Joy 101: Henry Winkler

Summary

Joy 101 with Hoda Kotb – Episode Summary

Episode: Joy 101: Henry Winkler
Date: July 20, 2026
Host: Hoda Kotb
Guest: Henry Winkler

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Overview:

This episode of Joy 101 features a profoundly warm and insightful conversation between Hoda Kotb and beloved actor Henry Winkler. The episode dives into Winkler’s difficult childhood, his struggles and triumphs over dyslexia, his meteoric rise as “The Fonz,” his journey through professional reinvention, and his enduring philosophy of joy, kindness, and resilience. With trademark authenticity and humor, Winkler offers deeply personal stories and actionable wisdom on finding and sustaining joy despite adversity.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Early Life and Overcoming Adversity

• Childhood Struggles
  • Henry grew up in a challenging home, describing his household as a “war zone,” where encouragement was scarce and criticism constant due to his undiagnosed dyslexia.

    "I saw my life as a cylinder of stainless steel with no handholds, no footholds. And I tried to pull myself out into the sun, and I slipped until I was 27..."
    (Henry Winkler, 07:16)

• Dyslexia and Parental Pressure
  • Henry discusses the pain of being called an “idiot or a dumb dog” by parents who didn’t understand his learning disability.

    "They did not...I was supposed to be...I was bred to be...I didn't. I was an embarrassment. I didn't do well in school."
    (Henry Winkler, 10:18)

  • His parents escaped Nazi Germany and carried their trauma into parenting, lacking the tools to empathize with or support his needs.

    “My parents had no child vision. I was an embarrassment.”
    (Henry Winkler, 10:18)

• Solitary Resilience
  • With no mentors or champions, Henry learned early self-reliance:

    "Who was there for you, Henry, during that time? Who was the person?"
    "Me. Oh, I... I don't remember anybody."
    (Hoda Kotb & Henry Winkler, 12:24)

2. Education and Discovery of Acting

• Academic Struggles
  • Henry barely scraped by in school and was only accepted at one college (Emerson), after 27 rejections.

    “I had to squeak by with that D minus just to get into Emerson...Geometry. But that is only one of the subjects I failed at, really."
    (Hoda Kotb & Henry Winkler, 06:57, 07:16)

• Fight for His Passion
  • Even in acting school, he faced setbacks (e.g., being kicked out of class for not memorizing a scene due to his dyslexia), but his resourcefulness and improvisational skills became assets.

    "I taught my way back in."
    (Henry Winkler, 18:14) "I would memorize as much as I could go in. And when I got to the end of what I memorized, I improvised."
    (Henry Winkler, 18:25)

3. ‘The Fonz’ and Navigating Fame

• Auditioning for Happy Days
  • Despite deep insecurity, Henry trusted his instincts in the audition room — transforming six lines into a legendary character through spontaneous, authentic performance.

    "As scared as I was in my life, I had the courage in my professional life...And that unleashed. I was able to do anything that came to my mind."
    (Henry Winkler, 20:13)

  • Iconic Fonz moment — the mirror/comb improvisation arose from Winkler’s insistence on originality, cementing the character’s identity.

    "I walked to the mirror, pull out my comb and go, 'Look at that, man. It's perfect. I don't have to comb it.'...And they kept it in, and it defined Fonzie for 10 years."
    (Henry Winkler, 22:32)

• The Nature of Fame
  • Henry reflects on the alienness of fame and disconnection from his own success due to childhood self-doubt.

    "I don’t think the brilliance of the brain...that fame was programmed as part of the living experience. It is so alien to living." (Henry Winkler, 23:24) "Because I am so dyslexic, I had no sense of self. So, when people were talking to me, I kept on looking, who are they talking to? It can’t be me."
    (Henry Winkler, 24:16)

4. Family, Parenting, and Love

• Relationship with Parents
  • Despite career success, acceptance from his parents remained elusive; their support was transactional — more pride in "The Fonz’s mother" shopping than in Henry’s personhood.

    "They never came around. They came around for themselves...My mother walks into a store and goes, 'Here, I'm Franzi’s mother.'"
    (Henry Winkler, 25:13)

  • On searching for love’s proof:

    "How did you know that they loved you then?"
    "That is a question I am still working on."
    (Hoda Kotb & Henry Winkler, 25:51-25:57)

• Breaking the Cycle as a Parent
  • Henry strives to give his children the validation he never received.

    “The most important thing is to see who’s in front of you. And a heard child is powerful. I listened to whatever my children had to say...If they were right...I went, 'Okay, I’m gonna do that from now on.'”
    (Henry Winkler, 26:01)

  • Admits to the challenge of not slipping into old patterns:

    "My parents flew out of my mouth and I would hear myself and I would say, that is not what I meant to say. Okay, I'm going to start again."
    (Henry Winkler, 26:58)

• Love and Partnership
  • Tells the story of meeting his wife, Stacy, and how she helped soften and open his world.

    "My metaphor is that the top of my forehead is soldered shut...she just opened me open."
    (Henry Winkler, 34:06)

  • On the evolution of partnership:

    "You cannot just fall in love one time to the woman who is your partner. She changes...with everything that goes on. You have to rediscover her every time. Otherwise, you are doomed."
    (Henry Winkler, 35:11)

5. Career Reinvention and Resilience

• Post-Fonz Challenges
  • Details the struggle to get hired after Happy Days — a classic typecasting trap.

    “I couldn't get hired...‘He’s so funny. He is so good. Lovely, lovely guy. But he was the Fonz.’”
    (Henry Winkler, 36:42-37:18)

• Children’s Books & Embracing a New Path
  • Prompted by a friend, Henry pivots, writing successful children’s books with Lynn Oliver about learning challenges (Hank Zipzer, Detective Duck), creating a second career and purpose.

    "We are built with the ability, you must have the courage to pivot."
    (Henry Winkler, 38:40, 38:57) "Who knew it would be a second profession? I didn’t even know I could do it."
    (Henry Winkler, 39:19)

• Later Success with 'Barry' and Hosting
  • Describes the somewhat surreal experience of winning his first Emmy at 72 for 'Barry' — and a new, reading-intensive hosting role.

    "I was 27 when I got the Fonz. I was 72 when I got Barry."
    (Henry Winkler, 41:12)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Self-Reliance:

  • “Who was there for you, Henry, during that time? Who was the person?”
    — “Me. Oh, I... I don't remember anybody.” (12:24)

• On Joy and Strength:

  • “Your power is there. It comes with you as you come into the world with these tiny little fingers that grow into you.”
    (Henry Winkler, 08:18)

• On Living Authentically:

  • “If there are any actors out there, you're not hired just to fill time and space. You're hired to fill the space with you. They're looking for you. They don’t even know what they want.”
    (Henry Winkler, 22:50)

• On Parenting:

  • “The most important thing is to see who’s in front of you. And a heard child is powerful.” (26:01)

• On Love’s Evolution:

  • “You cannot just fall in love one time to the woman who is your partner. She changes...You have to rediscover her every time. Otherwise you are doomed.” (35:11)

• On Reinvention:

  • "We are built with the ability, you must have the courage to pivot." (38:57)

• On Receiving His Emmy:

  • “All I did was I walked up on stage and I saw the two stars of The Crown. And I started to talk to them about what a great season it was. And they’re looking at me, like, are you crazy?...I realized I had 39 seconds to say my entire speech because I had used up all my time talking to the King and the Queen.” (40:16)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Introduction and Henry’s Background – (00:10–05:08)
• Commencement Address & Lessons for Youth – (05:08–06:50)
• Childhood Hardships & Parental Dynamics – (06:50–13:32)
• Emerson & Early Acting Hurdles – (17:30–19:48)
• The Fonz and Career Breakthroughs – (19:48–22:45)
• Navigating and Understanding Fame – (23:24–24:16)
• Family Acceptance and Parenting Philosophy – (25:00–27:28)
• Meeting Stacy and Insights on Love – (31:11–36:18)
• Typecasting, Reinvention & Writing Books – (36:42–39:19)
• ‘Barry’ and Late Career Peaks – (39:26–41:35)

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Tone and Language

The conversation is candid, gentle, humorous, and optimistic — infused with Hoda’s curiosity and warmth, and Henry’s humility and generosity of spirit. Listeners are left with practical wisdom and inspiration for overcoming adversity, the importance of listening, authenticity, and the transformative power of love, change, and joy.

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Summary Takeaways

• Joy is possible, no matter where you start.
• Your authentic self is the greatest asset you bring to any opportunity.
• Parenting and relationships thrive on presence, listening, and continual rediscovery.
• Resilience means being willing — and brave enough — to pivot when life demands it.
• Kindness, humor, and the willingness to be vulnerable are keys to both personal happiness and connection with others.

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End of Summary.

Transcript

[Hoda Kotb]

Okay, so I have had the privilege of interviewing a ton of people over the years, and there's one name that pops up, and I know that my heart and soul are going to be filled by what this person says. Now, I'm not going to reveal who it is in this very second, but I'm going to tell you about him. This is a guy who grew up in a very difficult childhood. In fact, he said when he would leave his room to go out into the living room or the kitchen, he called it a war zone. His parents basically called him an idiot or a dumb dog. They thought he was stupid. These are his words. And in reality, he was struggling with dyslexia. But at that time, people didn't know from dyslexia. They just thought their kid wasn't smart. Now imagine yourself for a minute growing up in that kind of an environment where you're getting pounded on and pounded on and pounded on every day with this, you know, with, you're not good enough. You're stupid, over and over and over. What do you think would happen with your life? Like, what happens to a kid like that? Well, I would imagine probably the worst. A kid who. Who to this day doesn't. Who's now a grown adult who, when asked the question, how did you know your parents loved you? He says, I don't know. From that place, this person found joy that we can all dream of having. This is a person. When you hear where he is today, you will say, oh, my gosh, I. I want to live like he lives. He's full of optimism. He's brimming with hope and love and curiosity and all the things that life's about. He has that in him. He's proof of. The phrase, where you start does not define where you finish. So if you're going through a difficult time or you're in a terrible circumstance and you think, is joy possible? For me, it is. The man who I'm describing to you is Henry Winkler. You guys know him from playing the Fonz on Happy Days. He also won his very first emmy in his 70s for playing the role in the show. Barry, he is a delight. He gives away all of his goodness and compliments and love, and that's why his cup stays full. If you wanna know the secret to where Henry Winkler finds joy and how he keeps it going every day, you're going to want to take note during this podcast. All right, guys, here's Henry Winkler.

[Podcast Announcer]

This is an I Heart podcast, Guaranteed

[Hoda Kotb]

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[CVS Advertiser]

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[Henry Winkler]

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[Hoda Kotb]

So Henry, as we get started, the first thing I have to say to you is because I just watched it again. So I'm going to say the word again. Your commencement address at Emerson.

[Henry Winkler]

Wow.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah. Stop it. I mean, I know you, I love you. But something about that 10 minutes, 12 minutes, 14 minutes. Whatever you did standing before those students were was electrifying.

[Henry Winkler]

Wow.

[Hoda Kotb]

Will you tell me about that moment on stage? Because it just seemed like in a Different class.

[Henry Winkler]

I went to Emerson. They were the only college that said yes to me out of the 28 that I applied to. I had great four years there. I am now 80 years old. And the things I learned that I wish someone had told me, I wanted those young people to know. I did not want to say, you're our future. It's up to you now. I wanted to say, you are everything you want to be, and it's in you. And now your job is to give it to the world.

[Hoda Kotb]

You know what's awesome, Henry, about you? Someone asked me. I was in, actually, a leadership session with somebody, and someone said, tell me your life in eight minutes. Tell me your whole life in eight minutes. Nothing, you know, so you hit. Like, in my case, I hit the highlights.

[CVS Advertiser]

What were the highlights?

[Hoda Kotb]

To me, my parents were immigrants. I got rejected 27 times before my first job. My kid.

[CVS Advertiser]

You know, you list all the things,

[Hoda Kotb]

and I thought in that speech you sort of did something similar. I didn't realize, number one, that you had to squeak by with that D minus just to get into Emerson. What was the subject? What was the. What was the trip? Geometry.

[Henry Winkler]

But that is only one of the subjects I failed at, really. It's no joke. I couldn't. I saw my life as a cylinder of stainless steel with no handholds, no footholds. And I tried to pull myself out into the sun, and I slipped until I was 27. I took a chance and left New York, went to Hollywood, tried out for Happy Days, had six lines, and my life exploded.

[Hoda Kotb]

I want to go back, because when I think of someone who's an actor, I think of someone who is confident. I think of someone whose all their childhood goodness was poured into them so that they could get up in front of other people and face rejection. They were strong. Your childhood was not that. Your childhood was the opposite of that.

[Henry Winkler]

That is true. So here it is. That's what I learned. You just have to go and dig deep because it is in you already. You don't need that. Although that is lovely, let me say. I mean, there are people who talk to me in the airport, on the street, in the airplane, in the new country, in the anywhere. And it feels amazing. But your power is there. It comes with you as you come into the world with these tiny little fingers that grow into you.

[Hoda Kotb]

Tiny little fingers. I like that. I was listening to you with Michelle Obama, which, by the way, was also beautiful. And I'd heard you describe your childhood, but I never heard you describe it this way. You said when you stepped out of your room, it felt like a war zone. What did that mean?

[Henry Winkler]

Okay, so on the one hand, I really do understand. My parents came from Nazi Germany. They left everything behind. They started a new life. They've a new language, a job. They gave us, my sister and I, a life. But somewhere in that journey, their psyche was beaten to a pulp. And every time I left my room, opened the door to walk to the kitchen, to walk to the living room, it was chaos. It was damaging. It was an attack.

[Hoda Kotb]

What was so mean, scary, horrible about walking out there? What do you mean?

[Henry Winkler]

They did not. I now understand as a parent, you hear your child, you see your child, you just step back and look at this human being who didn't ask to be here. You gave birth to that human being. And you look at them and they are clear. My parents had no vision. They had no child vision. I was supposed to be. I was bred to be. I didn't. I was an embarrassment. I didn't do well in school. How could you do this? I. I speak 11 languages. Oh, really, dad? Well, that's. Hey, good for you because dyslexia is hereditary and you passed it on. But hey.

[Hoda Kotb]

But so you didn't know. For people who don't know this, you didn't know you were dyslexic. You just thought you weren't doing. Yeah. God, that's a strong word.

[Henry Winkler]

What did your dad call you which meant gumdog?

[Hoda Kotb]

Wow.

[Henry Winkler]

Yeah. And they're no joking. I mean, they literally. Look, I take all of the total of the achievement and the courage and the pain of my parents when I cannot abide is what I just said. You see the child in front of you, you might not be able to define the problem, you might not be able to fix the problem, but you know there's a problem and then you act accordingly. I see you're in trouble. I'm going to try and make your moment easier. Not you go to your room, you're going to not watch tv, and you're going to get geometry.

[Hoda Kotb]

Who, who was there for you, Henry, during that time? Who was the person?

[Henry Winkler]

Me. Oh, I. I don't. I don't remember anybody. I don't remember. I never had real grandparents. I never had a lot aunts or uncles, because they were all taken. There is a plant in my garden that is a spider plant. And that spider plant was on our windowsill cuttings. And that original spider plant came out of Germany in a coffin at the feet of Anna Kalmann, my faux aunt. But she was smuggled out of Germany in a coffin and we all had cuttings. I took a cutting when I came here to California. It's in my garden. It's in my children's garden. And it just keeps rejuvenating, which is one of the lessons I learned in life.

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[Hoda Kotb]

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[Other Podcast Host]

I'm Glen Washington, host of Snap Judgment, the Award winning storytelling podcast from kqed. And every week, Snap deals a new card. Like jumping on Rihanna's private plane. Or the accidental bank robber. Or even the man who was swallowed by a hippo.

[Henry Winkler]

What?

[Other Podcast Host]

Pick a card, any card. Snap Judgment from kqed. New episodes every Thursday. Wherever you get your podcast.

[Kyle McLaughlin]

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[Hoda Kotb]

so you. You squeak through high school, you make it to Emerson. Did things start clicking at Emerson? No. Not there either.

[Henry Winkler]

Sophomore. My major is theater. My dream is to be an actor. I talk about it. I dream it. I lie awake at night. And I went into my class because that's half of me. The other half is, oh, Mr. Sensenbach, I'm so sorry. I'm going to try something new. I'm going to read the Shakespearean scene and act it at the same time. And he said, not in my class, you're not. You were supposed to memorize it. I was kicked out of my.

[Hoda Kotb]

Oh, no. So then what happened?

[Henry Winkler]

I taught my way back in.

[Hoda Kotb]

Of course you did. Of course you did. So was memorization. I know. Reading was impossible. Was memorization hard, too?

[Henry Winkler]

Okay, so the way I figured that out. So God giveth and God taketh away. So I can't read. You know, my joke is the Tale of True Cities. You know, I read the COVID and it's not even a joke. So if I read it slowly, I eventually could rub the script on my body and it would go in. I had this amazing ability When I auditioned, I would memorize as much as I could go in. And when I got to the end of what I memorized, I improvised.

[Hoda Kotb]

Ah.

[Henry Winkler]

And they said, excuse me, that's not what we wrote. And I said, I'm giving you the essence of the character. If I get it, I'll do it verbatim.

[Hoda Kotb]

If I get it, I'll do. Is that what happened with the Fonz and Happy Days?

[Henry Winkler]

Everybody, everywhere, every minute. Max, who is that? Our youngest son, the director was here when I was going over my audition for Barry, and he directed me in my audition. And I started to ad lib. And he said, dad, respect the writer. Respect the writer, exclamation point.

[Hoda Kotb]

Okay, I want to hear about Barry. I want to hear about all that. I want to hear about Happy Days, though. So you go in this character. Fonz has how many lines?

[CVS Advertiser]

You said six.

[Hoda Kotb]

Six. So he wasn't supposed to be anybody, but somebody who dipped in and dipped out.

[Henry Winkler]

That's right.

[Hoda Kotb]

So when you go in for the audition, or when you go in for whatever, what does the director. What do they want you to do?

[Henry Winkler]

I go in and there are 11 people in the room. Garry Marshall, Ed Milkis, Tom Miller, the three, the triumphant who created Happy Days. And I. The greatest thing that happened to me is as scared as I was in my life, I had the courage in my professional life, and I merely changed my voice. And that unleashed. I was able to do anything that came to my mind. So I took the six lines and just played with them and threw the script up in the air and sauntered out of the room. And Garry Marshall said, he's the guy.

[Hoda Kotb]

What happened with. I mean, one thing that we know of Fonz, I didn't know if this was in the audition or not, was the comb. It was always like looking at himself.

[Henry Winkler]

That was again, that was an improvisation. So it's the first day. First I'm reading. Now you remember, I'm a trained actor and I'm reading the script, and I can't make the joke work. And I start hitting the script. I can't do this. What is this? And I'm 27. Ron Howard is 18. He puts his arm around me, walks me to the back of soundstage 24 on Paramount lot and says, you know, they're working as hard as they can. Let's not hit our script,

[Kyle McLaughlin]

Ron.

[Henry Winkler]

I'll never hit my script as long as I live. I swear that now. It says, go to the mirror, comb your hair. I walked to the director, Mel Ferber, who did the pilot, I said, listen, sir, I will do anything, but every actor who has played my part has combed his hair. I need to be original. I will do anything, write anything, and I will figure it out. He said, producer wrote, go to the mirror, Comb your hair. Go to that mirror. Comb your hair. Walk to the mirror, pull out my comb and go, look at that, man. It's perfect. I don't have to comb it. And I lit, and they kept it in, and it defined Fonzie for 10 years.

[CVS Advertiser]

Wow.

[Hoda Kotb]

Wow, wow. You just trusted your gut. You did. You have.

[Henry Winkler]

That's the answer. That is the answer. If there are any actors out there, you're not hired just to fill time and space, that you're hired to fill the space with you. They're looking for you. They don't even know what they want.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah.

[Henry Winkler]

You have something in your. In your guts, you go with it.

[Other Podcast Host]

What?

[Henry Winkler]

You can either be right or you could be wrong. How do you know? Go for it.

[Hoda Kotb]

Ooh, I love that. I love that advice. Were you prepared? I mean, the fame of. I mean, people still reference Happy Days even to this moment.

[Henry Winkler]

You're absolutely right. No, and here's what I figured out. Or for me, anyway. I don't think the brilliance of the brain in its inception, however, re evolved that fame was programmed as part of the living experience. It is so alien to living. It is so out of the. Of the program, of the adventure, the essence of being alive. You have got to take an instant course at staying the course.

[Hoda Kotb]

So what did fame do to you initially?

[Henry Winkler]

Because, honest to God, because I am so dyslexic, I had no sense of self. So when people were talking to me, I kept on looking, who are they talking to? It can't be me. I know who I am. I know that I failed at everything. So it never got it in. It just kept going by me. Except I knew I don't have to stand online in the rain for the movies. I could go to the manager and say, sir or ma', am. Could I just come in so I don't have to sign autographs? And I got to buy my popcorn first.

[Hoda Kotb]

So did your. Did your dad and mom come around? When were they around to see that? And did they think you had taken the right path?

[Henry Winkler]

You would think I was mature. I. They never came around. They came around for themselves. They came around to. My joke is, my mother walks into a store and goes, yeah, I like this dress. Oh, this dress is very nice. Here, I'm Franzi's mother. And that is the. I swear to you, that's the microcosm of their embracing. Not Isn't it wonderful? It's.

[Hoda Kotb]

I hear you. How did you know that they loved you then?

[Henry Winkler]

That is a question I am still working on.

[CVS Advertiser]

Oh, okay.

[Henry Winkler]

I have no idea. I swore to Stacy that I would be an entirely different parent. And I know this. The most important thing is to see who's in front of you. And a herd child is powerful. I listened to whatever my children had to say. And if they were right, instead of say, because I said so, I went, oh, my God. Okay, I'm gonna do that from now on. All right. That's gonna be from now on. No, I don't think I can live with that. But great idea.

[Hoda Kotb]

That's. Wow, was that hard. Because you parent most people, at least, even though they try to do what you're describing, they fall back because they know what they know.

[Henry Winkler]

Yes. But here it is. My parents flew out of my mouth and I would hear myself and I would say, that is not what I meant to say. Okay, I'm going to start again. This is what I meant to say. Or the children would walk in and I would go. I wouldn't talk to me right now. I mean, I'm just. It's here.

[CVS Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Henry Winkler]

Gonna come right out of here.

[Kyle McLaughlin]

So.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah.

[Henry Winkler]

And then they. And then children are so smart. They walk in, they size me up. We'll see you later.

[CVS Advertiser]

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[Hoda Kotb]

Presented by CVS There's a difference between

[CVS Advertiser]

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[Hoda Kotb]

Walking into a freshly cleaned room with

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[Other Podcast Host]

I'm Glenn Washington, host of Snap Judgment, the award winning storytelling podcast from kqed. And every week Snap deals a new card. Like jumping on Rihanna's private plane or the accidental bank robber or even the man who was swallowed by a hippo.

[Henry Winkler]

What?

[Other Podcast Host]

Pick a card, any card. Snap Judgment from kqed. New episodes every Thursday. Wherever you get your podcast.

[Kyle McLaughlin]

Hi, it's Kyle McLaughlin, host of the what Are We Even Doing Podcast. You know, my favorite part of the morning is that first cup of coffee. A small, quiet ritual that sets the rhythm for my day. That's why I appreciate DE'. Longhi. For over 50 years, they've combined Italian craftsmanship and thought, thoughtful design, and as the number one espresso machine brand in the world, they make it effortless. Just a damn fine cup of coffee in your own kitchen Right now you can save 10% off your purchase at DeLonghi.com with code Kyle at checkout. After all, if it's not Italian, is it even espresso?

[Hoda Kotb]

Did you meet Stacy during the Happy Days days?

[Henry Winkler]

I did, yeah.

[Hoda Kotb]

How'd you guys meet?

[Henry Winkler]

I made enough money to buy my own sport coat. So there was like this very fancy Italian men's clothing store on Rodeo Drive and I this beautiful woman in front of me and I held up two jackets and said, excuse me, which one? And I should have known there was a problem because she said both and I'm too practical to buy two If I need one.

[Hoda Kotb]

All right.

[Henry Winkler]

I go back the next week. She's there. I said, of course you're there. Because she said, I work here. Oh, go for never go. Then I said, you want a soda?

[Hoda Kotb]

A soda?

[Henry Winkler]

Okay, a soda. We went down to the Wilshire Hotel at the end of Rodeo, and I had a soda, and I just bought my first house. And Carol Schlanger, who was in my acting class, her husband Clint, was an architect, and he redid the house, and it's now done. And I said, you want to see my house? I have no one to show it to. And she said, of course. Excuse me for a minute. Left the room, left the area, the luncheon area, called her mother. She said, this is where I'm going. If anything happens, you know exactly where I am. Hi. Ready?

[Hoda Kotb]

And was that it? Is that all it took, you guys walking around the house?

[Henry Winkler]

I swear to God. Because she had to leave. She had a date.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah. Oh.

[Henry Winkler]

But we talked about a book, Ordinary People and Boss Gags, and I had not heard of either of them. I'm not a reader, first of all, and my music is very specific. I never heard of Boss Gags. At the time. This was 1975ish. And the next morning, I get up, I go to my car, and in the front seat is Ordinary People and Boss Gags. How did she get into my car? But that's a question I haven't answered. I called her up. It was busy. I called her back. It was busy. I called her every 10 minutes for 24 hours because I'm a moron. And she took the phone off the hook.

[Hoda Kotb]

And then. So then what happened? You caught up with her?

[Henry Winkler]

I caught up with her movies. And we saw Walkabout, Nick Rose Walkabout, the Australian film about the kids in

[Hoda Kotb]

the Aboriginals, and this podcast, Henry's called Joy 101. It's all about that. When you speak about your wife, even when you say your wife's name, your eyes tell the story. It's just a flash. And there it is. So tell me about the joy in relationships. Like, what has she brought to your life?

[Henry Winkler]

A groundedness, a power, a clarity. Whether I wanted to hear it or not, I was at one time so closed. My metaphor is that the top of my forehead is soldered shut. And, you know, like when you pour cream into your coffee and you see it turn color and it swirls? If it's in a glass, I would pour. And nothing. No swirl. And food. Just. I had a tuna sandwich in my refrigerant in my first apartment. That was it. An ambrosia salad, two boxes of almandine wine for guests because I don't drink red and white. And she just opened me open. I just heard the wisest thing about a relationship. You cannot just fall in love one time to the woman who is your partner. She changes with birth, with life, with age, with loss, with everything that goes on. You have to rediscover her every time. Otherwise you are doomed.

[Hoda Kotb]

What's this current version like for you, Stacy? Yeah.

[Henry Winkler]

Oh, separate homes. It's really worth. Ah, you're funny. She is strong and one just wonderful. And. And sometimes a little too clear.

[Hoda Kotb]

A little too clear.

[Henry Winkler]

I'd like her to soften it up a little bit just a touch.

[Hoda Kotb]

So you have this incredible role. Everybody knows you. You're probably one of the most famous people in America with the character the Fonz. And after that you would imagine, or I would have that, you know, you had to beat back offers, you know, I can only be in one place at one time, blah, blah, blah. But what happened to your career as a result of that kind of role defining character?

[Henry Winkler]

Well, I'll tell you. Let's go. It ended in 1983. In 2003. Two, 2002. I came back to LA having done Broadway for nine months. A Neil Simon play, My dream with John Ritter. A dream. Len Cariou. Oh my God. It was just. I couldn't get hired.

[Hoda Kotb]

Couldn't get hired. Why?

[Henry Winkler]

Since it ended. Happy days ended in 1983. He is so funny. He is so good. Lovely, lovely guy. But he was the Fonz. I went to a friend, I said, I'm having real trouble. I can't get hired. He said, write books for children about your learning challenges. I said, I can't do that because I'm learning challenged. And he said, I'll introduce you to Lynn Oliver. And In November of 2026, our 41st children's book will come out.

[Hoda Kotb]

My gosh, those Hank Zipser books are incredible.

[Henry Winkler]

And now it's Detective Duck.

[Hoda Kotb]

Ah, Detective Duck.

[Henry Winkler]

Yeah, she's a wonderful little duckling. She dreams about being a detective. And she's an environmentalist.

[Hoda Kotb]

I like everything about her.

[Henry Winkler]

Her pals live on the. On the pond together. And she's the only duckling with a beaver for a dad.

[Hoda Kotb]

I like it. But did you think Henry, when you were like children's books? I mean, I'm an actor. I mean, I know it filled your cup, sort of.

[Henry Winkler]

But tell me another very important lesson. We are built with the ability, you must have the courage to pivot.

[Hoda Kotb]

To pivot.

[Henry Winkler]

Must pivot. I have a dream. It's not working. I cannot just stay stagnant. There's something else I can do. I don't know what it is. My friend Alan said, go and write books. Who knew it would be a second profession? I didn't even know I could do it.

[Hoda Kotb]

I think the pivoting piece is the whole. You're right. It's the whole thing. If you're. Yeah, yeah.

[CVS Advertiser]

So you.

[Hoda Kotb]

I mean, obviously you won your Emmy for Barry, which is so beautiful. Behind you.

[CVS Advertiser]

Sparkly.

[Hoda Kotb]

Oh.

[Henry Winkler]

I carry it with me to every room. If we have guests in the living room, usually it's on the dining room. So if, like, someone delivers from the pharmacy, I open the front door and I say, oh, thank you so much. There it is.

[Hoda Kotb]

You are so cool. So you. Okay, you get this role for Barry, which is another, like, incredible feat. Was that. Tell me about that role, and tell me what it felt like winning that Emmy. You're first, by the way. After all of your years as an actor and a writer, and you directed. You wrote children's books. Like, this is the first real piece of hardware. Tell me about that.

[Henry Winkler]

When it was happening, I was not aware. Everybody said, hey, did you see the audience? Did you hear the love for you? I heard nothing.

[Other Podcast Host]

Oh.

[Henry Winkler]

All I did was I walked up on stage and I saw the two stars of the Crown. And I started to talk to them about what a great season it was. And they're looking at me like, are you crazy? And then finally, I realized I had 39 seconds to say my entire speech. Cause I had used up all my time talking to the King and the Queen. It was a gift in my life. You know, I always say that. I was 27 when I got the Fonz. I was 72 when I got Barry. And people talk to me about it all the time and how they marched it more than once. And. Oh, my God. And now I'm just gonna say I do a show that I never thought I could do. I host a show on the History Channel Sunday nights. It's called A Hazardous History, and it's all reading. And my devil, my. My greatest.

[CVS Advertiser]

CBS is there for moments big and small, making it easy to get what you need and leave feeling confident that you've got it all covered. It's where everyday errands turn into something more. You go in for the essentials, but you end up finding those small, useful things that add a little something extra to your day with CVS Brands. There's something for every moment from Trusted Care and better for your essentials to trend forward. Finds and little touches of joy. Visit your local CVS pharmacy.

[Hoda Kotb]

Presented by CVS

[Henry Winkler]

we learned how to love dogs from the dogs that loved us and waited for us to get home from school. They were the dogs that raised us. We returned the love with Pedigree Dog Food. It was good then and it's better now. Every bowl has 100% complete nutrition supporting six health essentials and now it includes Vitamin Good Bites. A nutrient booster dog will love Pedigree. Good then, better now.

[Podcast Announcer]

The Hulu Original Series Furious is now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney. Starring Emmy Rossum as Alice Black, Furious follows a rookie FBI agent on the hunt for Catherine, played by Lola Petticrew, a mysterious and calculating female serial killer. While Alice upholds justice, Catherine kills for it, terrorizing the rich and powerful men of New York in her pursuit of vengeance. With secrets that change everything, Alice discovers there's a thin line between hunter and prey. Watch the Hulu Original series Furious on July 27. Streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney for bundle subscribers. Terms apply.

[Other Podcast Host]

This is Tony Ayo from the Real Report with Tony Ayo and Uncle Murder. You ever notice how everything keeps going up? Rent, streaming, even extra Sosa at your favorite burrito spot. But with Boost Mobile, you don't have to play the Willis Go up soon game. Boost Mobile offers an unlimited talk, text and data plan at a price that'll never go up. It's the same price you'll pay for Life. Switch now for unlimited wireless at a price that'll never go up. Only at boost mobile. After 30 gigabytes, customers may experience slower speeds. Customers will pay $25 a month as long as they remain active on the Boost Unlimited plan.

[Podcast Announcer]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Henry Winkler]

Guaranteed Human.