By India McCarty
The HAPPY DAYS cast just reunited for the first time in 50 years!
“We are very happy to be here in Pittsburgh,” Henry Winkler, who played Arthur “The Fonz” Fonzarelli on the popular sitcom, said. He and castmates Ron Howard, Don Most and Anson Williams appeared onstage together at Steel City Con this year.
Winkler added, “This is the first time that we have appeared this way in 50 years!”
“It feels like it’s been 50 minutes, because we’re having so much fun hanging and this was sort of our great excuse to come together, so thank you,” Howard, who played Richie Cunningham, added. “And by the way, it’s just been amazing” (video via Instagram).
In an interview with CBS, Winkler explained, “For the first time ever, we are all together. I have been with Don and Anson before, but this is Ron’s second convention in history. I am overwhelmed that we are here all together.”
He and Howard also spoke about why HAPPY DAYS’ legacy has endured for so long.
“Our leader…Garry Marshall set it in the ’50s so it would be timeless, so that no matter when you turn it on, it was never dated and that was his thought, and the stories are human, wonderful stories,” Winkler explained, per PEOPLE.
Related: Henry Winkler Reflects on HAPPY DAYS’ 50th Anniversary: ‘Grateful’
Howard added, “They are about family, they are about friendship and those themes just endure.”
The pair elaborated on that during their onstage appearance.
“First of all, Garry Marshall was, like, a brilliant creator, a great writer,” Winkler said. “They chose a wonderful cast — some of them, unfortunately, are no longer on the earth with us — but we played together, we stayed together, and we worked hard together. Nobody thought they were better than anybody else.”
Howard agreed, saying the talent of the ensemble cast was “a huge key” to HAPPY DAYS’ success.
“It was a life experience that’s unlike anything else that I’ve ever known,” he shared. “And we had great chemistry. We had fun working together from the beginning, and it never failed us.”
During the onstage discussion, the APOLLO 13 director admitted that he had not watched an episode of HAPPY DAYS “in a long time” but recently turned on a random episode recently and got “the greatest feeling.”
“Because I know why the show was a hit: it was good. And we were good,” Howard said. “We were so cohesive as an ensemble unit. We really connected in a great way. And it’s one of the reasons the show has endured.”
HAPPY DAYS continues to be one of the most beloved American sitcoms, and it’s clear that the cast feels the same way as their fans do about the show.
Read Next: Henry Winkler on a Possible HAPPY DAYS Reboot
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