helped ease any tensions on set by creating a "Happy Days" softball team with the cast.

(Not in order) Ron Howard, Henry Winkler, Garry Marshall, Marion Ross, Don Most, Anson Williams, Rob Reiner, Clint Howard, Tom Bosley, Al Molinaro and the rest of the cast of the ABC series "Happy Days" pose at a charity softball game. (American Broadcasting Companies via Getty Images)

"I never could play ball," Winkler told Fox News Digital. "I don’t have good eye/hand coordination, so I was never a sports person except for water-skiing when I was younger. Ron bought me my first mitt and Anson Williams [who played Potsie on the show] bought me my first bat for my birthday. They taught me to pitch softball on the sound stage in between scenes. I became very good at pitching. I couldn’t hit very well. I couldn’t catch very well. But it was a great accomplishment for me."

It was in 1980, during the beginning of the eighth season of "Happy Days," that Winkler got a surprise phone call from Howard.

"Ron was just here for dinner with his wife and daughter, and he recounted the phone call," Winkler explained. "What I heard was, ‘Hey, Henry, in 10 minutes it’s going to hit the press, but I wanted you to hear it first. I’m not coming back.’"

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In 1980, Howard told Winkler he was leaving "Happy Days." (ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)

"I was devastated," Winkler admitted. "I was scared. He was my acting partner. And yet I knew this was this man’s dream, to be a filmmaker. Ron said I told him, ‘Go get it. Go out there, and you go get it because this is what you want.’ He said, ‘I’ll never forget those words because it was an impetus for me. It made me feel better about my decision.’ I said, ‘It took you 50 years to finally tell me that?’"

In the book, Winkler described the phone call that left him "completely thunderstruck."

"[Ron] told me how disrespected the network had made him feel — financially and personally," Winkler wrote. "You know,’ he said, ‘ABC just really doesn’t care about me.’ He mentioned his salary; he even mentioned the wallet the network gave him for Christmas when I got that fancy videotape player — and, finally, pushed him over the edge."

"When Robin Williams (left) first picked up the script on the Wednesday afternoon that he was hired to play Mork, we did a scene together," Winkler told Fox News Digital. "He internalized the script and shot it out like a cannonball. I saw it. I knew I was in the presence of greatness." (ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)

"I was scared and sad," Winkler continued. "I didn’t know what was going to happen. My acting partner in most of the scenes on ‘Happy Days’ was leaving! My entire character was based on being Richie’s big brother; everything else was ancillary. How could I ever find somebody I felt this connected to? All these things were swirling in my brain. But mostly I felt, I love you; I want you to go out there and be unbelievable; possibly cast me…"

Howard is an Oscar-winning filmmaker with a net worth reported at $200 million. (Rich Polk/Getty Images for IMDb)

Howard’s character Richie got drafted into the Army on the show to explain his absence, and the former child actor went on to become an Oscar-winning director. Some of his many blockbusters include "Apollo 13" and "A Beautiful Mind." 

Today, there are no hard feelings, Winkler stressed. He’s the godfather of Howard's daughter, actress Bryce Dallas Howard.

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Winkler is Bryce Dallas Howard's godfather. (Andrew Toth/Getty Images for The Environmental Media Association)

Howard and his wife Cheryl told Winkler, "God forbid anything happens to us, will you take the children? You can bar mitzvah them, if you want."

A spokesperson for the filmmaker, 69, didn’t immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Following his success as Fonzie, Winkler struggled with typecasting. He even turned down the role of Danny Zuko in 1978’s "Grease," a role that went to John Travolta. After "Happy Days" came to an end, Winkler pursued a role behind the scenes as a producer.

Winkler turned down the role of Danny Zuko in "Grease," fearing the part was too similar to The Fonz. The role ultimately went to John Travolta, right. (ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content/Paramount Pictures/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis)

"It was not freeing at all," Winkler explained. "It was a time filler. I could not get hired doing what I wanted to do. My lawyer said, ‘I think I’m going to start a production company for you.' I said, ‘I can’t do that. I’m dyslexic. I have no idea about the business.’ He said, ‘You’ll learn.’ The first show that my partner and I sold at the time was ‘MacGyver.’ It was not at all like, ‘I want to be a producer.’ That never entered my mind. Same with writing children’s books."

"I couldn’t get hired in 2001, 2002," he continued. "My friend Alan Berger said, ‘Write books for children about your dyslexia.’ And ‘Detective Duck’ is my 40th."

"I don’t need a time filler now," Winkler chuckled.

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Winkler accepts the award for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series for "Barry" during the 70th Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sept. 17, 2018. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

It wouldn’t be until 2018 that Winkler won his first Emmy for best supporting actor for his role on HBO's "Barry." It was his seventh Emmy nomination. But he still has a great love for The Fonz.

Winkler has zero regrets about playing The Fonz. (Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)

"I love every morsel of him," said Winkler. "I love every fiber of him. I love the fact that I got to create him. I love that people from all over the world still talk to me about him today and still remember him."