Henry Winkler’s path to success was far from easy. Long before Happy Days made him famous, he struggled in school with undiagnosed dyslexia. What his parents saw as laziness was in fact a learning disability, and the misunderstanding left deep scars.
Raised by parents who valued education above all, Winkler was constantly punished for poor grades. He recalled being grounded for much of high school and missing out on dances, plays, and friendships. “They thought if I stayed at my desk for six weeks, I’d get it,” he said, but the struggles never disappeared.
Despite the setbacks, Winkler pushed forward, eventually earning an MFA from Yale. Yet even in Hollywood, words remained a barrier. He learned to compensate through improvisation and memorization. As “Fonzie” on Happy Days, table reads were agonizing, but once the script was internalized, he excelled.
The turning point came in his 30s when his stepson was evaluated for learning differences. At age 31, Winkler was finally diagnosed with dyslexia. “I didn’t read a book until I was 31,” he admitted. The revelation brought both relief and anger, as years of punishment from his parents suddenly felt unjust.