Biographie: Henry Franklin Winkler (born October 30, 1945) is an American actor, director, producer, and author. Winkler is best known for his role as Fonzie on the 1970s American sitcom Happy Days. "The Fonz," a leather-clad greaser and auto mechanic, started out as a minor character at the show's beginning but had achieved top billing by the time the show ended.