Henry Winkler reveals unexpected birthday present longtime pal Ron Howard sends him every year
Henry Winkler and Ron Howard have been friends since 1973, the year before their ABC sitcom Happy Days premiered.
Henry Winkler has revealed the unexpected birthday gift his longtime friend Ron Howard has sent him over the years.
The pair first met in 1973, a year before their ABC sitcom Happy Days premiered, and they have remained close pals ever since.
Henry celebrated his 81st birthday on October 30, and he revealed the unusual gift Ron, 72, had given him during an appearance on ABC's Good Morning America.
The Emmy winner said: "Every year, I forget his, and he sends me this unbelievable basket of cheese and crackers.
"He’s so thoughtful. You know, I met him when he was 18. I was 27."
However, Henry admitted he has not always remembered to send Ron a birthday gift every year.
The Hexed star said: "I do [forget his birthday]. I know that it’s on March 1, but I never seem to send him cheese."
He added: "I love him very much."
Ron played wholesome protagonist Richie Cunningham in Happy Days from 1974 until 1980, while Henry portrayed the rebellious Arthur "The Fonz" Fonzarelli until the show ended in 1984.
Ron noted the frenzy surrounding the show "was another thing that pushed me to want to get behind the camera", per Entertainment Weekly.
He went on to helm the likes of the 2001 thriller-romance film A Beautiful Mind, for which he won the Best Director Oscar, the 1995 adventure-drama movie Apollo 13, and the 2000 holiday classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
Last year, Henry admitted that he thought his "life [was] over" when Ron quit Happy Days.
Speaking to People, he explained: "When we worked together, there was something that happens out of the blue. We had a shorthand with the script. He went where I went, I went where he went, and it became something else."
Henry has vivid memories of the day he found out Ron had decided to leave the show in 1980.
He shared: "There was a phone booth right by the front door of stage 19. They said, 'Oh, the phone is for you, Henry.'"
Ron told his co-star at the time: "It's going to come out in the press in about 10 minutes, but I wanted you to know first, I'm not coming back."
Henry was initially shaken by the news, but he ultimately encouraged his showbiz pal to follow his long-term ambitions.
The entertainer said: "My first thought was, 'I'm going to die now'. My great acting partner on this show, my good friend, is no longer going to be here. My life is over.
"And that was in the first two seconds. Then I said, ‘Ron, we've talked about this since the beginning. All you want to do is be a director. It's in your DNA. Go and be the best you can be, and I cannot wait to see what you do.'"
