“Happy Days” actor Henry Winkler married Stacey Weitzman in 1978, which marked the start of their larger than life, happy family. Stacey has one son, Jed, from a previous marriage. The couple went on to welcome daughter Zoe and son Max together.
Decades later, Henry Winkler has seven grandchildren between his three kids.
Though the 80-year-old is famous and widely beloved around the world, to his grandchildren, he’s simply “Papa.” Three grandsons accompanied Winkler to a charity event, proudly representing their grandfather.
See what the actor hopes the boys took away from the event.
Henry Winkler Wants His Grandchildren to Be Caring & Humble
Henry Winkler’s family was happy to support him at a recent charity event for This Is About Humanity. On August 29, the actor’s daughter, Zoe Winkler Reinis and her husband, Rob, attended the event with their three sons, Ace, Jules, and Gus. The event benefited separated families living in border cities.
Winkler, 80, was delighted that his family joined him to raise awareness about the important cause. Above all else, he wants to instill life lessons in his grandchildren and help them realize the importance of helping others.
“There are lessons, like no matter how you learn, it has nothing to do with how brilliant you are,” the “Happy Days” star told PEOPLE. “If they have a learning challenge, if school is difficult, if they’re trying something and it’s hard, that tenacity and gratitude are two of the roads to live your life down.”
Rob and Zoe Reinis’ two oldest boys also proudly attended Henry Winkler’s “Normal” premiere in April.
“Well, you know what? To support their grandfather, Papa. To support Papa,” Winkler happily replied when PEOPLE asked why the boys chose to attend.
Not all of his grandchildren were able to come to the premiere, but Winkler felt confident they were cheering him on from home.
The Actor Reflects on Raising Kids & Grandkids
Henry Winkler always wants to play an active role in his grandchildren’s lives.
“It is different, completely different than being a parent, but it is filled with the same emotion,” Winkler told PEOPLE in 2024.
The actor acknowledged that each child has their unique personality and he has to approach them in different ways. But overall, each grandchild knows and understands his house’s ground rules.
“Now the rules in the house, and there are a few, only a few, are the same,” Winkler continued. “When the youngest granddaughter is sleeping, there is no fighting, there is no yelling. They are in charge of their friends to keep it down.”
And all the children, no matter their age, is in charge of clearing their own dishes.
Stacey Winkler and Zoe Winkler Reinis hosted a podcast for a time, entitled, “What in the Winkler?!” In one episode, Henry and Max Winkler guest starred to talk about how the children grew up.
“Do you think that you and Mom, to the best of your ability, treated Max and I the same?” Zoe asked.
“We had the same rules and I have to say each of you followed the rules differently,” the actor remembered. “You had a curfew. You had to be home at a certain time.”
“Max would get drunk in the closet!” Zoe exclaimed. However, Max rebutted that he was within the curfew, leading the group to burst into laughter.
Fans look forward to hearing more personal stories from the Winkler family.
