Henry Winkler Opens Up About Decades-Long Feud With Tom Hanks — 'I Am Still Working on My Perspective'
Henry Winkler reflected on his decades-long feud with Tom Hanks.
Sept. 10 2026, Published 5:10 p.m. ET
Henry Winkler has opened up about his decades-long feud with Tom Hanks, which is showing no sign of ending.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the former Happy Days star, 80, is still annoyed at being fired as director of the movie Turner & Hooch, starring Hanks, 30 years after its release.
Axed Over Directing Style
Winkler admits he 'over-directed' because of nerves.
During an appearance on In Depth With Graham Bensinger, Winkler spoke about being dismissed from the 1989 flick after only 13 days of filming. He acknowledged he was not "suited" to direct the movie but had accepted the job after Disney executive Jeffrey Katzenberg personally selected him.
He said: "It went completely against my tummy, and it hit me in the face with a 2x4."
Winkler claims his insecurities at the time caused him to over-direct and talk excessively on set, adding: "I did what I thought was my job, and I wanted to do it over again and apparently that ticked them off."
Hanks Refused 'Happy Days' Favor
Hanks did not allow footage of his 1982 'Happy Days' cameo to be used in a documentary about the sitcom.
Katzenberg called Winkler into his office and informed him the work was "not in the dailies." Winkler recalled gathering his belongings from the set and driving home.
"I don't handle it well. I'm devastated," he said.
Roger Spottiswoode ultimately replaced him as director.
Unfortunately for Winkler, the tension persisted after the movie's release, as the sitcom icon revealed Hanks, 70, later refused permission for a 60-second clip from his 1982 Happy Days appearance to be included in a documentary about the sitcom.
Winkler famously played Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli on Happy Days, which followed Midwestern friends in the '50s and '60s, from 1974-1984.
Hanks got his big break on the show as a guest star, with his character getting into a bar fight in the episode.
Winkler Hopes Relationship Will 'Repair Itself'
Winkler has kept a model plane Hanks built for him while working on a movie.
When asked about his current relationship with Hanks, Winkler said: "I am still working on my perspective."
He was then pressed about whether thought the relationship would ever "repair itself," and he replied, "Sure."
Winkler also confirmed he still has a signed model plane Hanks built for him while working on Turner & Hooch, prior to his firing.
"While we were having meetings he built a plastic Piper Cub or something like that," he shared.
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Hanks has never spoken publicly about a feud with Winkler.
Back in 1993, Winkler told People: "I got along better with Hooch than I did with Turner," referencing Hanks's character.
However, he attempted to play down feud rumors in 2020 while speaking to TMZ, clarifying that "what everybody says and what is true are two different things."
He also described an encounter with Hanks at that year's Screen Actors Guild Awards as "beautiful."
During a 2019 appearance on Watch What Happens Live, he even made light of the incident, claiming he could not even recall the title of the film from which he was fired.
Hanks has never addressed the reported tension between the two actors publicly.
