Henry Winkler opened up about how he got the role of Arthur “The Fonz” Fonzarelli on Happy Days. He was cast at the age of 27 and it became the role that he would forever be known for. Henry was so good at playing Fonzie, that the Fonz became the most popular character on the show, something that the writers never anticipated.
During an interview with CNN’s Chris Wallace, Chris asked Henry how he transformed into Fonzie. Henry replied, “Because I trained for many, many years to be an actor, and I got to play somebody. I wasn’t somebody who I wanted to be and it was so much fun. They are still my family. All of the people who have survived are still very, very close. We are incredibly friendly.”
Henry Winkler made up the voice for Fonzie during auditions
While he admitted that the writers originally wanted a “taller Italian kid” for the role of Fonzie, Henry’s audition got him the part. He explained, “And they got you know, this short Jew from New York, but all I did Chris, all I did was change my voice. I introduce myself as Henry, and then as I started to do it, something overtook me … And I changed my voice like this and it unleashed me.”
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During the audition, Henry began speaking in that iconic Fonzie accent and the rest is history. Now, Fonzie is ranked by TV Guide as one of the 50 greatest characters in the history of television so far. Henry admitted that he still can’t believe the recognition and how his character is still so beloved.
Is Fonzie your favorite Happy Days character?
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