If you grew up in the 70s or 80s, there is a good chance that the famous family comedy Happy Days was one of the series that rocked your childhood. Airing on ABC since 1974, this delightful and nostalgic sitcom that marked television history immersed its viewers in the everyday life of an American family in the 1950s.
Calmed by unforgettable credits (famous “Sunday, Monday, happy days…”), it was also remembered by its fans for its colorful characters, especially the lovable gangster Fonzie, played by Henry Winkler.
If the latter undoubtedly brought a lot of good humor to the audience, filming the series was not always easy for him, as he recently confided in his biography. Being Henry: The Fonz… and beyond. Indeed, as he explains between the pages of his book, the young actor learned at the age of 31 that he had dyslexia.
“Even in the middle of the happy days, when I was at the height of my fame and success, I felt awkward, inadequate.”– says the actor.
“Every Monday at 10am, we read our scripts for the week around the table, and every time I read, I got lost or stuck. I forgot a word or line.
I never managed to get the line right, which ruined the frenzy of the person doing the scene with me. Or I’d look at a word like ‘invincible’ and have no idea how to pronounce it.”
Still in his biography (transmitted in the article From People’s WebsiteFonzi’s interpreter continues:
“My brain and I weren’t in the same zip code. Meanwhile, other actors were waiting and watching me. It was humiliating and embarrassing. Everyone in the cast was warm and supportive, but I constantly felt like I was. Letting them down.”
“I had to request pages of my script early so I could read them over and over again, which put extra pressure on the writers who were already stressed every week as they had to deliver 24 scripts quickly. And all this was happening. At the height of my success, when I was the coolest guy in the world.”
In addition to his role in the popular 70’s sitcom, Henry Winkler is also known for his role as Principal Himbree in Wes Craven’s slasher Scream. We also got to see his small cameo in the final part of the saga, which was released in 2022.
(Re)discover the ‘Scream’ trailer…
Source: Allocine
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
