Joy 101: Henry Winkler

“You cannot just fall in love one time to the woman who is your partner. She changes with birth, with life, with age, with loss, with everything that goes on. You have to rediscover her every time.”-Henry Winkler Joy 101 with Hoda Kotb is Presented by CVS. Shop your local CVS, right around the corner. Experience the full conversation on the "Joy 101 podcast with Hoda Kotb" wherever you listen to podcasts. For more information, please visit us at www.joy101.com/podcast https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.joy101.com%2Fpodcast&data=05%7C02%7CBrianBurton%40iheartmedia.com%7Ce4015eb19b24401effed08dee452d351%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C639199241537382426%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=JUCYm70fxn6cr1dhFWt1wTYeRqpdw54iNQsS9tPj1Ys%3D&reserved=0 See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:10Hoda Kotb?

  Okay, so I have had the privilege of interviewing a ton of people over the years. And there's one name that pops up and I know that my heart and soul are going to be filled by what this person says. Now, I'm not going to reveal who it is in this very second, but I'm going to tell you about him. This is a guy who grew up in a very difficult childhood. In fact, he said when he would leave his room to go out into the living room or the kitchen, he called it a war zone. His parents basically called him an idiot or a dumb dog. They thought he was stupid. These are his words.

• 0:53Hoda Kotb?

  And in reality, he was struggling with dyslexia, but at that time, people didn't know from dyslexia. They just thought their kid wasn't smart. Now, imagine yourself for a minute, growing up in that kind of an environment where you're getting pounded on and pounded on and pounded on every day with this, you know, with you're not good enough, you're stupid, over and over and over. What do you think would happen with your life? Like, what happens to a kid like that? Well, I would imagine probably the worst. A kid who, to this day, doesn't, who's now a grown adult, who, when asked the question, "How did you know your parents loved you?", he says, "I don't know."

• 1:31Hoda Kotb?

  From that place, this person found joy that we can all dream of having. This is a person, when you hear where he is today, you will say, "Oh, my gosh, I want to live like he lives." He's full of optimism, he's brimming with hope and love and curiosity and all the things that life's about. He has that in him. He's proof of the phrase, "Where you start does not define where you finish." So if you're going through a difficult time or you're in a terrible circumstance and you think, "Is joy possible for me?", it is.

• 2:10Hoda Kotb?

  The man who I'm describing to you is Henry Winkler. You guys know him from playing the Fonz on Happy Days. He also won his very first Emmy in his 70s for playing the role in the show Barry. He is a delight. He gives away all of his goodness and compliments and love, and that's why his cup stays full. If you want to know the secret to where Henry Winkler finds joy and how he keeps it going every day, you're going to want to take note during this podcast. All right, guys, here's Henry Winkler.

• 2:45Speaker 01

  This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed Human.

• 2:50Hoda Kotb?

  Joy 101 with Hoda Kotb is presented by CVS. I've realized that joy doesn't always come from those big moments. Sometimes you find it on the most ordinary day. I'll pop into a CVS for toothpaste or paper towels, and it never seems to be just a quick errand. Maybe I'll grab a delicious Well Market Trail Mix or wander over to the Joy Word Collection. That's part of the fun. So the next time you're checking something off your to-do list, stop by your local CVS pharmacy. You might go in for one thing and leave with a little more joy. Visit your local CVS pharmacy, sponsored by CVS. Every purchase is a financial decision, so it's worth asking, what am I getting out of this?

• 3:33Hoda Kotb?

  If you're using the Chase Freedom Flex Card, you can maximize your cash back on things you need. More ways to earn, more ways to get rewarded. Sign up for the Chase Freedom Flex Card. Learn more at chase.com/getflex. This is a paid collaboration with Chase Freedom Flex. Cards issued by JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., member FDIC. Subject to credit approval. Offer subject to change. Terms apply.

• 3:57Speaker 02

  My name is Jessa. One of the things I love the most about working for United Healthcare is that everybody matters. Every moment matters. There's a person behind every problem. I care because it's what I was put on this earth to do.

• 4:12Speaker 03

  I'm Ben, and I work at United Healthcare. I am just one piece of a larger puzzle, but every piece matters. It's more than just work. We want to make the healthcare system better for everyone. I care because I want to make a difference. That's what committed to care means to me.

• 4:28Speaker 04

  How to sell your car. First, go to carmax.com, then-

• 4:31Speaker 05

  Wow, this offer's great. But is this just an estimate?

• 4:34Speaker 04

  Nope, it's worth real money.

• 4:35Speaker 05

  Oh, I like that. Hold on, is my phone gonna ring off the hook with sales calls now?

• 4:39Speaker 04

  Not at all. You have a week to think on it, pressure-free.

• 4:42Speaker 05

  Okay, but then I have to drop it off?

• 4:45Speaker 04

  Or you can just schedule an at-home pickup.

• 4:47Speaker 05

  That is kind of amazing.

• 4:49Speaker 04

  Get a real offer today at carmax.com.

• 4:53Speaker 04

  Offers are good for seven days. At-home pickup not available in all locations. Distance restrictions and a fee may apply.

• 4:58Hoda Kotb?

  So, Henry, as we get started, the first thing I have to say to you is, because I just watched it again, so I'm gonna say the word "again," your commencement address at Emerson.

• 5:11Speaker 06

  Wow, yeah.

• 5:12Hoda Kotb?

  Stop it. I mean, I know you, I love you, but something about that 10 minutes, 12 minutes, 14 minutes, whatever you did standing before those students was electrifying.

• 5:25Speaker 06

  Wow.

• 5:26Hoda Kotb?

  Will you tell me about that moment onstage? Because it seemed, it just seemed like in a different class.

• 5:36Speaker 06

  I went to Emerson. They were the only college that said yes to me out of the 28 that I applied to.

• 5:45Speaker 06

  I had a great four years there.

• 5:49Speaker 06

  I am now 80 years old, and the things I learned that I wish someone had told me, I wanted those young people to know.

• 6:04Speaker 06

  I did not want to say, "You're our future. It's up to you now." I wanted to say, "You are everything you want to be, and it's in you. And now your job is to give it to the world."

• 6:24Hoda Kotb?

  You know what's awesome, Henry, about you? Someone asked me, I was in a, actually a leadership session with somebody, and someone said, "Tell me your life in eight minutes. Tell me your whole life in eight minutes." Nothing, you know. So you hit, like, in my case, I hit the highlights. What were the highlights to me? My parents were immigrants. I got rejected 27 times before my first job. My kid, you know, you list all the things, and I thought in that speech, you sort of did something similar. I didn't realize, number one, that you had to squeak by with that D minus just to get into Emerson. What was the subject? What was the, what was the tripping point?

• 7:04Speaker 06

  Geometry.

• 7:05Hoda Kotb?

  Geometry.

• 7:06Speaker 06

  But that is only one of the subjects I failed at.

• 7:10Hoda Kotb?

  Really?

• 7:11Speaker 06

  It's no joke. You know, I couldn't, I saw my life as a cylinder of stainless steel with no handholds, no footholds, and I tried to pull myself out into the sun, and I slipped until I was 27. I took a chance and left New York, went to Hollywood, tried out for Happy Days, had six lines, and my life exploded.

• 7:46Hoda Kotb?

  I want to go back, because when I think of someone who's an actor, I think of someone who is confident. I would think of someone whose all their childhood goodness was poured into them so that they could get up in front of other people and face rejection. They were strong. Your childhood was not that. Your childhood was the opposite of that.

• 8:06Speaker 06

  That is, that is true. So here it is, that's what I learned. You just have to go and dig deep, because it is in you already. You don't need that, although that is lovely, let me say. I mean, there are people who talk to me in the airport, on the street, in the airplane, in the new country, in the, anywhere, and it feels amazing, but your power is there. It is, it comes with you as you.

• 8:44Speaker 06

  Come into the world with these tiny little fingers that grow in tears.

• 8:51Hoda Kotb?

  Tiny little fingers. I like that. I was listening to you with Michelle Obama, which by the way was also beautiful. And I'd heard you describe your childhood, but I never heard you describe it this way. You said when you stepped out of your room, it felt like a war zone. What did that mean?

• 9:10Speaker 06

  Okay, so, oh, on the one hand, I really do understand. My parents came from Nazi Germany. They left everything behind. They started a new life. They've a new language, a job. They gave us, my sister and I, a life.

• 9:34Speaker 06

  But somewhere in that journey, their psyche was beaten to a pulp. And every time I left my room, opened the door to walk to the kitchen, to walk to the living room, it was chaos. It was damaging. It was an attack.

• 10:02Hoda Kotb?

  What was so mean, scary, horrible about walking out there? What do you mean?

• 10:08Speaker 06

  They did not, I now understand as a parent, you hear your child, you see your child, you just step back and look at this human being who didn't ask to be here. You gave birth to that human being and you look at them and they are clear. My parents had no vision. They had no child vision. I was supposed to be, I was bred to be, I didn't, I was an embarrassment. I didn't do well in school. How could you do this? I speak

• 10:50Speaker 06

  11 languages. Oh, really, Dad? Well, that's hey, good for you because dyslexia is, um, hereditary and you passed it on. But hey.

• 11:03Hoda Kotb?

  But so you didn't know, for people who don't know this, you didn't know you were dyslexic. You just thought you weren't doing. Yeah, God, that's a strong word. What did your dad call you?

• 11:14Speaker 06

  Dumhund.

• 11:16Hoda Kotb?

  Which meant?

• 11:16Speaker 06

  Gumdog.

• 11:18Hoda Kotb?

  Wow.

• 11:19Speaker 06

  Yeah. And then no joking. I mean, they, they literally, look, I take all of the, the total of the achievement and the courage and the pain of my parents. What I cannot abide is what I just said. You see the child in front of you. You might not be able to define the problem. You might not be able to fix the problem, but you know there's a problem. And then you act accordingly.

• 11:56Hoda Kotb?

  Hmm, yeah.

• 11:58Speaker 06

  I, I see you're in trouble. I'm going to try and make your moment easier. Not you go to your room, you're going to not watch TV and you're going to get geometry.

• 12:14Hoda Kotb?

  Who, who was there for you, Henry, during that time? Who was the person?

• 12:18Speaker 06

  Me?

• 12:19Hoda Kotb?

  Oh.

• 12:20Speaker 06

  I, I, I, I don't, I don't remember anybody. I don't remember. I never had real grandparents. I never had a lot, a aunts or uncles because they were all Tarian. There is a plant in my garden that is a spider plant. And that spider plant was on our windowsill cuttings. And that original spider plant came out of Germany in a coffin at the feet of Anna Kalman, my, a, a, a faux aunt, but she was smuggled out of Germany in a coffin and we all had cuttings. I took a cutting when I came here to California.

• 13:06Speaker 06

  It's in my garden. I, it's in my children's garden.

• 13:11Speaker 06

  And it just keeps rejuvenating.

• 13:15Hoda Kotb?

  Mm-hmm.

• 13:16Speaker 06

  Which is one of the lessons I learned in life.

• 13:22Hoda Kotb?

  I think we spend so much of our lives waiting for the big moments. The birthdays, the vacations, the milestones. But the truth is, some of the happiest moments show up on the most ordinary days. So, like this, I'll stop into a CVS because I need one thing. Somehow, the best part of the trip is never the thing I came for. So, maybe I'll grab a delicious well-market snack. Or maybe I'll wander over to the Joyward Collection. It's really full of fun, cool, seasonal decor, thoughtful little gifts, and those little discoveries that make you so glad you stopped in. I have to tell you, if you're an Extra Care member, you're going to save on things you're already buying. And those extra bucks really do add up.

• 14:06Hoda Kotb?

  Just watching that total go down at the checkout never, ever gets old. I know, life's busy, we're all juggling a lot. And that's why I think those little unexpected moments of joy matter so much. So, the next time you're running errands, stop by your local CVS pharmacy. You may go in for something you need, but don't be surprised if you leave with something that simply makes your day a little brighter. Visit your local CVS pharmacy, sponsored by CVS. Halloween has a funny way of making you buy things you'd never normally buy. A 10-foot skeleton, sure. A full-size fog machine, why not? Three bags of candy that somehow become six bags of candy? It happens. Which brings me to the Chase Freedom Flex Card,

• 14:51Hoda Kotb?

  the savvy decision that will earn you more cash back on the everyday purchases, plus the extraordinary Halloween tricks and treats. With Freedom Flex, you earn even more treats on your Halloween and everyday needs. You get 5% cash back on popular rotating quarterly categories, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases. More ways to earn, more ways to get rewarded. That's no tricks, all treats. More ways to earn, more ways to get rewarded. So sign up for the Chase Freedom Flex Card. Learn more at chase.com/getflex. This is a paid collaboration with Chase Freedom Flex. Cards issued by JP Morgan Chase Bank, N A member FDIC.

• 15:34Hoda Kotb?

  Subject to credit approval. Offer subject to change. Terms apply.

• 15:38Speaker 07

  Chat GPT for teens is designed to help teens learn, think critically, and grow their skills. Chat GPT for teens supports active learning by breaking concepts down. Rather than giving teens the answer. Study mode helps teens work through problems and interactive quizzes test their knowledge and provide immediate feedback. Safety protections are on by default. And parental controls offer families additional options like setting study hours and quiet hours. Visit chatgpt.com PARENTS to learn more.

• 16:06Hoda Kotb?

  So you squeaked through high school, you make it to Emerson. Did things start clicking at Emerson? No, not there either.

• 16:15Speaker 06

  Sophomore, my major is theater and my dream is to be an actor. I talk about it, I dream it, I lie awake at night, I. And I went to my class because that's half of me. The other half is, oh, Mr. Sensenbuck, I'm so sorry. Um, I'm going to try something new. I'm going to read the Shakespearean scene and act it at the same time. And he said, not in my class you're not. You were supposed to memorize it. I was kicked out of my major.

• 16:47Hoda Kotb?

  Oh, no. So so then what happened?

• 16:51Speaker 06

  I taught my way back in.

• 16:52Hoda Kotb?

  Of course you did. Of course you did. So was memorization, I know reading was impossible. Was memorization hard too?

• 17:01Speaker 06

  Okay, so the way I figured that out, so God giveth and God taketh away. So I can't read, you know, my joke is the tale of true cities, you know? I read the cover and it's not even a joke.

• 17:19Speaker 06

  So if I read it slowly, I eventually could rub the script on my body and it would go in. I had this amazing ability. When I auditioned, I would memorize as much as I could, go in, and when I got to the end of what I memorized, I improvised.

• 17:44Hoda Kotb?

  Ah.

• 17:45Speaker 06

  And they said, "Excuse me, that's not what we wrote." And I said, "I'm giving you the essence of the character. If I get it, I'll do it verbatim."

• 17:57Hoda Kotb?

  If I get it, I'll do. Is that what happened with the Fonz and Happy Days?

• 18:00Speaker 06

  Everybody, everywhere.

• 18:04Speaker 06

  Max, who is that, our youngest son, the director, was here when I was going over my audition for Barry. And he directed me in my audition. And I started to have lip, and he said, "Dad, respect the writer."

• 18:20Hoda Kotb?

  Respect the writer.

• 18:21Speaker 06

  Exclamation point.

• 18:27Hoda Kotb?

  I want to hear about Barry. I want to hear about all that. I want to hear about Happy Days, though. So you go in, this character Fonz has how many lines, you said?

• 18:35Speaker 06

  Six.

• 18:36Hoda Kotb?

  Six. So he wasn't supposed to be anybody, but somebody who dipped in and dipped out.

• 18:40Speaker 06

  That's right.

• 18:41Hoda Kotb?

  So when you go in for the audition, or when you go in for whatever, what is the director, what do they want you to do?

• 18:49Speaker 06

  I go in and there are 11 people in the room. Gary Marshall, Ed Milkis, Tom Miller, the three that are triumphant, who created Happy Days. And I, the greatest thing that happened to me is as scared as I was in my life,

• 19:10Speaker 06

  I had the courage in my professional life. And I merely changed my voice. And that unleashed, I was able to do anything that came to my mind. So I took the six lines and just played with them and threw the script up in the air and sauntered out of the room.

• 19:36Speaker 06

  And Gary Marshall said he's the guy.

• 19:38Hoda Kotb?

  What happened with, I mean, one thing that we know of Fonz, I don't know if this was in the, in the audition line, was the comb. It was always like looking at himself.

• 19:48Speaker 06

  That was, again, that was a, um, an improvisation. So it's the first day. First, I'm reading, now you remember, I'm a trained actor. And I'm reading the script and I can't make the joke work. And I start hitting the script. I can't do this. What is this? And I'm 27. Ron Howard is 18. He puts his arm around me, walks me to the back of soundstage 24 on Paramount lot. And says, you know, they're working as hard as they can. Let's not hit our script.

• 20:29Speaker 06

  But, uh, Ron, I will never hit my script as long as I live. I spread it, that, now, it says, go to the mirror, comb your hair. I walk to the director, Mel Ferber, who did the pilot. Um, I said, listen, sir, I, I will do anything. But every actor who has played my part has combed his hair. Uh, they, I, I, I need to be original. I will do anything, write anything and I will figure it out. He said, producer wrote, go to the mirror, comb your hair. Go to that mirror, comb your hair. Walk to the mirror, pull out my comb, and go, look at that, man, it's perfect. I don't have to comb it.

• 21:15Speaker 06

  And I lit, and they kept it in, and it defined Fonzie for 10 years.

• 21:21Hoda Kotb?

  Wow, wow, wow. You just trusted your gut. You, did you have?

• 21:26Speaker 06

  That's the answer. That is the answer. If there are any actors out there, you're not hired just to fill time and space. That you're hired to fill the space with you. They're looking for you. They don't even know what they want.

• 21:41Hoda Kotb?

  Yeah.

• 21:42Speaker 06

  You have something in your, in your guts, you go with it. What, you, you can either be right or you could be wrong. How do you know? Go for it.

• 21:52Hoda Kotb?

  Ooh, I love that. I love that advice. Were you prepared? I mean, the fame of, I mean, people still reference Happy Days even to this moment.

• 22:01Speaker 06

  You're absolutely right. Um.

• 22:04Speaker 06

  No, and here's what I figured out, or for me, anyway. I don't think the brilliance of the brain

• 22:14Speaker 06

  in its inception, however we evolved, that fame was programmed as part of the living experience. It is so alien to living. It is so out of the program, of the adventure, the essence of being alive. You have got to take an instant course at staying the course.

• 22:48Hoda Kotb?

  So what did fame do to you initially?

• 22:52Speaker 06

  Because, honest to God, because I am so dyslexic, I had no sense of self. So when people were talking to me, I kept on looking.

• 23:06Speaker 06

  Who are they talking to? They can't, it can't be me. I know who I am. I know that I failed at everything.

• 23:15Speaker 06

  So it never got in. It just kept going by me, except I knew

• 23:23Speaker 06

  I don't have to stand online in the rain for the movies. I could go to the manager and say, sir, or ma'am, could I just come in so I don't have to sign an autograph, then I got to buy my popcorn first.

• 23:36Hoda Kotb?

  So did your dad and mom come around when, were they around to see that? And did they think you had taken the right path?

• 23:49Speaker 06

  You would think I was mature. I, they never came around. They came around for themselves. They came around to, my joke is, my mother walks into a store and goes, yeah, I like this dress. Oh, this dress is very nice here. I'm Fonzie's mother.

• 24:12Speaker 06

  And that is the, I swear to you, that's the microcosm of their embracing. Not, isn't it wonderful? It's...

• 24:28Hoda Kotb?

  I hear you. How did you know that they loved you then?

• 24:33Speaker 06

  That is a question I am still working on.

• 24:36Hoda Kotb?

  Oh, okay.

• 24:38Speaker 06

  I have no idea.

• 24:41Speaker 06

  I swore to Stacy

• 24:45Speaker 06

  that I would be an entirely different parent.

• 24:50Speaker 06

  And I know this. The most important thing is to see who's in front of you. And a heard child is powerful.

• 25:06Speaker 06

  I listened to whatever my children had to say. And if they were right, instead of say, because I said so. I went, oh, my God, okay, I'm gonna do that from now on. All right, that's gonna be from now on. No, I don't think I can live with that, but great idea.

• 25:24Hoda Kotb?

  That's wow. Was that hard because you you parent? Most people, at least even though they try to do what you're describing. They fall back because they know what they know.

• 25:35Speaker 06

  Yes, but here it is. My parents flew out of my mouth. And I would hear myself. And I was that is not what I meant to say. Okay, I'm gonna start again. This is what I meant to say.

• 25:53Speaker 06

  Or the kid, the children would walk in and um I would go. I wouldn't talk to me right now. I mean, I'm just it's here.

• 26:05Hoda Kotb?

  Yeah.

• 26:05Speaker 06

  Gonna come right out of here, so.

• 26:07Hoda Kotb?

  Yeah.

• 26:08Speaker 06

  And then they and then children are so smart. They walk in, they size me up. We'll see you later.

• 26:18Hoda Kotb?

  I think we spend so much of our lives waiting for the big moments. The birthdays, the vacations, the milestones. But the truth is, some of the happiest moments show up on the most ordinary days. So, like this, I'll stop into a CVS because I need one thing. Somehow, the best part of the trip is never the thing I came for. So, maybe I'll grab a delicious well-market snack. Or maybe I'll wander over to the Joyward Collection. It's really full of fun, cool, seasonal decor, thoughtful little gifts, and those little discoveries that make you so glad you stopped in. I have to tell you, if you're an Extra Care member, you're going to save on things you're already buying, and those extra bucks really do add up.

• 27:01Hoda Kotb?

  Just watching that total go down at the checkout never, ever gets old. I know, life's busy, we're all juggling a lot. And that's why I think those little unexpected moments of joy matter so much. So, the next time you're running errands, stop by your local CVS pharmacy. You may go in for something you need, but don't be surprised if you leave with something that simply makes your day a little brighter. Visit your local CVS pharmacy, sponsored by CVS. Halloween has a funny way of making you buy things you'd never normally buy. A 10-foot skeleton? Sure. A full-size fog machine? Why not? Three bags of candy that somehow become six bags of candy? It happens. Which brings me to the Chase Freedom Flex Card,

• 27:46Hoda Kotb?

  the savvy decision that will earn you more cash back on the everyday purchases, plus the extraordinary Halloween tricks and treats. With Freedom Flex, you earn even more treats on your Halloween and everyday needs. You get 5% cash back on popular rotating quarterly categories, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases. More ways to earn, more ways to get rewarded. That's no tricks, all treats. More ways to earn, more ways to get rewarded. So, sign up for the Chase Freedom Flex Card. Learn more at chase.com/getflex. This is a paid collaboration with Chase Freedom Flex. Cards issued by JPMorgan. Chase Bank, NA Member FDIC. Subject to credit approval.

• 28:31Hoda Kotb?

  Offer subject to change. Terms apply.

• 28:33Speaker 07

  Chat GPT for teens is designed to help teens learn, think critically and grow their skills. Chat GPT for teens supports active learning by breaking concepts down. Rather than giving teens the answer, study mode helps teens work through problems and interactive quizzes test their knowledge and provide immediate feedback. Safety protections are on by default and parental controls offer families additional options like setting study hours and quiet hours. Visit chatgpt.com slash parents to learn more.

• 29:01Hoda Kotb?

  Did you meet Stacy during the Happy Days days?

• 29:03Speaker 06

  I did.

• 29:04Hoda Kotb?

  Yeah, how'd you guys meet?

• 29:06Speaker 06

  I made enough money to buy my own sport coat. So there was like this very fancy Italian

• 29:14Speaker 06

  men's clothing store on Rodeo Drive. And I, this beautiful woman in front of me and I held up two jackets. I said, excuse me, which one? And I should have known there was a problem because she said both. And I'm too practical to buy two if I need one.

• 29:31Hoda Kotb?

  All right.

• 29:32Speaker 06

  I go back the next week, she's there.

• 29:36Speaker 06

  I said, of course you're there because she said I work here. Oh, go for it. No, go. Then I said, you want a soda?

• 29:45Hoda Kotb?

  A soda, okay.

• 29:46Speaker 06

  We, a soda, we went down to the, um, the, the Willshire,

• 29:52Speaker 06

  uh, hotel at the end of Rodeo. And I had a soda and I just bought my first house. And Carol Schlanger, who was in my acting class, her husband Clint was an architect and he redid the house and it's now done. And I said, you want to see my house? I have no one to show it to. And she said, of course, excuse me for a minute. Left the room, left the, the, the, the area, the, the luncheon area, called her mother. She said, this is where I'm going. If anything happens, you know exactly where I am. Hi, ready?

• 30:31Hoda Kotb?

  And was that it? Was that all it took? You guys walking around the house?

• 30:36Speaker 06

  I swear to God, because she had to leave, she had a date.

• 30:39Hoda Kotb?

  Yeah. Oh.

• 30:40Speaker 06

  But we talked about a book, Ordinary People and Boss Gags. And I had not heard of either of them. I'm not a reader, first of all, and my music is very specific. I never heard of Boss Gags at the time. This was 1975-ish. And the next morning I get up, I go to my car, and in the front seat is Ordinary People and Boss Gags.

• 31:08Speaker 06

  How did she get into my car? But that's a question I haven't answered. I called her up. It was busy. I called her back. It was busy. I called her every 10 minutes for 24 hours because I'm a moron. And she took the phone off the hook.

• 31:26Hoda Kotb?

  And then, so then what happened? You caught up with her?

• 31:29Speaker 06

  I caught up with her. Wow. Movies and we saw Walkabout, Nick Rose Walkabout, the Australian film about the kids and the Aboriginals and...

• 31:39Hoda Kotb?

  This podcast, Henry's, called Joy 101. It's all about that. When you speak about your wife, even when you say your wife's name, your eyes tell the story. It's just a flash and then there it is. So tell me about the joy in relationships. Like what has, what has she brought to your life?

• 31:55Speaker 06

  A groundedness, a power, a clarity, whether I wanted to hear it or not. I was at one time so closed, it wa- what I, my metaphor is that the, the, the top of my forehead is soldered shut. And you know like when you pour cream into your coffee and you see it turn color? And it swirls if it's in a glass?

• 32:27Speaker 06

  I would pour and nothing, no swirl. And I, food, just, I had a tuna sandwich in my refrigerate

• 32:41Speaker 06

  in my first apartment.

• 32:45Speaker 06

  That was it. An ambrosia salad, two boxes of Almandine wine for guests, because I don't drink. Red and white. And she, she just opened me, opened. I just heard the wisest thing.

• 33:05Hoda Kotb?

  What's that?

• 33:05Speaker 06

  About a relationship. You cannot just fall in love one time to the woman who is your partner. She changes with birth, with life, with age, with loss, with everything that goes on.

• 33:30Hoda Kotb?

  Mm hmm.

• 33:30Speaker 06

  Have to rediscover her every time.

• 33:35Hoda Kotb?

  Hmm.

• 33:36Speaker 06

  Wise, you are doomed.

• 33:38Hoda Kotb?

  What's, what's this current version like for you?

• 33:42Speaker 06

  Stacy?

• 33:42Hoda Kotb?

  Yeah.

• 33:43Speaker 06

  Oh, separate homes. It's really works.

• 33:50Hoda Kotb?

  Ah, you're funny.

• 33:52Speaker 06

  She is strong and one, just wonderful and, and sometimes a little too clear.

• 34:02Hoda Kotb?

  A little too clear. I like that.

• 34:04Speaker 06

  I'd like her to soften it up a little bit.

• 34:06Hoda Kotb?

  Just a touch. So you have this incredible role. Everybody knows you. You're probably one of the most famous people in America with the character, the Fonz. And after that, you would imagine, or I would have that, you know, you had to beat back offers. There, there, you know, I can only be in one place at one time, blah, blah, blah. But what happened to your career as a result of that kind of role defining character?

• 34:32Speaker 06

  Well, I'll tell you, um, let's go with it. It ended in, on 1983. In 2003, two, 2002, I came back to LA. Uh, having done Broadway for nine months, a Neil Simon play. My dream.

• 34:53Hoda Kotb?

  Mm hmm.

• 34:54Speaker 06

  It's John Ritter, a dream. Len Caru, oh my God, it was just. I couldn't get hired.

• 35:04Hoda Kotb?

  Couldn't get hired? Why?

• 35:07Speaker 06

  Since it ended, Happy Days ended in 1983, he is so funny. He is so good, lovely, lovely guy, but he was the Fonz. I went to a friend, I said, I'm having real trouble. I can't get hired. He said, write books for children about your learning challenges. I can't do that because I'm learning challenged. And he said, I'll introduce you to Lynn Oliver. And in November of 2026, our 41st children's book will come out.

• 35:48Hoda Kotb?

  My gosh, those Hank Zipsor books are incredible.

• 35:52Speaker 06

  Yeah. And now it's Detective Duck.

• 35:56Hoda Kotb?

  Ah, Detective Duck.

• 35:58Speaker 06

  Yeah.

• 35:59Hoda Kotb?

  Let me see that.

• 36:00Speaker 06

  She's a wonderful little duckling. She dreams about being a detective and she's an environmentalist.

• 36:09Hoda Kotb?

  I like everything about her.

• 36:11Speaker 06

  Her pals live on the pond together. And she's the only duckling with a beaver for a dad.

• 36:20Hoda Kotb?

  I like it. But did you think, Henry, when you were like children's books? I mean, I'm an actor. I mean, I know it filled your cup sort of, but.

• 36:30Speaker 06

  Hold up.

• 36:31Hoda Kotb?

  Tell me.

• 36:31Speaker 06

  Another very important lesson. We are built with the ability. You must have the courage to pivot.

• 36:44Hoda Kotb?

  To pivot.

• 36:45Speaker 06

  Must pivot. I have a dream. It's not working. I cannot just stay stagnant. There's something else I can do. I don't know what it is. My friend Alan said, go and write books. Who knew it would be a second profession?

• 37:07Speaker 06

  I didn't even know I could do it.

• 37:09Hoda Kotb?

  I think the pivoting piece is the whole, you're right, it's the whole thing.

• 37:13Speaker 06

  It's the whole thing.

• 37:14Hoda Kotb?

  Yeah, yeah. So you, I mean, obviously you won your Emmy for Barry, which is so beautiful behind you, sparkly.

• 37:23Speaker 06

  Oh, I carry it with me to every room. If we have guests in the living room. Usually it's on the dining room. So if like someone delivers from the pharmacy, I open the front door and I say, oh, thank you so much. There it is.

• 37:39Hoda Kotb?

  You are so cool. So you, you, okay, you, you get this role for Barry, which is another like incredible feat. Was that, tell me about that role and tell me what it felt like winning that Emmy. Your first, by the way, after all of your years as an actor and a writer and you directed, you wrote children's books, like, this is the first real piece of hardware. Tell me about that.

• 38:06Speaker 06

  When it was happening, I was not aware. Everybody said, hey, did you see the audience? Did you hear the love for you? I heard nothing.

• 38:15Hoda Kotb?

  Oh.

• 38:17Speaker 06

  All I did was I walked up on stage and I saw the two stars of the crown. And I started to talk to them about what a great season it was. And they're looking at me like, are you crazy? And then finally I realized I had 39 seconds to say my entire speech because I had used up all my time talking to the King and the Queen. Um, it was a gift in my life. You know, I always say that I was 27 when I got the Fonz. I was 72 when I got Barry. And it, it, people talk to me about it all the time and how they watched it more than once and

• 39:02Speaker 06

  oh my God. And now I, I'm just going to say I do a shit oh that I never thought I could do. I host a show on the History Channel. Sunday nights, it's called A Hazardous History.

• 39:17Speaker 06

  And it's all reading. And my devil, my, my, um, greatest fear is to read. It's all reading.

• 39:31Speaker 06

  And we did eight episodes to begin with of hazardous history. And then they said, oh, you know what? It's it's doing very well. We're going to give you thirty.

• 39:41Hoda Kotb?

  Thirty?

• 39:42Speaker 06

  Thirty.

• 39:44Hoda Kotb?

  Wow.

• 39:45Speaker 06

  Yeah.

• 39:45Hoda Kotb?

  What is the what's the what's the lesson here, Henry? Because, I mean, what I didn't realize it was twenty seven for the Fonz and seventy two for Barry. And now we're shooting a whole new thing. But what is, you know, like, the commencement address sort of lesson about life here? Because, quite frankly, you could have said after the Fonz, well, Hollywood kind of did me wrong. You know, and that could have been the story you told.

• 40:11Speaker 06

  No, right after the Fonz, when my lawyer, Skip Brittonham, the third, who recently passed away. I miss him every day. What a visionary that man was. And he said, I'm going to start a production company for you. I said, well, I can't do that. And the first show that I I produced, a co executive produced, was you you produce what you want to see. And we did MacGyver.

• 40:38Hoda Kotb?

  Mm hmm.

• 40:39Speaker 06

  Right? Foray into producing, thinking I couldn't do it and then realizing you do what you can do. And there are lots of people to help you do what you can't do.

• 40:49Hoda Kotb?

  It's amazing.

• 40:50Speaker 06

  But the the overall life moment.

• 40:53Hoda Kotb?

  Yeah.

• 40:55Speaker 06

  Is your resiliency, is your tenacity. I see myself, I've said this now for fifty years. I see myself as that toy with sand at the bottom and it's plastic and it it looks like a Star Wars character or a cowboy when I was growing up. You punch it, it goes down and it comes right back to center.

• 41:19Hoda Kotb?

  Yeah.

• 41:21Speaker 06

  And I am telling you, I learned in drama school, Tai Chi was one of the the things that I I had to learn as a student. And you just. Move to the side as garbage comes at you. You let it go by, you come back to center. And you keep moving to where you want to be.

• 41:45Hoda Kotb?

  Beautiful. The gratitude piece is the other thing you talked about at commencement. You talked about, you know, resiliency and tenacity and gratitude. How has, as we kind of wind down, how has gratitude played for you, Henry?

• 42:02Speaker 06

  It is something, it's one of those ingredients that came in the body, in the psyche. I don't know where it came from. All I know is people say, oh, you're such a nice guy. And I think to myself, that is so, I'm not a nice guy. I don't think of myself as a nice guy. I am grateful for every step I take on this earth.

• 42:33Speaker 06

  And that gives me a power of, what's over there? What's over there? Oh, my God. Look at that. Look at the rose in my backyard.

• 42:48Hoda Kotb?

  That's, by the way, what you said about when you received your Emmy and how you were talking to the king and the queen about how awesome their show is. Every time you came to the Today Show, you did the same thing. You spent so much time complimenting Savannah, Kathie Lee, me, talking about what we'd done recently, admiring some interview we did and talking about it. And literally that was your time. That was the time for you on the show, which you know was limited. You get like four or five minutes, that's it. You always spend a few.

• 43:21Speaker 06

  I had plenty of time. And the fact of the matter is that Stacey and I do, did watch you. And we do watch you. And I remember doing your first interview when it was a health show.

• 43:33Hoda Kotb?

  Oh, my God.

• 43:34Speaker 06

  A long time ago.

• 43:35Hoda Kotb?

  Yeah.

• 43:36Speaker 06

  And we have a connection. And I, I don't think that you can be in that, in your presence and not enjoy, celebrate. I'm so happy to see you, to be in your, to be next to you, to feel your energy. I adore you.

• 44:01Hoda Kotb?

  I adore you too. Boy, let me tell you something. This podcast is called Joy 101. I just want to take that last whole chunk of everything you said and make that our promo, make that our thing, because that's what it is. Just be, you are, you fall in love over and over and over with things, with books, with people, with food, whatever it is. I feel like you're constantly like finding the next thing to fall in love with. Henry, lastly, if there are people listening out there who are having trouble finding the good stuff, they just, you know, for whatever reason, illness, loss, just in a funk,

• 44:43Hoda Kotb?

  could be anything. What advice can you offer to someone who's trying to find some joy?

• 44:50Speaker 06

  You know what I would say? Look, this is what I have done in the past when I was so down and I thought, oh my goodness, I don't know what is going to happen. I don't see, I don't see what's going to come to me or at me. I sit down, I listen to music, music I love, and I let it dissolve me into sand. And then I'm able to come out again

• 45:27Speaker 06

  and see everything with a fresh eye. But I change my consciousness with Brandy Carlisle or Sia or, I don't know if you know him, Louis Cabalde we just saw at the Bowl. He is a working class Glasgow singer who looks like a big cherub and he sings with such heartbreak and romance and oh my God. And the boss.

• 46:02Speaker 06

  We went to see Bruce Springsteen.

• 46:04Hoda Kotb?

  Wow.

• 46:05Speaker 06

  He, oof, oof.

• 46:07Hoda Kotb?

  You know what? I think after hearing this, people are gonna say, I'll have what he's having. So, Henry, beautiful, beautiful interview as always. I love you, as I tell my kids to the moon and back. So, we'll see you soon, okay?

• 46:21Speaker 06

  I, you know what? I'm gonna take you up on that.

• 46:23Hoda Kotb?

  Okay, good, good. When you're in town, when you're in New York, come sit with me, okay?

• 46:28Speaker 06

  I will.

• 46:28Hoda Kotb?

  All right, all right. Love you, Henry.

• 46:31Speaker 06

  Me too.

• 46:34Hoda Kotb?

  Okay, am I right? I mean, was I right when I said to Henry, like, I'll have what he's having? I mean, that's such the secret. I think he just kind of unveiled such a huge truth. It's sort of like, if you stay curious and fall in love with things around you, like he was saying, the rose in the backyard, the book, what his grandchildren are doing, whatever it is, that's where like all this joy comes from. It's like gratitude, man. Don't sit around, cross your arms and say, oh, poor me, oh, gosh, I don't have any... He just turned that kind of difficult, horrible upbringing into a delightful place where he is now.

• 47:18Hoda Kotb?

  I mean, this man is hitting his stride. And I like, I think my biggest lesson from him was pivot. If, if opportunities dry up, pivot, pivot. That's what he did. He didn't get a role after Fonz for, forever, and he pivoted. He wrote books, then he went back, pivoted back, got, got buried. Anyway, it just reminds you that possibility is everywhere. And, you know, in life, there are gonna be critics, there are gonna be people who tell you what you aren't good enough, there are gonna be people who won't hire you. You know, Henry didn't get into all the colleges he applied for, except one. He was, said a CD student. But there are people who are gonna criticize you no matter what you do.

• 47:59Hoda Kotb?

  So, what poem is right for someone who has withstood criticism and still been standing and even more than that, been triumphant? I like this one. It's called "The Man in the Arena."

• 48:12Hoda Kotb?

  It's not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs, who comes up short again and again because there is no effort without error and shortcomings. But who does actually strive to do the deeds? Who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions? Who spends himself in a worthy cause? Who, at the best, knows in the end the triumphant of high achievement?

• 48:53Hoda Kotb?

  And who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither knew victory nor defeat? "The Man in the Arena That Is" by Theodore Roosevelt. Thanks for listening.

• 49:24Hoda Kotb?

  I've realized that joy doesn't always come from those big moments. Sometimes you find it on the most ordinary day. I'll pop into a CVS for toothpaste or paper towels, and it never seems to be just a quick errand. Maybe I'll grab a delicious Well Market Trail Mix or wander over to the Joyward Collection. That's part of the fun. So the next time you're checking something off your to-do list, stop by your local CVS pharmacy. You might go in for one thing and leave with a little more joy. Visit your local CVS pharmacy, sponsored by CVS.

• 49:55Speaker 07

  With ChatGPT, you can do more than get answers. You can get things done. Whether you're leading a big project, planning an elaborate trip, or trying to balance work and life, ChatGPT can help. Give it a goal, plus things like files, notes, or project plans. Develop a trip itinerary with daily updates, or create a prioritized schedule, so you can spend less energy sorting out the details and more on bringing your biggest ideas to life. Get started at ChatGPT.com.

• 50:23Speaker 05

  She's been thinking about this sleepover all week, but I think about her food allergies all the time. Fortunately, her doctor prescribed Zolair, omalizumab. It's proven to significantly reduce allergic reactions if a food allergy accident happens. Zolir 150mg is a prescription medication.

• 50:39Speaker 04

  Used to treat food allergy in people one year of age and older to reduce allergic reactions due to accidental exposure to one or more foods. While taking Zolair, you should continue to avoid all foods to which you are allergic. Don't use if you are allergic to Zolair. Zolair may cause a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. Tell your doctor if you ever had anaphylaxis. Get help right away if you have trouble breathing or if you have swelling of your throat or tongue. Zolair should not be used for the emergency treatment of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. Zolair is for maintenance use to reduce allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, while avoiding food allergens. Serious side effects such as cancer, fever, muscle aches and rash, parasitic infection, or heart and circulation problems have been reported. Please see zolair.com for full prescribing information. Ask an allergist about Zolair. This is an advertisement for Zolair, paid for by Genentech and Novartis.

• 51:23Speaker 01

  This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed Human.