Henry Winkler Reflects on Unpleasant Guest Star Experiences

Henry Winkler recently opened up about a less-than-ideal experience with a former screen partner. While appearing at a fan expo in Tennessee, the 80-year-old actor discussed the camaraderie on the set of ‘Happy Days.’ He noted, ‘On our set, there was no stardom,’ and highlighted how one guest star couldn’t gel with the rest of the team.

‘We were an ensemble. We worked hard at making it funny every week,’ Winkler mentioned. ‘One guy came on as a guest star, was brought back a few times, and kept talking about his fan mail. I told him, ‘You don’t want to talk to me about fan mail, I got 50,000 letters a week.”

Winkler stressed to this actor that ‘we don’t talk about that on the set’ and emphasized that ‘we are all here as one.’

Despite the warning, the actor continued his behavior. Winkler referred to him as ‘an a–back’ and noted that the character he played was named Eugene.

Throughout all 11 seasons of ‘Happy Days,’ Winkler portrayed Arthur ‘Fonzie’ Fonzarelli, from 1974 to 1984. The show was his big break, leading to a successful career in both film and television. Winkler earned a Golden Globe nomination for ‘Heroes’ and starred in movies like ‘The Waterboy,’ ‘Holes,’ and ‘Click.’

Winkler continues to enjoy new experiences on set, such as filming his first nude scene for the third season of ‘Loot.’ He commented on working with Maya Rudolph, saying, ‘Maya Rudolph is one of my favorites. She is brilliant and lovely. So, when she asked me to be on the first episode of the third season of ‘Loot,’ I didn’t even ask to read the script.’

During his first costume fitting, he was taken aback by ‘a silk robe that went to there,’ indicating his upper thigh. ‘There was nothing else,’ he recalled. He recounted the chilly January beach shoot, saying, ‘The wind came from every direction. Parts of my body, large and small. … It was so cold. I was in shock.’ He was comforted by working with Maya and her cast, despite the challenges.

Winkler received two Golden Globe Awards for playing Fonzie, but won his first Emmy Award in 2018 for his role in ‘Barry.’ He starred as Gene Cousineau, an acting coach who befriends a wanted assassin, played by Bill Hader, across four seasons.

Following his Emmy win, Winkler shared advice backstage: ‘Be yourself, be honest about your ability, prepare so that you are not a flash in the pan,’ Variety reported.

Reflecting on his career, Winkler mused, ‘When I first started here in Hollywood … I thought of myself as a tree or sapling. I planted. I wanted to grow and be strong until I couldn’t do this anymore. And what a great tree it is.’