Henry Winkler

In his two-and-a-half-hour interview, Henry Winkler discusses his early years as the child of Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany, his early passion for acting, and his struggles with then-undiagnosed dyslexia. Winkler chronicles his early career in New York, where he acted on stage and in numerous commercials, and his subsequent decision to move to Los Angeles, where he was quickly cast as a guest actor on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. He details all aspects of the role for which he became most well-known, "Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli" on the hit sitcom, Happy Days. He talks about his casting, the development of the character, working with the cast (particularly Ron Howard and producer Garry Marshall), and the iconic status (and occasional mayhem it generated) of Fonzie as well as his catchphrase --"whoa." Of developing the character, Winkler says he didn't want it to be a stereotype and he reveals that because of his dyslexia, as "Fonzie" he never actually rode a motorcycle. He speaks about fame and celebrity, and being grateful he experienced this later in life, when he could fully appreciate it. Winkler chronicles his transition to directing and producing in the 1980s, which included being executive producer of MacGyver, and his later acting projects including Arrested Development and The Practice, which earned him his fifth Primetime Emmy nomination as a guest star. Karen Herman conducted the interview on November 10, 2006 in Los Angeles, CA.