Comedy legend Henry Winkler may have booked his breakout role as Arthur ‘the Fonz’ Fonzarelli on “Happy Days” a month after he moved to Los Angeles, but nothing had come easy to him leading up to that moment.
In a lively conversation at the USC Norris Cinema Theatre on Tuesday night, Winkler spared no ounce of vulnerability, despite the packed audience. He detailed his struggle with Dyslexia, his parents’ disapproval of his decision to pursue acting and how staying laser-focused on his dream helped him persevere.
“I wanted to be an actor from the moment that I was able to imagine what I wanted to do,” Winkler said.
The actor, director, producer and author was honored with the distinguished Oakie Award during the Jack Oakie & Victoria Horne Oakie Masters of Comedy Lecture Series, presented by the USC Comedy program within the School of Cinematic Arts. The award recognizes exceptional achievement in film and television comedy. Winkler spent most of the evening encouraging students to envision what they wanted for themselves, and then to stop at nothing to achieve it.
“You have to know what you want, without ambivalence, and go for it,” he said. “Part of it was that I loved it, part of it was that I was going to beat everyone who told me I would never achieve…People will say no, [but] somebody will say yes, but they won’t say yes if you are not tenacious.”
In the wide-ranging conversation about Winkler’s life and career, he spoke candidly about how important tenacity has been for him, especially concerning his Dyslexia. He struggled in school as a child, which impacted his self-esteem.
Beyond his struggles in school, Winkler also had difficulties reading scripts, forcing him to review his lines dozens of times. He said that during their weekly table reads for “Happy Days,” he would often ad-lib and improvise.
“There is no right, there is no wrong. There is your imagination,” Winkler said of getting creative with his scripts. “These people would say to me, ‘Excuse me, that is not what we wrote.’ And I said, ‘I’m giving you the essence of it.’ And it worked. I’m here.”
Perseverance was a common thread in Winkler’s conversation with moderator Wayne Federman, an SDA professor and stand-up comedian. Winkler was also sure to sprinkle in advice for the audience that he wove into every story he shared, many of which involved him standing up and performing animated reenactments of his experiences.
Federman made a point of asking Winkler about a previous conversation where he said the chance to speak to students was what made receiving the award meaningful to him. He was eager to interact with attendees because he said he wished someone could have answered his questions when he was younger.
Once the Q&A portion of the evening began, Winkler paced the long stage to directly approach each student who asked a question. He even asked one student, “What is your dream? What do you hope to be?”
Many of the questions from the audience were about Winkler’s fan-favorite performances, notably his role in “Arrested Development.” Winkler shared that he was only hired to be on the Netflix sitcom for one or two episodes, but ended up staying on for five years.
“There are no small roles, only small brains,” he added.
The spirited evening finished off with a raucous standing ovation for Winkler. Afterward, he took time to take selfies and speak with the many students and attendees who waited in line to meet the legend. One of them was sophomore theater student Sophie Lee, who said Winkler’s words resonated deeply with her.
“I love how he took the time to get to know people, walk towards them and really engage with their questions, ” Lee said. “He’s iconic. He’s just so funny without even trying.”
Beyond the jokes he cracked and the advice he offered, many attendees reflected on Winkler’s kindness and generosity with his time.
“Besides incredibly talented people, we’ve chosen really warm people, and it seems like the student body brings out the best in them,” Barnet Kellman, one of the co-founders of the USC Comedy program, said of the Oakie Award recipients. “Henry was almost the apotheosis of it in terms of his desire to share and to give and be very generous. He’s not alone in that, but Henry was exceptional.”
Kellman is correct in noting the impressive lineup of past honorees. Winkler joins a distinguished group that includes his “Barry” co-star Bill Hader and comedic icons Catherine O’Hara, Nancy Meyers, Kenya Barris, Steve Carell, Judd Apatow and more.
“I always enjoyed a lot of the stuff he was in,” said David Isaacs, another co-founder of the USC Comedy program. “I’ve always been a fan of his – you just give him something to do, and he’s going to do a great job for you. And he’s just the nicest guy in the world.”
After celebrating 50 years in the entertainment industry, Winkler said the key to his success is simple: “Gratitude and tenacity.”
“It is easy to say, not so easy to live,” he said. “But it will absolutely propel you into the center of your dream.”
