When Henry Winkler first met Robin Williams on the set of “Happy Days,” he quickly realized he was in the presence of something truly extraordinary. The Fonz star, now 80, recalled a hilarious first encounter with the late comedy legend, who instantly turned a simple scene into an unforgettable display of improvisation, singing, and dancing. Winkler’s memories from that day perfectly capture why Williams became one of the most beloved and unpredictable talents in television history.
Robin Williams’ TV Debut
Winkler recently appeared at FanExpo San Francisco, where he talked about working with Williams, which was shared by ItsRecTimeMedia on TikTok. During the talk, Winkler was reunited with his “Happy Days” costars Anson Williams and Don Most.
The trio took part in a panel discussion about the show, which ran from 1974 to 1984. Winkler appeared on every season of the show, playing Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli. Williams made his screen debut during the fifth season of the show in an episode called “My Favorite Orkan.”
He played a character called Mork, an alien from Ork. Williams was a hit, as the character was so popular that it turned into a spinoff, “Mork & Mindy.” He would later return to “Happy Days” during an episode in season 6.
‘Stay Out of His Way’
Winkler went on to talk about meeting Williams for the first time. Winkler said, “So here’s a guy, he comes in, you know, very, very unassuming. And then they put a script in his hand, and I said to him, ‘Hey, you wanna rumble?’” He delivered the line in Fonzie’s classic signature greaser voice.
That is when Williams threw Winkler for a loop. Williams, as Winkler demonstrated, didn’t answer the question. Instead, he started singing and dancing to the theme from “West Side Story.”
Henry quickly understood what was going on and told himself to “know your line so you don’t have to do it over and over again. He then made another rule for himself when working with Robin: “Stay out of his way, because you will never stand toe-to-toe with this Mount Vesuvius of an imagination.”
That imagination was by the “Mork & Mindy” writers. Winkler recalled their scripts being 54 pages long for “Happy Days.” However, he recalled, “His, on his set, they were 30 pages long. Because it said, ‘Robin will say something here.’”
Williams Needed His Own Show
Winkler wasn’t the only one who saw the talent Williams had. Garry Marshall, the creator of “Happy Days,” also saw his skills shine bright during that first appearance on the show.
In 1989, Marshall wrote an essay for PEOPLE, talking about the cast of “Happy Days” and guest stars on the show.
Marshall wrote, “[Williams] was all over the place and was improvising some, and they gave him room. At the end of the episode, 300 people in the audience stood up and applauded, which is not usually done. It didn’t take a genius to know he could do his own show, and we made one for him, Mork & Mindy.”
