Henry Winkler’s path to success was far from easy. As a child, he struggled in school and faced constant criticism from his parents, who “thought I was lazy. I was called lazy. I was called stupid. I was told I was not living up to my potential.” Despite always trying his best, Winkler was often punished and grounded, saying, “They thought if I stayed at my desk for six weeks at a time, I was going to get it.”

Even after earning an MFA from Yale, his reading difficulties continued. “You learn to negotiate with your learning challenge,” he said, explaining how he improvised during performances. While playing Fonzie on Happy Days, he admitted, “I embarrassed myself for 10 years reading around that table… I stumbled over every word.”

At 31, Winkler discovered he had dyslexia after his stepson was tested. “I went, ‘Oh my goodness. I have something with a name.’” The diagnosis brought anger and relief: “All of the grounding was for naught.”

Turning his experience into motivation, he created the Hank Zipzer children’s books about a boy with dyslexia, telling fans, “Your learning challenge will not stop you from meeting your dream.”

For Winkler, his proudest achievement isn’t fame but his books: “Outside of my family, my proudest moment… are the books.”