‘Happy Days' Star Henry Winkler Recalls the 1976 Date That Changed His Life
Henry Winkler had a memorable first date with his wife, Stacey Weitzman, 50 years ago. During an April 2026 appearance on the Sherri show, the actor recalled the first time he took Weitzman out 50 years ago during the height of his fame playing Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli on Happy Days.
Winkler, now 80, had to get past Weitzman's young son, Jed, at the front door first.
"So Stacey had a son who was four," he shared on the talk show. "And I was a candle on his cake. Before I met him. Before I met Stacey, actually, on his fourth birthday. So I drove this, I had the first Audi ever made, which I used eventually as a planter because it was not a really great car. So I drove to her house, and he opened the door a little, and he went ‘Fonz!' And I went, ‘My name is Henry. Would you like it if I called you Ralph?' I am now arguing with a four-year-old over being typecast."
"We go to the movies," Winkler continued. "I say, ‘I don't think it's a good idea if we sit in the middle of the theater.' She said, ‘Why?' I said, ‘Well, I don't know how to explain it to you, but I'm not sure it's really good if we sit in the middle.' She said, ‘Why?' I said, ‘Okay.' We sat down. The entire theater stood up and came over to say hello. She looked at me and went, ‘Oh.'"
Winkler and Weitzman wed in 1978
Winkler, who played Happy Days icon Fonzie from 1974 to 1984, met his future wife at Jerry Magnin's clothing store in Beverly Hills in 1976, where she was working as a public relations rep. After someone in the store said, "Hey, there's Fonzie," Weitzman was introduced to the actor, according to People.
"I came back to the store the next week, and she was there," Winkler told the outlet. "And within 10 minutes, I learned how strong she is."
Winkler invited Weitzman to join him for a soda, which led to him asking her out on a real date.
In an interview with AARP Magazine, Winkler recalled, "She wanted to go to the movies. And I told her that might be difficult. She wanted to know why. I said, ‘I don't know how to describe it to you.'"
Weitzman wasn't scared off after getting a first-hand look at Winkler's massive fame. The couple married in a synagogue in New York in 1978 and later welcomed kids Zoe and Max. Nearly 50 years later, they are also grandparents.
In 2019, Winkler told People the secret to his long marriage. "We enjoy fly fishing together," he said of spending time with his wife. "We enjoy grandchildren together. We enjoy going to the movies together. We truly enjoy each other every day."
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This story was originally published April 27, 2026 at 4:59 AM.