After five decades in Hollywood, Henry Winkler points to his Happy Days costar Ron Howard as one of the best of the best — and it’s not because he was a seasoned pro when they met.
“I still participate on Twitter. I don’t know for how much longer, but I do,” Winkler, 80, told Woman’s World editor-in-chief Liz Vaccariello on the inaugural episode of her “What Matters With Liz” podcast, noting that morning he had tweeted, “Ron Howard was one of the best acting partners I’ve ever had in my career.”
When asked why Howard, 71, left such a big impression on Winkler, he pointed to his willingness to grow into the character of Richie Cunningham alongside Winkler’s Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli.
“Here’s a guy who has never done theater before. He’s only done film,” Winkler said of Howard, who was 20 years old when Happy Days premiered in 1974.
Winkler pointed out that he “trained in theater,” as did costars Don Most and Tom Bosley, who portrayed Ralph Malph and Howard Cunningham, respectively.
Howard’s lack of formal training, however, didn’t deter the actor from learning on the job and following Winkler’s lead.
“Ron had never done it before and was really nervous. Especially in 1975 when we went from doing [a show] like a little movie to in front of an audience,” Winkler recalled. “He was panicked.”
The Emmy winner explained that he wasn’t nervous because, “Things would come to me during the show and I would just do them. I wouldn’t stop my imagination.”
Henry Winkler, Ron Howard. Paramount/Everett Collection
Winkler applauded Howard, because despite his nerves, he chose to lean into the job fully.
“Ron went wherever I went. And then I went wherever he went. And it was — it was uncanny. You could not fake it. You couldn’t make it up,” he gushed.
Vaccariello noted, “Well, you can’t do that unless you’re present,” and Winkler completely agreed.
“Unless you’re present. And he is extraordinarily present,” Winkler said of Howard, who has since starred in more than 90 projects, has produced more than 150 and directed over 50.
Winkler added that Howard “wanted to be a director forever,” joking, “And I don’t know what happened to him?” He laughed before adding that his former castmate is now “a billion dollar director.”
Winkler and Howard costarred on Happy Days for 11 seasons from 1974 to 1984. The hit series took place in Milwaukee Wisconsin, where hardware store owner Howard Cunningham (Bosley), his wife Marion (Marion Ross), raised their two kids, Richie (Howard) and Joanie (Erin Moran) during the 1950s. Fonzie (Winkler) was the lovable greaser who became part of the family.
In the decades that followed, Winkler and Howard have remained friends with Winkler telling Vaccariello that when it comes to “whose opinion matters most” to him Howard was on the list.
Ron Howard, Henry Winkler. Kevin Winter/Getty Images
“Certainly my family. But outside my family, I would have to say Adam Sandler because he’s a genius. Ron Howard. Jimmy Kimmel, another brilliant fellow,” Winkler shared.
Winkler proceeded to look back at his time on Happy Days during the podcast, recalling that his desire to “pivot” in life made for a more well-rounded character on camera.
“What I found is over my career when you’re asked to do something, you’re not asked to just fill time and space. You bring your imagination,” he said. “You bring who you are with you. And I just insert that.”
There were not-so-happy days too. Marion Ross talked about her tense relationship with Happy Days costar Tom Bosley in the beginning of the sitcom’s run during her interview on the Today show Tuesday, April 3. Ross told Megyn Kelly that she and her onscreen husband — who passed away in 2010 — didn’t click “for a couple of years,” […]
That mentality was something he brought with him to the Happy Days set and beyond.
“They called me on my birthday in 1973 and [Happy Days executive producer] Tom Miller, who came from Milwaukee, that’s why we were based in Milwaukee, and he said, ‘You want to do this part?’” Winkler recalled about how he got the role. “And I said, ‘You know, as long as you let me show the emotion when he’s in his apartment and he’s not wearing that jacket, who does he have to be cool for? There’s got to be something else going on.’ They said yes. I said yes.”
Little did Winkler know how iconic his portrayal of the Fonz would be.
“I had six lines,” he said of the start of the show. “All I did was go where the writers and my imagination took me.”