Henry Winkler opens up about his relationship with Tom Hanks and whether their past tension can be repaired.
Henry Winkler is looking back on one of the most difficult professional experiences of his career and the lasting impact it had on his relationship with Tom Hanks.
The actor and longtime Hollywood favorite discussed the situation during a recent appearance on In Depth With Graham Bensinger, where he reflected on being removed as director of the 1989 film Turner & Hooch. Hanks starred in the movie, which became one of his early successes before his career reached even greater heights.
Decades later, Winkler says he is still trying to understand the relationship and his own feelings about what happened. While he has previously rejected the idea that he and Hanks are involved in a feud, his latest comments suggest that the experience remains something he continues to process.
Why Henry Winkler Was Removed From Turner & Hooch
Winkler was chosen to direct Turner & Hooch by a Paramount executive, despite having some reservations about whether directing the film was the right fit for him.
During his interview with Bensinger, he explained that he initially felt uncomfortable with the role but decided to move forward.
“I went completely against my tummy,” Winkler said, describing the decision as something that ultimately came back to hurt him.
The film starred Hanks as a detective who becomes the owner of a difficult but lovable dog. Winkler recalled meeting the puppies involved in the production and spending time with Hanks during the early stages of filming.
At the time, Winkler said he was insecure and tried to prove himself by talking too much and giving direction.
He believed he was doing what a director was supposed to do, but the approach did not work out as he had hoped.
“I did what I thought was my job, and I wanted to do it over again and apparently that pissed them off,” he recalled.
The production continued for just 13 days before Winkler was called into a meeting with studio executive Jeffrey Katzenberg.
According to Winkler, Katzenberg told him that his work was not appearing in the daily footage.
The director was then removed from the project.
Winkler said he collected his belongings from the set, drove home and struggled to deal with the sudden loss of the job.
“I don’t handle it well. I’m devastated,” he said.
The experience became a defining disappointment in his career, particularly because he had been given the opportunity to direct a major film starring an actor he had known for years.
The Experience Left a Lasting Impression
Winkler’s comments suggest that the situation was about more than losing a directing job.
The actor had already established himself as a major television star through his role as Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli on Happy Days. Moving into directing a feature film represented a different professional challenge, and being dismissed so early in the production was a significant setback.
His recollection also places the experience in the context of his relationship with Hanks.
Although Winkler did not describe a specific confrontation with Hanks during the interview, he acknowledged that the events surrounding Turner & Hooch affected the way he viewed their connection.
When asked about his current perspective on Hanks, Winkler offered a brief but revealing answer.
“I am still working on my perspective,” he said.
The comment suggests that, despite the passage of time, Winkler has not necessarily reached a final conclusion about what happened or how he feels about it.
Winkler Believes Their Relationship Could Be Repaired
Bensinger also asked Winkler whether he thought his relationship with Hanks could eventually be repaired.
The actor answered positively.
“Sure,” Winkler said.
His response leaves room for the possibility that the two could improve their relationship, even though he did not provide details about any current private conversations between them.
Winkler also mentioned Hanks’ wife, Rita Wilson, during the discussion. Wilson had appeared as a guest star on Happy Days early in her career, making her another connection between the two actors’ professional histories.
The exchange was notable because Winkler did not close the door on reconciliation.
However, he also did not claim that a reconciliation had already taken place.
Henry Winkler and Tom Hanks Go Back to Happy Days
Long before Hanks became one of Hollywood’s most celebrated film actors, he appeared as a guest star on Happy Days.
Winkler was already a central figure on the sitcom, which ran from 1974 to 1984 and followed a group of friends and their families in the American Midwest during the 1950s and 1960s.
Hanks appeared on the series before his movie career took off. The show also starred Ron Howard as Richie Cunningham, a role that helped establish Howard as an actor before he later became a successful director and frequent collaborator of Hanks.
The two actors’ shared history on Happy Days makes their later work together on Turner & Hooch especially significant.
Winkler also recalled a more personal detail from their time working on the film: Hanks built him a model airplane during their meetings.
The Model Plane Winkler Still Owns
Despite the difficult experience on Turner & Hooch, Winkler said he still has a model plane that Hanks made for him.
During the interview, he described it as a plastic Piper Cub or something similar.
Hanks reportedly built the model while the two were attending meetings during the production of the movie.
Winkler’s decision to keep the gift offers a more complicated picture than a straightforward Hollywood feud.
While the actor has spoken about the pain of being fired from the film, he also remembers a thoughtful gesture from Hanks during their time together.
That detail does not resolve the tension between them, but it shows that their shared history includes more than the circumstances surrounding the movie’s production.
Winkler Previously Denied Having a Feud With Hanks
Winkler has addressed the subject before.
In comments made to TMZ in 2020, which were later resurfaced by Vanity Fair, the actor rejected the idea that he and Hanks were involved in an ongoing feud.
“I don’t have a feud with Tom Hanks,” Winkler said at the time.
He added that public speculation and the truth were not necessarily the same thing.
Winkler also recalled seeing Hanks at the Screen Actors Guild Awards that year.
Describing the encounter, he said, “It was beautiful.”
The earlier comments suggest that Winkler has not always viewed the situation through the lens of a public dispute.
His more recent interview, however, indicates that he is still reflecting on the relationship and what it means to him.
Henry Winkler’s Career After Happy Days
Winkler’s career has extended well beyond his role as Fonzie.
He remained with Happy Days throughout its run and received four Emmy nominations for his performance.
Although the character became one of television’s most recognizable figures, Winkler continued to pursue a variety of acting projects after the sitcom ended.
In 2018, he won an Emmy for his role as Gene Cousineau on HBO’s Barry. The character was an acting coach whose relationship with the show’s central character became one of the series’ most memorable elements.
The award marked another important achievement for Winkler, who had spent decades building a career across television, film and stage work.
His continued success has made him one of Hollywood’s most respected performers.
Tom Hanks’ Career Took a Different Path
Hanks’ career also grew substantially after his guest appearance on Happy Days.
He went on to star in the sitcom Bosom Buddies, which helped establish him as a leading television performer.
His transition to film eventually made him one of the industry’s biggest stars.
Hanks won Academy Awards for his performances in Philadelphia and Forrest Gump, cementing his reputation as one of the most accomplished actors of his generation.
His filmography includes acclaimed movies such as Saving Private Ryan, Cast Away and The Green Mile.
By the time he starred in Turner & Hooch, Hanks was already becoming a major film actor, while Winkler was moving into a new phase of his career.
The two actors’ professional paths continued in different directions, but their shared history has remained a point of interest for fans.
What Winkler’s Comments Reveal
Winkler’s latest remarks do not establish that he and Hanks are currently in conflict, nor do they confirm that the two have repaired their relationship.
Instead, they show that Winkler is still considering the experience and its impact.
His comments also demonstrate how a difficult professional event can remain significant long after the original circumstances have passed.
The actor has spoken about the experience with honesty, acknowledging both the disappointment of losing the directing job and the uncertainty he still feels about his relationship with Hanks.
At the same time, his willingness to say that the relationship could be repaired suggests that he is not ruling out a better understanding between them.
For now, Winkler’s comments leave the situation open-ended.
The two actors share decades of professional history, from their early television appearances to their time working on Turner & Hooch. Whether their relationship changes in the future remains unknown, but Winkler’s latest interview makes clear that he is still thinking about it.
