Happy Days is one of the most syndicated television series of all time. For so many decades, the show seems only to be expanding further, and now it is even accessible to more than a hundred countries. It has the making of a real classic, being one of the most beloved sitcoms in TV history.
It is natural to wonder just how much the show’s stars are earning from its syndications for Nick-at-Nite reruns. Aside from the forward-thinking Henry Winkler, the answer is none. Zero. This is because nobody else signed a deal to this effect. Why, isn’t Winkler just the picture of an astute businessman?
Henry Winkler Turned Down Grease
If you think Henry Winkler’s character, the Fonz, looks strikingly similar to Danny from Grease— that leather jacket, the fashion and hairstyle—you will be fascinated to discover that Winkler he was supposed to play that role, too. Come to think of it, his performance in Happy Days showed how much he fitted the persona.
Unfortunately, Winkler had to turn down the offer due to one fatal flaw in his abilities: he’s tone-deaf. This is where John Travolta auditioned and secured the job, and he did it exceedingly well. To this day, Henry Winkler’s children can’t believe he turned down the opportunity to play one of the most popular characters of all time. Can you imagine a tone-deaf Danny though? We’re kind of thankful he did the right thing and stepped aside!
The Show Made Libraries Cool
If you want to know how influential the Happy Days series was, here is an example of how Fonzie and Richie made booklovers out of their viewers. In one episode, the pair decide to go to the library. If you find it odd that the twosome would even bother to go to such a place, we share your suspicions.
They went to get a library card, but not to read books; in fact, it was far from an academic purpose. They just thought it a clever way to meet new girls, hoping to snag a date. A week following this episode, the national library enrollment was strangely up by a mountainous 500%!
The Cast Loved Their Director
One of the things that made Happy Days such a successful show was the fact that its cast really enjoyed what they were doing. This wasn’t just because the script itself was enjoyable and promising, but because the director, Garry Marshall, made sure they were having a great experience of it at the same time. He even made a softball team comprised of the cast and crew, so everything they did wasn’t necessarily part of work. This is a big part of why they all became such good friends.
When Marshall died on July 19, 2016, the actors expressed their sorrows and condolences through social media. Henry Winkler tweeted, “Rest In Peace… Thank you for my professional life. Thank you for your loyalty, friendship and generosity.” and “Larger than life, funnier than most, wise and the definition of friend.” Ron Howard, who played Richie, also tweeted, “He was the greatest boss I’ve ever had. His guidance influenced the entire course of my life… and I am not alone in feeling that way about the impact of Garry’s wisdom on those who were a part of his universe.”
The Happy Days Cast
We are grateful for each day we live, for the experiences life affords us, the opportunities, and all the lessons we learn from it. But some days are not as great as the others, even for the cast of Happy Days. They were all sullen upon learning that Erin Moran’s body was found unresponsive. She spent too long living in hard times and sadly hadn’t been able to pull herself out in time to save her life.
Erin’s old Happy Days friends had tried to reach out, but their beloved Joanie had already become unpredictable, and too sick. She had been suffering from throat cancer, and wasn’t thoroughly informed of how much the disease had metastasized. Before she died, she and her husband had become homeless and penniless. Tragically, the once highly popular and sweet child actress died in pain and deep sorrow.