Happy Days made TV audiences smile, but Henry Winkler has said working with one recurring actor was far less pleasant.
Winkler, best known as Arthur ‘Fonzie’ Fonzarelli on the long-running ABC comedy, recently recalled that one performer on the series became overly impressed by his own popularity, even though, in Winkler’s view, that fame did not extend much beyond the show.
During its peak in the 1970s, Happy Days was a television giant, reportedly attracting around 50 million viewers each week. Even so, Winkler said the cast generally kept things grounded and worked as a team, with one notable exception.
“We were an ensemble. We worked hard at making it funny every week,” he said during an appearance at Fanboy Expo Knoxville in July 2026.
He explained that an actor who first appeared as a guest star and was later invited back several times kept discussing the amount of fan mail he received.
“One guy came on as a guest star, and then he was brought back a few times. And he would mention his fan mail. And I said, ‘You don’t wanna talk to me about fan mail. I got 50,000 letters a week.'”
Appearing alongside former castmates Don Most and Anson Williams, Winkler said he even told the actor to stop, because that was not the sort of attitude the cast embraced while making the show.
“We are all here as one,” he told him.
Still, the behavior apparently continued.
“He was an a**back.” Winkler added.
Although Winkler did not initially identify the actor by name, he did say the person played Eugene. Fans quickly connected that description to Denis Mandel, who portrayed the character across 10 episodes during seasons 8 and 9 of the show, which aired between 1980 and 1982.
This story was originally recounted in Winkler’s 2023 memoir Being Henry: The Fonz and Beyond. According to earlier accounts, the character was eventually written out of the show after Mandel’s behavior continued despite Winkler’s intervention.
Mandel has been contacted for comment.
After his time on Happy Days, Mandel went on to appear in shows such as Knots Landing and Homefront. His last screen credit as an actor came in 1992, after which he largely stepped away from the entertainment industry.
Winkler, now 80, remains active in the industry and previously said retirement is not something he has seriously considered.
“It never occurred to me [to retire] because I am so happy in my house with [my wife] Stacey and our children and our grandchildren, and I am so happy when I am working,” he told PEOPLE magazine earlier this year.
“When I’m doing what I dreamed of doing, and I still get to do it. I still get to be at the table. That is an amazement to me. I am not kidding. I don’t take it for granted,” he added.
Even after more than 50 years in entertainment, Winkler is still finding himself in unfamiliar situations. One recent example came when he shot what he described as his first nude scene at the age of 79 for the Apple TV+ sitcom Loot, which premiered its third season in October 2025.
In the show, Winkler plays Gerald Canning, a billionaire who heads a nudist colony on a tropical island. He said that during the costume fitting, it became clear his character would be wearing only a short silk robe.
Winkler admitted he was not especially thrilled by the setup, particularly because the beach shoot took place in January with strong wind coming from all directions.
“Parts of my body large and small. It was so cold. I was in shock. But then I was with Maya and her wonderful cast,” he said on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
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Happy Days made TV audiences smile, but Henry Winkler has said working with one recurring actor was far less pleasant.
Winkler, best known as Arthur ‘Fonzie’ Fonzarelli on the long-running ABC comedy, recently recalled that one performer on the series became overly impressed by his own popularity, even though, in Winkler’s view, that fame did not extend much beyond the show.
During its peak in the 1970s, Happy Days was a television giant, reportedly attracting around 50 million viewers each week. Even so, Winkler said the cast generally kept things grounded and worked as a team, with one notable exception.
“We were an ensemble. We worked hard at making it funny every week,” he said during an appearance at Fanboy Expo Knoxville in July 2026.
He explained that an actor who first appeared as a guest star and was later invited back several times kept discussing the amount of fan mail he received.
“One guy came on as a guest star, and then he was brought back a few times. And he would mention his fan mail. And I said, ‘You don’t wanna talk to me about fan mail. I got 50,000 letters a week.'”
Appearing alongside former castmates Don Most and Anson Williams, Winkler said he even told the actor to stop, because that was not the sort of attitude the cast embraced while making the show.
“We are all here as one,” he told him.
Still, the behavior apparently continued.
“He was an a**back.” Winkler added.
Although Winkler did not initially identify the actor by name, he did say the person played Eugene. Fans quickly connected that description to Denis Mandel, who portrayed the character across 10 episodes during seasons 8 and 9 of the show, which aired between 1980 and 1982.
This story was originally recounted in Winkler’s 2023 memoir Being Henry: The Fonz and Beyond. According to earlier accounts, the character was eventually written out of the show after Mandel’s behavior continued despite Winkler’s intervention.
Mandel has been contacted for comment.
After his time on Happy Days, Mandel went on to appear in shows such as Knots Landing and Homefront. His last screen credit as an actor came in 1992, after which he largely stepped away from the entertainment industry.
Winkler, now 80, remains active in the industry and previously said retirement is not something he has seriously considered.
“It never occurred to me [to retire] because I am so happy in my house with [my wife] Stacey and our children and our grandchildren, and I am so happy when I am working,” he told PEOPLE magazine earlier this year.
“When I’m doing what I dreamed of doing, and I still get to do it. I still get to be at the table. That is an amazement to me. I am not kidding. I don’t take it for granted,” he added.
Even after more than 50 years in entertainment, Winkler is still finding himself in unfamiliar situations. One recent example came when he shot what he described as his first nude scene at the age of 79 for the Apple TV+ sitcom Loot, which premiered its third season in October 2025.
In the show, Winkler plays Gerald Canning, a billionaire who heads a nudist colony on a tropical island. He said that during the costume fitting, it became clear his character would be wearing only a short silk robe.
Winkler admitted he was not especially thrilled by the setup, particularly because the beach shoot took place in January with strong wind coming from all directions.
“Parts of my body large and small. It was so cold. I was in shock. But then I was with Maya and her wonderful cast,” he said on Jimmy Kimmel Live!