Henry Winkler gets an “unbelievable basket of cheese and crackers” from Ron Howard every birthday. He admits he regularly forgets Howard’s birthday and never seems to send cheese in return.
Winkler shared the confession during his November 3 appearance on Good Morning America, four days after celebrating his 81st birthday on October 30.
Their friendship stretches back more than 50 years, to the sitcom that paired Howard’s Richie Cunningham with Winkler’s Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli. Winkler said Howard was 18 and he was 27 when they met.
Howard happened to catch the appearance on a television in an airport lounge. He shared a photograph of Winkler on Instagram, telling followers that his old friend was right there on the screen.
Winkler Knows Howard’s Birthday Is March 1
Winkler can name the date and made clear how he feels about Howard. “I love him very much,” he said during the interview, as reported by PEOPLE.
Winkler and his wife, Stacey Weitzman, celebrated his birthday with dinner at Nobu, where they have also marked their anniversary. His television visit was to promote Disney’s animated film Hexed, opening November 25, and his Detective Duck children’s books.
Howard Bought Winkler His First Baseball Mitt
In a 2023 interview with Fox News Digital, Winkler recalled Howard buying him his first baseball mitt and Anson Williams giving him a bat. His castmates then taught him to pitch softball on the soundstage between scenes.
Winkler said poor hand-eye coordination had kept him from considering himself athletic, apart from water-skiing when he was younger. Pitching became a skill he was proud of, even though hitting and catching remained difficult.
Winkler Helped Howard Get Night Shift Made
Howard left Happy Days in 1980 to focus on directing. Recalling the departure in a 2025 PEOPLE interview, Winkler said his first reaction was fear about losing his acting partner. He then encouraged Howard to pursue the ambition they had discussed for years.
They worked together again on 1982’s Night Shift, Howard’s first studio feature, produced by Brian Grazer and starring Winkler, Michael Keaton and Shelley Long. In a May 2025 interview, Howard credited Winkler’s agreement to star with getting the movie approved. Howard’s later films included Splash, Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind.
The friendship also extended to their families. Winkler is godfather to actress Bryce Dallas Howard, who described him in a 2025 interview as “like a father to me.”
They Recreated Arnold’s at the Emmy Awards
Howard and Winkler appeared together at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on September 15, 2024, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Happy Days. They stepped onto a recreation of Arnold’s Drive-In, the sitcom’s familiar gathering place.
After a joke about the missing theme music, Winkler struck the jukebox and the song began playing. They then presented the award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series.
On April 5, 2025, they joined Williams and Don Most for a fan panel at Steel City Con near Pittsburgh, according to Good Morning America. “It feels like it’s been 50 minutes,” Howard joked about reuniting with his former castmates.