Being Henry: The Fonz and Beyond by Henry Winkler

Let me just preface this by saying I LOVE Henry Winkler! I used to watch reruns of Happy Days when I was a kid, so I was so happy to see that he had written a book about his life.

I knew almost nothing about his personal life, so I was so interested in learning about his childhood and career from the beginning. What great stories he has! From a childhood in New York with emotionally distant parents, through sudden fame to fighting type casting and figuring out what type of career, if any, he would have all while dealing with severe dyslexia. He has had an amazing life, but not an easy one.

There were a few spots where the stories jumped around a bit and felt a bit choppy, but overall, this was an excellent look at the life of someone I have long admired. If you are a fan of Mr. Winkler, you will thoroughly enjoy Being Henry!

I was delighted to get a kindle copy of this book from NetGalley. I am a fan of Henry Winkler ever since he played "Fonzie" on Happy Days. He writes an honest memoir. Starting at his sometimes difficult childhood. He had very harsh critical parents. His German Jewish parents escaped from Germany to the USA to get away from the Holocaust. Henry W. writes of his very critical father who called him cruel names. He was not a good student because he could not read. He was later diagnosed with severe dyslexia. He even more disappointed his harsh dad when Henry decided he did not want to work in his dad's lumber business.
He started his acting in college and later went on to plays. In his twenties he went to California to act in tv or movies. He of course made history by playing one of the more famous characters in Television by getting the role of Fonzie in Happy Days. He is honest about he ups and downs that comes with playing such a beloved role. He had a hard time getting other acting roles. and did not have a job as an actor for years. { he did do some voice acting} for some years he produced some successful tv shows such as McGyver.
He writes of his homelife and happy marriage that is going on 50 years. his children. His many friends in the business. He ends the book with his success at he new role as a drama teacher on the tv show Barry which won him an Emmy.
I enjoyed reading Henry Winkler's memoir. I was glad I got the chance to read this book.

Five days a week for most of my grade school years I’d fly off the bus and run into,the house to watch the last bits of Happy Days. Most of what they covered was over my head but the leather jacketed cool mechanic named Fonzie was always my favorite. He stood up for the underdogs and everything worked out for him.
I’ve not watched Winkler in anything else after HD ended in 1984. I had no idea about his life or all his self doubts, and did he have a ton.
Reading his book has made me understand the man Henry. I even watched some scenes and show snipped of YouTube as he mentioned them.
I think readers will be very surprised at much of what Winkler reveals.
It doesn’t matter if it’s been 50 years since he was cast as the Fonz because he will always be the cool guy in my mind.

A wonderful memoir that seems to be written from the heart- it rambles in a few places but it well worth the read.

I was happy to have the opportunity to read this book prior to publication through NetGalley. I enjoyed this thoughtful and insightful book about Henry Winkler’s journey; not just as “The Fonz”, but his journey through life. I knew he was more than just the character is best known for. He revealed his struggles with dyslexia and the harsh childhood he endured. Henry was very open about his insecurities and doubts, even as he entered his 7th decade. I didn’t know about his writing success with children’s books, but not surprised he was able to turn his personal struggles into a method for others to cope with their own struggles. I, like I think other fans, were so happy for Henry for winning his acting Emmy for his work in “Barry”. Engrossing read.

I really enjoyed this book. I am one of those people that loved Happy Days and Fonzie, so it was great to hear about that time in his life. I really enjoyed learning about his early life, career, and family and children. This story just flowed so easily and I couldn't put it down. Thank you to Henry Winkler, Celadon Books, and NetGalley for an ARC for my honest review.

Henry Winkler will be forever in my mind “The Fonz”. What is more clear to me after reading this book, Henry is truly one of the nicest guys in the world. Growing up he faced a lot of struggles, but through it all he over came it. Knowing more about what he had to go through, it made him more human and likeable to me.

I will be honest, I am a little bummed he didn’t walk about this time during the shooting of “Better Late Than Never” or “The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year”. While doing “Better Late Than Never”, it would have been cool to know more about the traveling to the different countries and also the time with the other actors.

I highly recommend this book.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from Celadon Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is one of the best memoirs I have read in a long time. Henry Winkler has led an interesting life. While you may feel you have been seeing him on the screen for years, you find out that he was out of work for a long spell. I especially enjoyed the inserts from his wife to give a different perspective to times of his life. I am glad he took the time to tell his story. I am already recommending to everyone to add to their must-read list.

Release Date: October 31st, 2023

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Henry Winkler, better known to the universe as “The Fonz” in Happy Days, has transcended the role that made him who he is. Brilliant, funny, and widely-regarded as the nicest man in Hollywood (though he would be the first to tell you that it’s simply not the case, he’s really just grateful to be here), Henry shares the disheartening truth of his childhood, the difficulties of a life with severe dyslexia, the pressures of a role that takes on a life of its own, and the path forward once your wildest dream seems behind you. Since Happy Days, Henry has endeared himself to a new generation with roles in such adored shows as Arrested Development, Parks and Recreation, and Barry. Filled with profound heart, charm, and self-deprecating humor, Being Henry is a memoir about so much more than a life in Hollywood and the curse of stardom. It is a meaningful testament to the power of sharing truth and kindness and of finding fulfillment within yourself.

I have to start this review by saying my favorite @official_henrywinkler role is not even listed! While I loved him as Dr. Saperstein on @parksandrec to me he will forever be Uncle Ralph in #themostwonderfultimeoftheyear with @brookeburns22 . Seriously, if you’ve not seen that movie, find it. It’s a delightful gem. Ok, back to the book review. It was so interesting to hear about his life and his work. It always kept my interest. I was disappointed he didn’t write about the show Better late than never. I loved that show with him ! I would highly recommend this book.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

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Everyone knows who The Fonz is! This book gives readers a look at who Henry is. Henry is candid about his struggle being typecasted after Happy Days. He had a rough childhood with parents that were not very loving toward him.

He talks about his dyslexia! I can’t imagine how hard it would be to have to memorize scripts while struggling with dyslexia, which is the reason He has done a lot of improv for most of his acting career. He has traveled the US speaking on his experience with dyslexia. Despite his diagnosis he has successfully created a children’s book series called Hank Zipzer.

If there is one word to describe Henry, I would say grateful. He was so grateful for his time on Happy Days. He was grateful to the many, many actors and directors that took a chance on him and let him step outside his Fonzie character. Grateful to his wife for sticking by him for 40+ years when he himself didn’t fully know who Henry was.

Henry Winkler is a perfect man and we simply do not deserve him.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free e-copy.

Loved this book.
Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

Wonderful! This book is perfectly aimed at me. I grew up with Happy Days and have loved Barry and Royal Pains. His writing isn’t perfect, but it’s strongly his voice. I could see this being an excellent audio book, if he reads it. I love the honesty of his struggles and the pure gratitude he has. I read this all in one day. Couldn’t put down. It brought tears to my eyes towards the end.

This was a really enjoyable, fairly quick read. Happy Days was a little before my time, so I haven’t watched much of it, but I was always under the impression that Henry Winkler is a truly nice guy, and I would say after reading this book, that I still feel that way. You do learn a decent amount about the “darker” side of his personality- anxiety about money, working, being immature, etc. That was very interesting. I’m good with the fact that he doesn’t talk a whole lot about his childhood as he gets the point across about how difficult it was. It was fun to read about his friendships with other well known people and it was nice to hear him say glowing things about most people he’s worked with over the years. This book feels like it was dictated by Henry to someone else, like someone was writing his stories as he told them, which I enjoyed. I also enjoyed the few times his wife had her own small sections in the book. It was good to hear from someone else’s perspective at times. Overall, this was an enjoyable read that I think will be especially enjoyable for people who were fans of Happy Days.
Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for providing me access to this eARC for my honest opinion!

Reading, "Being Henry" by Henry Winkler was very much like sitting down with an old friend and hearing the stories from the good old "Happy days." It was chock full of anecdotes that I hadn't previously known through entertainment shows or magazines (and none that I will spoil for the readers of this review). I felt sad that Mr. Winkler had such an upsetting relationship with his parents, but I was happy that he was able to receive therapy later in life to work through the issues that they left him with. I would have liked to have seen more of the behind the set scenes type stories, of which I am sure he has had many. I also feel like he wasn't super clear on his story about his reading ability, which left me confused on how he was able to go to Yale and read his scripts. I think more detail on this would have left me a lot less puzzled on this fact about him. All in all, reading this biography was an afternoon well spent. Thank you to NetGalley, Celadon Books, Macmillan Publishers, and Mr. Henry Winkler for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my unbiased review. 3.5 stars #BeingHenry #Netgalley #Biography #TheFonz

I've always liked Mr. Winkler, and thought he was a great actor. I picked the bookmup on a whim, thinking I'd learn more about someone I didn't know anything about. Now I'm a fan. What a great person with a great story. So humane, down to earth, and relatable. The relationship with his parents hit home and made me connect to his life on a personal level. His struggles with dyslexia shows how we all struggle, regardless of our position. And Henry's attitude, optimism, and determination is infectious and uplifting. Great read!

Just like others I’ve watched his movies and always thought what a great author. But it’s always interesting hearing from the actual person about their feelings of their childhood or their adult career. That’s what this book was and I loved it. Also Henry is one of my moms favorite actors so I will be buying a copy for her.

MAYBE SPOILERS:

Growing up, my first crush was Biig Bird. Then, it was followed by Arthur Fonzerelli. When Net Galley gave me an opportunity to review Being Henry by Henry Winkler, I jumped at it. I’m delighted I did. Henry writes in a raw and honest way like you’re sitting by the fire sharing stories. It was appreciated to read about what happened on the Happy Days set. When he writes about his dyslexia, his vulnerability jumps off the page. I’m sure he helped many people when he went public with that. From being a husband to being a dad and performer, this book is a beautiful love story for those who love him. I can’t wait to see what’s next for Henry Winkler.

Being Henry is a memoir and autobiography by Henry Winkler, who most people know as the Fonz. Henry is always someone I liked and when he would show up in various movies or shows it always made it more enjoyable. He just seems like a nice guy.

That comes across in his memoir and you definitely learn way more than you ever knew before. Just in the first chapter he covers a lot - I was surprised by his background with his parents being terrible to him, his learning disability and his disconnect emotionally. It was great reading about his family and love of dogs, and things like his vow to himself to not let another actor feel so alone on set.

My partner is in the entertainment business and even though I will never meet Henry Winkler, I could empathize with his feelings like the phone wasn’t calling. The few interludes from his wife were illuminating. Overall I really loved this book and couldn’t put it down once I started.

Thank you NetGalley for a great book!

I have loved Henry Winkler and his acting since his days as the Fonz. Howver, there is so much more to him and his life. His struggles with learning and not knowing what exactly was wrong is relatable to many people. Being punished by his parents and being thought of as dumb was horrible for him.. In the era that Henry was growing up, no one knew about these learning issues and there was no one testing for them. Many adults finally figured out what their issues were when their children were diagnosed, just like Henry. His career has been amazing. His ability to memorize scripts, right books, direct and act is made even more special given his disability that was never really addressed. Unlike most people in Hollywood, he and his wife have been together for forty-five years. I find that to be very inspirational also. It was interesting to read about all of the people he met and worked with throughout his career. I would highly recommend this uplifting book about a great guy who did have a lot of success even when he doubted himself.