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Henry Winkler initially said no to Hollywood
The actor had plenty going on in New York.
How many life-changing opportunities have we accidentally passed on? It's hard to quantify, but there are only so many chances that come along during our short years here on planet Earth. Who knows how many forks in the road we've incorrectly navigated!
There's comfort in saying "no." We know what it's like here in our current path. Everything feels familiar, and if we stick to what we know, we won't have to risk too much. However, there's also great power in saying "yes." Big swings take effort, but possibilities and potential are so rare.
When opportunity came knocking for Henry Winkler, he originally turned it down. Luckily, a bit of persuasion changed the course of television history, as Winkler recalled in the 1976 fan periodical Henry Winkler as Fonzie of Happy Days. The actor was asked about his success on what was quickly becoming America's favorite sitcom. Incredibly, Fonzie and Happy Days would only continue to grow in popularity after what was then only their second season.
"It's mind-blowing," said Winkler. "And to think I said 'no' the first time my agent trie to get me to come to Hollywood. I'm lucky he was persistent. But I've been allowed to develop Fonzie my own way right from the start, so I enjoy the part. I look at him differently from the way I think most actors would play him, though. Fonzie's not for violence. He's cool and confident, and he doesn't need a stick or a chain. Cool is in the soul."
Luckily, rethinking a decision is also in the soul. Winkler acquiesced, making the move out West from his native New York. It was time for a change, as the actor had already filled his resume with degrees from the likes of Emerson and Yale, not to mention his acting gigs at theaters all across the East Coast. But it was that specific history that helped characterize Fonzie later on when Winkler finally made the trek to Hollywood.
"Basically, I'd say I'm serious, very concerned with detail— maybe too much. And I guess I'm a sentimentalist. I'm a pack rat too. I keep everything."
Television fans the world over have a lot to celebrate. Winkler gave us one of the greatest TV characters of all time, all because he was convinced to move to Los Angeles. Or... Should we say "L. Ayyyyyyyy?"
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