Henry Winkler locked himself in his apartment for 24 hours after The Fonz became popular

Winkler dealt with his success in an unusual way.

September 3, 2024, 10:39AM By MeTV Staff

CBS Television Distribution

Adjusting to success is no easy feat, especially if your success came on suddenly, seemingly overnight.

When Henry Winkler began playing Arthur Fonzarelli in Happy Days, he had no idea how big of a star he'd become, especially because the character was so far away from the actor. "I'm different, completely different," Winkler said during an interview with the Sunday Sun. "I don't even like motorbikes. People have got to know I could never live up to that fantastic character."

But people were enamored by The Fonz, and by extension, Henry Winkler. The issue is that Winkler is a fairly private person, content to live a regular life as best he can. "Frankly, I'm accused of living below my means," he said. "I never had much money before, and I don't need it that much now."

Even still, Winkler said that living in The Fonz's shadow could be difficult at times and that when the character began gaining traction, he had to take desperate measures to adapt. "In the beginning, when he took off so phenomenally, I locked myself in my apartment twenty-four hours a day to take it all in."

Of course, Winkler couldn't hide forever, but it took him longer than expected to come to terms with his newfound stardom. "It's only now I'm starting to enjoy success," he said.

Still, Winkler understood exactly why the character was so popular, as well as Happy Days as a series.

"Look, the main reason is that the 1950s were a far more gentle time, a more easeful time to exist," he said. "Here in the United States, family life is falling apart. But Happy Days is about family life and this is very important. Kids love to tune in to that."