WINKLER, HENRY

WINKLER, HENRY (1945– ), U.S. actor, writer, director, and producer. Winkler was born in New York City to Harry Irving Winkler, a lumber executive, and Ilse Anna Maria (née Hadra), German Jews who had escaped the Nazis before the beginning of World War II. Winkler attended high school at the Horace Mann School in Riverdale, New York, and graduated from Emerson College with a bachelor's degree in 1967. After receiving a master of fine arts degree in drama from Yale in 1970, the five-foot-six actor appeared in dozens of commercials before making his film debut in the 1950s gang feature The Lords of Flatbush (1974) with the then unknown Sylvester Stallone. Winkler joined the cast of the 1950s sitcom Happy Days (1974–84), achieving pop stardom as the motorcycle-riding mechanic Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli, a role that earned him two Golden Globe awards. While still on Happy Days, Winkler starred in films such as Heroes (1977) and Night Shift (1982), directed by Happy Days co-star Ron Howard. In 1978, Emerson College honored Winkler with a doctorate in Hebrew literature. After Happy Days, he concentrated on coproducing the television show MacGyver (1985–92) and directing feature films such as Memories of Me (1988) and Cop and a Half (1993). Winkler served as executive producer for rob reiner 's The Sure Thing (1985) and the film Young Sherlock Holmes (1985). He stepped out from behind the camera again to star in the made-for-television movies Absolute Strangers (1991) and The Only Way Out (1993), as well as for the shortlived sitcom Monty (1994). Winkler also returned to feature films with roles in Scream (1996), The Waterboy (1998), Little Nicky (2000), and Holes (2003). In 2003, the dyslexic Winkler and Lin Oliver began releasing titles in the ongoing Hank Zipzer book series for young adults, which focused on the misadventures of a fourth-grader with learning difficulties. In 2005 he starred in the CBS series Out of Practice. (Adam Wills (2nd ed.)