Henry Winkler Reveals The Truth Behind His Decades-Long Feud With Tom Hanks

The actor Henry Winkler, who is best known for playing The Fonz on the sitcom Happy Days, is opening up about his 30-year feud with the A-list Hollywood star Tom Hanks.

Winkler Discusses Hanks Feud

While recently appearing on the “How To Fail” podcast, Winkler, 78, revealed that he was fired from directing the 1989 buddy cop movie Turner & Hooch. The movie starred Hanks as a detective who has to solve the murder of his former partner. He must do this while also caring for his late partner’s dog, according to The New York Post.

“I did 11 weeks of preparation,” Winkler recalled of his time directing the movie, which was ultimately directed by Roger Spottiswoode.

“I knew this dog. This slobbery mastiff and I became friends,” he added. “The star did not become my friend.”

When asked if he meant Hanks, Winkler replied, “I probably do.”

Check out a trailer for Turner & Hooch in the video below.

Reason Behind Alleged Feud

Winkler believes that it was an interaction that he and Hanks had with a fan prior to his firing that led to their relationship souring.

“We were in Carmel, this little seaside wonderful town on the coast of California, looking for a location, and a woman comes, honest to God, comes running out of a shop and says ‘Henry, Fonz! Oh, my god!’ and I say, ‘And, of course, you know Tom Hanks,’'” Winkler said.

“The director of photography, when I was fired 13 days into filming, said, ‘I knew that this was going to happen, on that day in Carmel,’ ” he continued.

This isn’t the first time that Winkler has discussed this alleged feud with Hanks. Back in 1993, he told  People Magazine, “Let’s just say I got along better with Hooch than I did with Turner.”

Related: Henry Winkler Opens Up About ‘Debilitating’ Pain After ‘Happy Days’ Ended

Ron Howard Weighs In

In a 2020 interview, Winkler’s former Happy Days co-star Ron Howard said that it “was disappointing” that he and Hanks can’t get along.

“I’m friends with them both, and both men felt compelled to come to talk to me about it,” Howard, 70, told The Guardian. “It was just one of those unfortunate things where they really had a working style that did not fit.”

“I know it was painful for both of them, and I was able to lend an ear, if not offer any solutions,” he added.

While appearing on Andy Cohen’s SiriusXM radio show in 2022, Winkler claimed that he and Hanks are “cordial” when they see each other.

“I ran into Tom and Rita [Wilson] at an award show just before the pandemic, and it was very warm,” Winkler said. “It’s all very cordial.”

Watch Winkler talk more about this in the video below.

Related: Tom Hanks Reveals He’ll Star In Movies After His Death Using AI

Hanks Stays Quiet

As for Hanks, he’s never spoken publicly about the alleged feud with Winkler. He and Winkler have only acted together once, when they appeared in a 1982 episode of Happy Days together. In this episode, Hanks portrayed a disgruntled former classmate of Winkler’s Fonzie.

Check out a clip from that episode in the video below.

Both Hanks and Winkler have enjoyed great success in Hollywood. Hanks has won two Oscars, seven Emmy Awards, and four Golden Globes. Meanwhile, Winkler has won one Emmy Award and two Golden Globes.

Only time will tell if Hanks and Winkler are able to put this alleged feud behind them!