memoir begins on a Tuesday morning in October 1973, at his first audition for 鈥淗appy Days.鈥� He was almost 28 鈥� quite a bit old for a high schooler 鈥� and struggling with something he didn't know had a name.
鈥淏eing Henry: The Fonz... and Beyond,鈥� released Tuesday by Celadon Books, is a breezy, inspirational story of one of Hollywood's most beloved figures who became an unlikely TV screen icon and later a champion for those with dyslexia.
Winkler's 245-page book charts his course chronologically from the Fonz to 鈥� and the frustrating fallow periods in between 鈥� painting a portrait of a man trying to overcome a bitter, loveless childhood and a disability that made reading impossibly hard and simply trying to become a better man.
鈥淚 was, in my mind, always a little boy,鈥� he writes. 鈥淢y real self was like a kernel of corn sheathed in yards of concrete 鈥� as insulated as the nuclear material at Chernobyl.鈥�
He describes himself at the 鈥淗appy Days鈥� audition as 鈥渁 short Jew from New York City with a unibrow and hair down to my shoulders, confident about next to nothing in my life.鈥� He had graduated from Yale's drama school and bagged a few roles despite having difficulty reading.
The Fonz almost never happened for him: The fearsome then head of development for ABC, and future Disney CEO Michael Eisner were skeptical of Winkler getting the part. But writer-creator saw something.
Later, Winkler dishes, the immense popularity of the Fonz eclipsed anyone else on the show and the network secretly approached him with the idea of spinning off a show or changing the name to 鈥淔onzie's Happy Days.鈥� Winkler refused.
The end of 鈥淗appy Days鈥� brought its own stress for a man who admits that 鈥渨orrying is my favorite indoor sports.鈥� He writes: 鈥淚 was terrified of being a flash in the pan. A one-hit wonder. Was I?鈥�
Over the years, there were guest spots on shows like 鈥淎rrested Development,鈥� 鈥淩oyal Pains鈥� and 鈥淧arks and Recreation鈥� until finally 鈥淏arry,鈥� the show in 2018 that would prove a second tentpole to his career and produce
In 2003, Winkler branched out with Lin Oliver, writing about the adventures of Hank Zipzer, a young boy with dyslexia who overcomes many learning challenges.
The 28-book series 鈥淗ank Zipzer: The World鈥檚 Greatest Underachiever鈥� was based on Winkler鈥檚 own experience with undiagnosed dyslexia. 鈥淎t the height of my fame and success, I felt embarrassed, inadequate,鈥� he writes.
The memoir is enlivened by an unusual move: Winkler includes long reaction passages from his wife, Stacey, who is pretty brutal about Winkler鈥檚 immaturity, his parenting, his own parents and a crippling fear of poverty. 鈥淎 very big thing I鈥檇 learned about Henry was that when he wasn鈥檛 working, he was absolutely miserable. Adrift. Insecure. Anxious,鈥� she writes.
It's telling that Winkler 鈥� who writes he has lately benefited from therapy 鈥� includes a frank perspective from outside his own head.
There are fun moments throughout: How Winkler came to produce 鈥淢acGyver鈥� and how he got fired from directing 鈥淭urner & Hooch.鈥� There's a hysterical section about trying to direct Burt Reynolds in 鈥淐op & 1/2鈥� and, while Winkler is a nice guy, he's still capable of throwing some shade at Michael Keaton.
He wonderfully captures the late Robin Williams 鈥� 鈥渨ithin 42 seconds, I knew, I was in the presence of greatness鈥� 鈥� and how ABC made so mad during 鈥淗appy Days鈥� that he became a film director almost out of spite.
But one figure looms over this book and career 鈥� the Fonz, whose moody expression fills the back cover. Winkler by the end has come to peace with his creation.
鈥淔or a long time after 鈥楬appy Days,鈥� I was saddened that the world could only see me as the Fonz," he writes. "But I never lost sight of what the character gave me 鈥� a roof over my head, food on the table, my children's education 鈥� and how much it gave me in terms of introducing me to the whole world.鈥�
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AP book reviews:
Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press
