Being Henry
The Fonz . . . and Beyond
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From Emmy-award winning actor, author, comedian, producer, and director Henry Winkler, a deeply thoughtful memoir of the lifelong effects of stardom and the struggle to become whole.
Henry Winkler, launched into prominence as “The Fonz” in the beloved Happy Days, has transcended the role that made him who he is. Brilliant, funny, and widely-regarded as the nicest man in Hollywood (though he would be the first to tell you that it’s simply not the case, he’s really just grateful to be here), Henry shares in this achingly vulnerable memoir the disheartening truth of his childhood, the difficulties of a life with severe dyslexia, the pressures of a role that takes on a life of its own, and the path forward once your wildest dream seems behind you.
Since the glorious era of Happy Days fame, Henry has endeared himself to a new generation with roles in such adored shows as Arrested Development, Parks and Recreation, and Barry, where he’s been revealed as an actor with immense depth and pathos, a departure from the period of his life when he was so distinctly typecast as The Fonz, he could hardly find work.
Filled with profound heart, charm, and self-deprecating humor, Being Henry is a memoir about so much more than a life in Hollywood and the curse of stardom. It is a meaningful testament to the power of sharing truth and kindness and of finding fulfillment within yourself.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this winning memoir, former Happy Days star Winkler (I've Never Met an Idiot on the River) discusses his career, long-undiagnosed dyslexia, and lifelong struggles with self-esteem. He begins with his academic failures as a child in 1950s New York City, which caused regular clashes with his father, a stern Jewish refugee who wanted Winkler to take over the family lumber business. Drawn to performance as a means of coping ("I used humor to cover everything I couldn't do—which was most things"), Winkler pursued theater instead, nursing dreams of a Hollywood career while he attended the Yale School of Drama. Shortly after Winkler decamped to California in the early 1970s, those dreams came true when he booked the role of Arthur Fonzarelli on Happy Days. He was often unable to participate in cold-reads, however, because of his dyslexia (for which he wouldn't receive a diagnosis until he was 31). Winkler is candid about the ways such experiences stunted him emotionally, and at one point allows his wife, Stacey, to weigh in: "I have to admit there were times when I thought, ‘What the fuck? Now I have another child?' " Though Winkler includes plenty of inside-Hollywood fare, the book's frankness sets it apart from standard-issue actor memoirs. The result is a heartfelt chronicle of learning to love one's self, shortcomings and all.
