- Please welcome Henry Winkler.
(crowd cheering and clapping)
(screaming and clapping)
- How are you?
It's so nice to see you.
I just wish I was there to give you a hug.
- I wish that I was there to give you a hug
because when I met you,
when I was young,
you actually changed my life forever
because The Fonz,
the most important like man on the planet was nice.
I was like, then everybody has to be nice
because The Fonz is nice.
And you always, everyone around,
I would clock the way you treated people.
And there was something about your kindness
that made me know that
that was like the marching order of life.
- Wow - And.
- That is one of the most wonderful compliments
I've ever gotten.
I never think of being nice.
I think of being grateful.
I think that I am so happy that I get to do
what I dreamt of doing and that it has grown over the years.
You know, you talk about The Fonz.
I've got The Fonz on my 27th birthday.
(grinning)
And I got Barry on my 72nd birthday.
And in very few days I'm going to be 75,
(laughing)
which is really hard to say,
you know cause inside you don't feel it.
But my knees are 75.
- Yes my lower back is like 89.
But it's true you get older and your number starts going up.
And then what you thought seemed like an older number
doesn't because-
- True.
When I was younger, I would think what's 75.
They have, I don't know what they are, they..
But here I am and I have this wonderful
on knock on wood full life.
I have a beautiful family.
I get to do the work that I love to do.
And I also then get to work with Lin Oliver.
And here it is.
I mean I cannot even tell you that my name is on a book,
let alone many is insane to me.
- May I ask?
What sort of was the light bulb moment
where you realized that you wanted
to have your name on a book
because you felt like you wanted to write a book?
- What a great question.
Because there was no moment.
A man named Allen said to me,
"Hey, there's a low in your acting career,
why don't you write books for children
about your learning challenge?"
And I said, because I have a learning challenge
because people told me I was stupid, I can't write a book.
He introduced me to Lin Oliver
who knew everything about children's literature.
And it was easy for me
at whatever age,
I think I started writing when I was 57,
to remember what it was like to be eight
and fail all the time.
Really try, really think,
Oh my goodness, I know these words.
Why can I not remember them when the test is happening?
I remembered how it felt.
- Is true that if you were diagnosed with dyslexia.
- Yes, my oldest son, Jed, my step son
who came as a beautiful gift with the marriage.
(laughing)
We had him tested in the third grade
and everything that they said about him was true about me.
And I realized I wasn't stupid.
Oh my parents...
I've said this before, but they used to call me..
(speaks foreign language)
And if you don't speak German,
that means dumb dog (laughing)
very, very supportive, very supportive people,
very little sense of humor.
And then I realized I had something with a name.
- I love that you can go and channel a feeling that you had
when you were younger. - Yes.
- Isn't that the definition of empathy?
- I will tell you that the first time
when I came from New York to Hollywood, the first job I had,
I had four lines on the Mary Tyler Moore show,
which was the friends of it's time.
- Yes.
- And they said lunch and all of these big stores,
they all went to lunch.
And I just was in the middle of the sound stage.
And I had no idea where to go, no one had told me and I,
you know, you, you, you, I felt really alone.
And I swore I would never let anybody on a set
I was on feel that way ever again.
(crowd clapping)
And no matter what show I do, if there is a guest,
I take that guest man or woman by the hand and show them
where they can get anything done during the day.
(crowd clapping)
- We have an ongoing segment here called In The Loop
with our, one of our favorite correspondents, Jonah Larson.
And he loves to read more than anyone I know..
And, hi Jonah,
can you see us?
- I can, hi Drew.
I'm so excited.
Matter of fact, I made myself a crochet sweater.
Just for the occasion.
- Oh my God.
Did you whip that up?
Like how long did that take you?
- About a day?
- Well,
(upbeat music)