Current:Home > StocksHenry Winkler Shares He Had "Debilitating" Emotional Pain After the End of Happy Days -Thrive Success Strategies
Henry Winkler Shares He Had "Debilitating" Emotional Pain After the End of Happy Days
View
Date:2025-04-18 21:13:52
Henry Winkler is looking back at some of his unhappier days.
The Barry actor got candid about the challenges he faced following his Happy Days exit in 1984. After spending over a decade as the comb-toting, leather jacket-clad Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli—affectionately known as "Fonzie"—on the hit sit-com, reinvention didn't come easy.
"There were eight or nine years at a time when I couldn't get hired because I was 'The Fonz,'" he shared in a May 8 interview with Today, "because I was typecast."
The struggle for acting jobs also took a toil on Winkler's mental health.
"I had psychic pain that was debilitating because I didn't know what to do," he shared. "I didn't know where to find it, whatever it was, I didn't know what I was going to do. I had a family. I had a dog. I had a roof. Oh. My. God."
However, Winkler has no regrets. "I loved playing ‘The Fonz,'" the 77-year-old said. "I love those people. I loved learning how to play softball. I loved traveling all over the world together with the cast. I would not have traded it."
He added, "Not only that, but also, I don't know that I would've gotten here if I hadn't gone through the struggle."
These days, the Hollywood veteran is also known for his portrayal of acting coach Gene Cousineau in Barry, which is wrapping up its final season on HBO. His character mentors Bill Hader's fledgling actor Barry Berkman, a role that's now landed Winkler an entirely new set of fans.
Looking at his life now, Winkler remarked that "it is not easy to find your authenticity."
"I've opened so many doors," he said. "I've found canoe paddles. I found scuba gear. I found unread books. I never found, for the longest time, authenticity, which I now know."
Calling authenticity the "key to living," Winkler added that it also helps to take a page from the Fonz himself and stay cool even when the going gets tough.
"Life is more fun than you think it is, than you allow it to be," he noted. "Don't worry so much."
(E! and Today are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (8326)
Related
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- Federal court strikes down Missouri investment rule targeted at `woke politics’
- Former NASCAR champion Kurt Busch arrested for DWI, reckless driving in North Carolina
- No Honda has ever done what the Prologue Electric SUV does so well
- Average rate on 30
- Police arrest 4 suspects in killing of former ‘General Hospital’ actor Johnny Wactor
- The 10 best non-conference college football games this season
- Massachusetts governor says deals have been reached to keep some threatened hospitals open
- Average rate on 30
- The Daily Money: Inflation eased in July
Ranking
- Macy's says employee who allegedly hid $150 million in expenses had no major 'impact'
- Federal judge reinforces order for heat protection for Louisiana inmates at prison farm
- Ex-Alabama officer agrees to plead guilty to planting drugs before sham traffic stop
- Beyond ‘childless cat ladies,’ JD Vance has long been on a quest to encourage more births
- What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
- Rail bridge collapses on US-Canada border
- South Carolina man suing Buc-ee's says he was injured by giant inflatable beaver: Lawsuit
- Saturday Night Live Alum Victoria Jackson Shares She Has Inoperable Tumor Amid Cancer Battle
Recommendation
John Galliano out at Maison Margiela, capping year of fashion designer musical chairs
Why Fans Think Taylor Swift Made Cheeky Nod to Travis Kelce Anniversary During Eras Tour With Ed Sheeran
15-year-old who created soap that could treat skin cancer named Time's 2024 Kid of the Year
UNHCR to monitor implementation of Italy-Albania accord to ensure migrants’ asylum rights respected
Rylee Arnold Shares a Long
New Jersey governor’s former chief of staff to replace Menendez, but only until November election
Fake Heiress Anna Delvey Shares Devious Message as She Plots Social Media Return
The 10 best non-conference college football games this season