Even on the set of Happy Days, where he became famous as Fonzie, table reads were a source of embarrassment as he stumbled through scripts. Everything changed when his stepson was tested for a learning disability. That’s when Winkler realized he, too, had dyslexia.
He was 31. At first he felt angry—years of punishment had been for something he couldn’t control. But he transformed that anger into purpose.
Winkler went on to write a bestselling children’s series about a dyslexic boy named Hank, inspiring countless children. Today, he says those books remain his proudest achievement—proof that struggles don’t define limits, only strength.