BOSTON — Ayyy!
Legendary actor Henry Winkler, who became a household name when he played Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli in the hit TV show “Happy Days,” will return to his Boston roots in May.
Winkler, also known for his work as a director, producer and author, will be the 2026 Commencement speaker at Emerson College on Saturday, May 9, at 7 p.m. at the Wang Theatre.
Winkler graduated from Emerson in 1967. He received a Doctor of Humane Letters from the school in 1978, at the peak of Happy Days, which aired on ABC for 11 seasons, from 1974 to 1984.
“Emerson College is incredibly honored to welcome the legendary Henry Winkler back to his alma mater as our Commencement keynote speaker,” Emerson College President Jay Bernhardt said in a statement on Monday.
“Henry perfectly embodies the extraordinary Emersonian spirit and pursuit of excellence. His career has been a commitment to Emerson’s values of creativity, curiosity and expression,” Bernhardt said. “I hope our graduates will be inspired and energized as he shares his own personal and professional journey, and I know our entire community will be heartened by his example.”
For more than five decades, the 80-year-old Winkler has enjoyed success in Hollywood as an actor, producer, director, and as a best-selling author.
His most recent project, “Hazardous History,” will return for a second season beginning April 19 on The History Channel. He is the executive producer and host.
Henry co-starred on the HBO dark comedy, “Barry.” In 2018, he won his first Primetime Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy. Henry has also won two Television Critics Choice Awards and was nominated for both a Golden Globe and SAG Award.
Best known as “The Fonz” on Happy Days, which ran for 10 years, he won two Golden Globe Awards and was nominated three times for an Emmy Award. He has appeared in over 100 television series and specials.
Some of his feature film credits include “Night Shift,” “Here Comes the Boom,” “The Waterboy,” “Click,” “Heroes,” “Holes” and “Scream.”
Henry is also a well-known children’s book author.
His first children’s book, “Niagara Falls or Does It? Hank Zipzer the World’s Greatest Under-Achiever,” became a New York Times bestseller. To date, he and his co-author, Lin Oliver, have written 40 children’s novels. His books have been published around the world in nine languages, with more than 10 million copies sold.
His autobiography, “BEING HENRY…The Fonz and Beyond," was on the NY Times bestseller list for 11 weeks. The book also won a Goodreads Award for Best Humor.
Approximately 1,000 undergraduate students will receive their degrees during three school ceremonies to be held at Emerson throughout the day on May 9. The All-College Commencement for bachelor’s and master’s degree candidates will begin at 7 p.m.
All events will be streamed live on emerson.edu/live.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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