By Kayla DeKraker
Henry Winkler, best known for his character “The Fonz” in the ’70s show HAPPY DAYS, reflects on his time as an actor with a heart of gratitude, thankful to still be involved in the industry.
“I love getting up in the morning. I love being alive. I love that I’m still at the table,” he told Fox News.
The 79-year-old has scored several major roles during his lifetime. When asked by Fox News which one he thinks were the biggest, he said, “I don’t know. I got the Fonz when I was 27, I got Barry when I [was] 72 and now…HAZARDOUS HISTORY.”
HAZARDOUS HISTORY, Winkler’s latest project, is a History Channel special he hosts.
“Each 60-minute episode of this nostalgia-drenched series tells the stories of the things we did — for fun, for money, or out of plain boredom — that you can’t do anymore,” a description reads. “Pastimes, practices, and products that were once allowed — even encouraged — which you will never see again in modern America.”
Related: Henry Winkler Asks: Did I Use my God-Given Talents the Right Way?
More than anything, though, Winkler wants his legacy to that of “a good human being.”
He added, “Kindness has never been a disadvantage. Also, I don’t think of myself as a nice guy. I think of myself as a grateful guy. My gratitude allows the journey — with all the bumps and the bruises and all of the success — to equal out.”
He knows, however, that there are certain requirements for someone who wants to succeed in Hollywood.
“One is, you must be tenacious,” he explained. “You must really eat and sleep and breathe you want to be in this industry.”
He continued, “The ear is the center of all things. Listening — listening to the creators, listening to yourself and listening to your fellow actors.”
Winkler’s role as The Fonz impacted fans so deeply that one person even relied on the actor in a desperate moment.
“We’re on the set of HAPPY DAYS, 50 years ago, and the phone all of a sudden rings…It is a police officer somewhere in the Midwest. There is a young man who’s 17 years old who is on the ledge wanting to jump, but before he jumps, he wants to talk to me,” he recalled.
“Where I got the nerve to talk to this guy, I don’t know. But I said to him, the first thing that came to my mind: ‘Do you have a record collection?’ He said, ‘I do.’ I said, ‘Look, just go inside and write on a piece of paper that you’re going to sign your record collection over to me.’ And then when he got inside, they stopped him from jumping.”
Winkler was recently honored by the Television Academy for his 50 plus years in Hollywood, which he posted about on Instagram last month.
“Henry Winkler celebrated 50 years of success in Hollywood in 2024 and continues to be in demand not only as an actor, producer, and director but as a best-selling author,” the Television Academy website said.
Winkler’s still going strong, but he’s already left quite a legacy.
Read Next: Henry Winkler Reflects on HAPPY DAYS’ 50th Anniversary: ‘Grateful’
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