Happy Days was an essential and fun part of my childhood television experience. I remember tuning in after school to The Fonz and the gang. Being Henry by Henry Winkler describes his childhood and early adulthood, his time playing the Fonz and career and life post-Happy Days.
Henry Winkler faced several obstacles. His parents were critical and emotionally neglectful; given the circumstances of their escape to the US from Nazi Germany, it's fair to say there was intergenerational trauma, which Henry had to work through in therapy, years later. Henry also has severe dyslexia which was not diagnosed until he in his thirties. School was a struggle for him, as was reading scripts. After launching into the iconic role of The Fonz early in his acting career, Henry was typecast and had trouble getting acting roles.
Being Henry is an honest, interesting and unpretentious memoir. The reader has the feeling that they are a friend of Henry's sitting in a cafe with him hearing his story. I enjoyed Henry's insights into Hollywood and family life. Henry seems like a genuinely nice guy and has used his fame to help people, especially children, like creating a series of children's books about a dyslexic kid and raising awareness of dyslexia. Henry's gratitude and appreciation shine through. A lovely addition to his memoir was the perspective of his wife Stacey. I really enjoyed reading this wonderful memoir.
Henry Winkler faced several obstacles. His parents were critical and emotionally neglectful; given the circumstances of their escape to the US from Nazi Germany, it's fair to say there was intergenerational trauma, which Henry had to work through in therapy, years later. Henry also has severe dyslexia which was not diagnosed until he in his thirties. School was a struggle for him, as was reading scripts. After launching into the iconic role of The Fonz early in his acting career, Henry was typecast and had trouble getting acting roles.
Being Henry is an honest, interesting and unpretentious memoir. The reader has the feeling that they are a friend of Henry's sitting in a cafe with him hearing his story. I enjoyed Henry's insights into Hollywood and family life. Henry seems like a genuinely nice guy and has used his fame to help people, especially children, like creating a series of children's books about a dyslexic kid and raising awareness of dyslexia. Henry's gratitude and appreciation shine through. A lovely addition to his memoir was the perspective of his wife Stacey. I really enjoyed reading this wonderful memoir.