Forget jumping that shark — Henry Winkler once said that this was the most difficult thing he'd done in his life

Winkler described the experience as "climbing a mountain naked and backwards."

CBS Television Distribution

Although he grew into a remarkable adult, Henry Winkler's childhood was anything but smooth sailing. The Happy Days actor discovered later in life that he was actually dyslexic. The diagnosis served as a refreshing explanation for Winkler's learning difficulties, which were primarily shown during his time in school.

"School was just a place of deep frustration," said Winkler during an interview with the Detroit Free Press. "I wanted to do well. I prepared. I was ready. My pencils were sharpened. I did everything I could to prepare."

Winkler's parents weren't a large help either, with the actor describing them as "unbelievably strict."

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"[They] thought if I stayed in my room long enough, I would get it. But school and my brain were just not made for each other."

It was this experience that fueled Winkler to create his own children's book series, titled Hank Zipzer: The World's Greatest Underachiever, which follows a young boy who also struggles with dyslexia. While Winkler wrote the series to spread awareness regarding learning disabilities, creating the books came with their own unique set of challenges.

"Reading the book for the audio version was the most difficult thing I've done in my life," said Winkler. "It was like climbing a mountain naked and backwards."

Still, the actor knew that the series would send out an important message to children who were struggling as Winkler once did. "You're not alone, and you can get through it," said the actor. "At one time, it was so hard for me to read a book. It is so monumental for me to be able to write a book."