memoir begins on a Tuesday morning in October 1973, at his first audition for B次元官网网址淗appy Days.B次元官网网址 He was almost 28 B次元官网网址 quite a bit old for a high schooler B次元官网网址 and struggling with something he didnB次元官网网址檛 know had a name.
B次元官网网址淏eing Henry: The FonzB次元官网网址 and Beyond,B次元官网网址 released Tuesday by Celadon Books, is a breezy, inspirational story of one of HollywoodB次元官网网址檚 most beloved figures who became an unlikely TV screen icon and later a champion for those with dyslexia.
WinklerB次元官网网址檚 245-page book charts his course chronologically from the Fonz to B次元官网网址 and the frustrating fallow periods in between B次元官网网址 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.
B次元官网网址淚 was, in my mind, always a little boy,B次元官网网址 he writes. B次元官网网址淢y real self was like a kernel of corn sheathed in yards of concrete B次元官网网址 as insulated as the nuclear material at Chernobyl.B次元官网网址
He describes himself at the B次元官网网址淗appy DaysB次元官网网址 audition as B次元官网网址渁 short Jew from New York City with a unibrow and hair down to my shoulders, confident about next to nothing in my life.B次元官网网址 He had graduated from YaleB次元官网网址檚 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 B次元官网网址淔onzieB次元官网网址檚 Happy Days.B次元官网网址 Winkler refused.
The end of B次元官网网址淗appy DaysB次元官网网址 brought its own stress for a man who admits that B次元官网网址渨orrying is my favorite indoor sports.B次元官网网址 He writes: B次元官网网址淚 was terrified of being a flash in the pan. A one-hit wonder. Was I?B次元官网网址
Over the years, there were guest spots on shows like B次元官网网址淎rrested Development,B次元官网网址 B次元官网网址淩oyal PainsB次元官网网址 and B次元官网网址淧arks and RecreationB次元官网网址 until finally B次元官网网址淏arry,B次元官网网址 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 B次元官网网址淗ank Zipzer: The WorldB次元官网网址檚 Greatest UnderachieverB次元官网网址 was based on WinklerB次元官网网址檚 own experience with undiagnosed dyslexia. B次元官网网址淎t the height of my fame and success, I felt embarrassed, inadequate,B次元官网网址 he writes.
The memoir is enlivened by an unusual move: Winkler includes long reaction passages from his wife, Stacey, who is pretty brutal about WinklerB次元官网网址檚 immaturity, his parenting, his own parents and a crippling fear of poverty. B次元官网网址淎 very big thing IB次元官网网址檇 learned about Henry was that when he wasnB次元官网网址檛 working, he was absolutely miserable. Adrift. Insecure. Anxious,B次元官网网址 she writes.
ItB次元官网网址檚 telling that Winkler B次元官网网址 who writes he has lately benefited from therapy B次元官网网址 includes a frank perspective from outside his own head.
There are fun moments throughout: How Winkler came to produce B次元官网网址淢acGyverB次元官网网址 and how he got fired from directing B次元官网网址淭urner & Hooch.B次元官网网址 ThereB次元官网网址檚 a hysterical section about trying to direct Burt Reynolds in B次元官网网址淐op & 1/2B次元官网网址 and, while Winkler is a nice guy, heB次元官网网址檚 still capable of throwing some shade at Michael Keaton.
He wonderfully captures the late Robin Williams B次元官网网址 B次元官网网址渨ithin 42 seconds, I knew, I was in the presence of greatnessB次元官网网址 B次元官网网址 and how CBS made so mad during B次元官网网址淗appy DaysB次元官网网址 that he became a film director almost out of spite.
But one figure looms over this book and career B次元官网网址 the Fonz, whose moody expression fills the back cover. Winkler by the end has come to peace with his creation.
B次元官网网址淔or a long time after B次元官网网址楬appy Days,B次元官网网址 I was saddened that the world could only see me as the Fonz,B次元官网网址 he writes. B次元官网网址淏ut I never lost sight of what the character gave me B次元官网网址 a roof over my head, food on the table, my childrenB次元官网网址檚 education B次元官网网址 and how much it gave me in terms of introducing me to the whole world.B次元官网网址
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