By Gavin Boyle
Henry Winkler has spent over 50 years in the entertainment industry, but he finally feels like he knows what he’s doing.
Winkler revealed why he believes he has finally put everything together despite such a long time in the entertainment industry and also shared a bad acting habit that he believes hurt his career.
“There are some projects I would like to inhale and do them again, because I was so off,” Winkler told Women’s World. “When I did BARRY, I was 72. When I did the Fonz [from HAPPY DAYS], I was 27. I knew what I wanted at 27: It took me till I was 72 to put it together.”
Related: HAPPY DAYS’ Henry Winkler Talks Career Highs, Lows: ‘Stay At The Table’
“I was stilted,” he explained. “If I had to do a scene with somebody that was a star, I thought to myself, ‘I’m in a scene with a star,’ as opposed to being in the scene. Oh, I had so many bad habits! It took me a long time to finally get out of my own way, and when you do, it’s like Nirvana. You know it in every fiber of your being. It’s amazing.”
Even if his tendency to think of others as stars without realizing he was a major star himself hurt his ability to act, it may have been a positive trait in the long run as it helped him stay humble and treat those around him well. In fact, he is extra focused on helping others feel comfortable on set because of an experience he had as a young actor that sticks with him.
“The first time, when I came from New York to Hollywood, the first job I had, I had four lines on THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW which was the FRIENDS of its time,” Winkler told Fox News Digital in 2020. “They said, ‘Lunch,’ and all these big stars, they all went to lunch, and I just was in the middle of the soundstage and I had no idea where to go, no one had told me. I felt really alone.”
“I swore I would never let anybody on a set I was on feel that way ever again,” he continued. “No matter what show I do, if there is a guest, I take that guest, man or woman, by the hand and show them where they can get anything done during the day.”
Winkler has also relied on his strong Jewish faith to keep him rooted and remain humble despite being a recognizable face in Hollywood. Throughout his career, he has even asked himself if he is following God’s plan or throwing away his talents by being an actor.
“Occasionally I too would wonder: Was playing the character of Fonzie doing anybody any good? I’d been raised in the Jewish faith and still felt a real peace and closeness to God when I worshiped in a synagogue,” he explained. “Was I doing what I was really meant to do? Was I using my God-given talents in the best possible way?”
Winkler is now confident that he was following God’s plan as he uses his fame – and the money that has come with it – to raise millions for charity and help the less fortunate have access to better resources. Praise the Lord for Winkler’s good work and the lengthy career in Hollywood that he has used for the benefit of others.
Read Next: HAPPY DAYS Actress Remembers Henry Winkler’s Kindness To Terminally Ill Child
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