For actor Henry Winkler, Danny Zuko is the role that got away. Though he can these days be seen in his Emmy-winning role in HBO’s Barry, Winkler first broke into the scene decades ago with his unforgettable performance as the coolest guy on television, Arthur Fonzarelli of Happy Days. The portrayal is one of the most memorable of any greaser character that’s ever been played, but because of that, Winkler missed out on taking on another role that he now regrets.
In a new interview with Chris Wallace for CNN, Winkler says he turned down the role of Danny Zuko, the teenager greaser played by John Travolta, in the hit musical movie Grease. At the time, Winkler was worried about typecasting after playing a fairly similar character in the Fonz. Now, the actor realizes he should have accepted the role anyway, considering how much of a smash hit Grease would turn out to be.
“I am a damn fool,” Winkler said, via the NY Post. “I only realized years afterwards. I thought, I’ve played the Fonz, I don’t want to do it again.”
Thinking about the lost profits, he added, “I go home … and I have a diet Coke. John Travolta, who has done the movie, goes home and buys a plane.”
Henry Winkler Could Have Starred in Grease
Paramount Pictures
Grease was released in 1978 by director Randal Kleiser. Along with John Travolta in the role of Danny Zuko, the film starred Olivia Newton-John as his love interest Sandy Olsson. It was an instant hit at the box office, at the time becoming the highest-grossing musical movie ever eleased. The official Grease soundtrack saw similar success, ranking as the second highest-selling album of the year. It has spawned a franchise, which includes a movie sequel along with planned spinoffs that are currently in the works at Paramount+.
Things have worked out well enough for Winkler. He’d go on to have memorable roles in other films, having recently appeared in Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch as well as the superhero feature Black Adam with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. On the small screen, Winkler won an Emmy for his role in the hit series Barry. Winkler also provides voiceover work for the new Disney+ series Monsters at Work. Meanwhile, Winkler is also set to star in the upcoming limited series King Rex at HBO with his son Max Winkler directing.
