Henry Winkler Reflects on Career Choices and Overcoming Dyslexia

Henry Winkler has shared insights into his career choices during an interview on the podcast You Could Make This Beautiful. At the age of 80, Winkler revealed he contemplated becoming a child psychologist due to his struggles with dyslexia. He sought a career that required minimal formal education. Winkler said, “I understand children. I’m able to listen to them and I’m interested in their thoughts.” Ultimately, Winkler chose acting, gaining fame as Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli on Happy Days from 1974 to 1984.

Despite his success, Winkler often discussed his dyslexia challenges. On PBS News Weekend, he recounted difficulties at table reads due to his reading issues, which he masked with humor. Winkler adapted by reading scripts word by word and memorizing them beforehand to overcome embarrassment.

The actor was diagnosed with dyslexia at 31 after his stepson’s diagnosis. He described feeling humiliated earlier in life, but understood dyslexia as being rooted in brain wiring. Winkler reframed dyslexia as a force that strengthened his perseverance.

After Happy Days, Winkler continued acting. He appeared in movies like The Waterboy and TV shows including Arrested Development and Barry. His role as Gene Cousineau in Barry earned Winkler his first Emmy Award in 2018. Backstage, he advised, “Be yourself, be honest about your ability, prepare so that you are not a flash in the pan.”