So, you’re thinking about the leather jacket, the motorcycle, and that signature double thumbs-up. Maybe you just saw a rerun of Happy Days on some retro cable channel, or perhaps you caught a clip of a guy jumping a shark on water skis. Either way, the question is simple: who plays the Fonz?
The short answer is Henry Winkler. But honestly, calling it "playing a role" feels like a bit of an understatement. For eleven seasons, from 1974 to 1984, Winkler didn't just act as Arthur Fonzarelli; he basically reshaped American pop culture. It’s wild because if you look at Henry Winkler in real life—a soft-spoken, Yale-educated man who struggled with undiagnosed dyslexia—he is pretty much the polar opposite of the street-smart, grease-monkey king of Milwaukee.
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The Audition That Changed Everything
Back in 1973, when the producers of Happy Days were casting, they weren’t looking for Henry. They actually wanted a big, burly, Italian-American guy. They wanted a "blonde Hollywood idol" type. Even Micky Dolenz from The Monkees was in the running. Winkler, standing at about 5'6", walked into the room feeling like he didn’t fit the mold at all.
But he did something brilliant. He changed his voice, tilted his head, and tapped into this quiet confidence. During the audition, the script told him to comb his hair in a mirror. Winkler walked up to the mirror, pulled out his comb, stopped, and just went, "Ayyy." He didn't even use the comb because, in his mind, the Fonz’s hair was already perfect. That one moment of improvisation basically handed him the keys to the kingdom.
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Why Arthur Fonzarelli Still Matters
It’s easy to look back and see a caricature, but in the '70s, the Fonz was a phenomenon. At one point, the show was so popular they almost renamed it Fonzie’s Happy Days. Think about that. He was a secondary character who completely took over the narrative.
Henry Winkler brought a lot of nuance to the role that people forget. He insisted that the Fonz shouldn't just be a "tough guy." He wanted to show the character's vulnerability. You see it in the way he mentors Richie Cunningham (played by Ron Howard). He wasn't just some guy in a leather jacket; he was the big brother everyone wished they had. He was cool, sure, but he was also loyal. He cared about people.
More Than Just a Catchphrase
Winkler's impact went way beyond the "Ayyy" and the "Whoa." Because the actor struggled with dyslexia—something he didn't even know he had until he was 31—he used his platform to help kids who felt like they were "slow" or "stupid" in school. He eventually wrote a whole series of children's books about a kid named Hank Zipzer, based on his own experiences.
If you're wondering what happened to the actor after the show ended, he didn't just fade away into the "Where Are They Now?" bin. Henry Winkler is one of those rare actors who managed to have a massive second and third act.
- He became a huge producer, helping bring MacGyver to life.
- He turned into a cult favorite for younger generations in movies like The Waterboy and Scream.
- He won his first Primetime Emmy in 2018 for playing the eccentric acting teacher Gene Cousineau in HBO’s Barry.
It took him 40 years after his Happy Days peak to finally get that Emmy, which is a testament to how hard he worked to move past the shadow of the leather jacket. He’s often said he never hated the Fonz because "the Fonz put a roof over my head," but he also fought hard to be seen as more than just a guy with a motorcycle.
Surprising Facts About the Character
- The Jacket Struggle: Believe it or not, ABC executives originally hated the leather jacket. They thought it made him look like a criminal. They wanted him to wear a windbreaker. Creator Garry Marshall finally made a deal: the Fonz could wear leather only if he was standing next to his motorcycle. So, the writers started putting his bike in every single scene, even inside Arnold’s diner!
- The Shark Jump: You’ve heard the phrase "jumping the shark" when a show goes downhill? That literally comes from a 1977 episode where Winkler’s character jumped over a shark on water skis. The funny part? Winkler actually knew how to water ski in real life—his dad had encouraged him to learn when he was younger.
- The Jukebox Trick: That thing where he hits the jukebox to make it play? That was all purely for the cameras, but people still try to do it today in retro diners. Spoiler: it usually just results in a bruised hand.
Where You’ve Seen Him Lately
If you haven't watched Barry, you're missing out on some of his best work. It’s a dark comedy, and it’s about as far from the 1950s Milwaukee setting of Happy Days as you can get. He also pops up in Arrested Development as the incompetent lawyer Barry Zuckerkorn, where he even does a little "meta" nod to his Fonz days by jumping over a dead shark on a pier.
Honestly, the reason people keep asking who plays the Fonz is that the character is timeless. He represents a specific kind of American cool that hasn't really been replaced. And while Henry Winkler is much more "gentle grandfather" than "tough-guy greaser" these days, that spark of the Fonz is still clearly there in his eyes whenever he does an interview.
If you want to dive deeper into his story, go find his memoir Being Henry. It’s a genuinely moving look at what it’s like to be one of the most famous people on the planet while secretly feeling like you’re not good enough because you can’t read a script properly. It's a great reminder that even the coolest guy in the room has his own battles.
Your Next Steps
If you're looking to revisit the magic or see what Winkler is up to now, here are a few ways to spend your evening:
- Stream Happy Days on Paramount+ or catch reruns on MeTV to see the origin of the "Ayyy."
- Watch Barry on Max to see the Emmy-winning performance that redefined his career for the 21st century.
- Pick up a copy of Hank Zipzer: The World's Greatest Underachiever if you have kids (or just want a heartwarming read).
- Check out his recent interviews on YouTube—he is notoriously one of the nicest guys in Hollywood, and his stories about the Happy Days set are legendary.