The well-known actor Henry Winkler battled dyslexia all of his life. His parents punished him severely, and he was often made fun of and called names, which had a negative impact on his self-esteem.
He had no idea that there was a cause for his difficulties. Later in life, Winkler made use of his illness to motivate people, particularly young people going through comparable struggles.
Winkler had a difficult time getting to where she is now. Even with his diligence and commitment, he ran into many problems. His parents held a great regard for education and had high standards for him. However, they thought he was not reaching his full potential and frequently called him stupid and lazy. But Winkler knew he was doing the best he could.
Winkler struggled so much in school that he was not only disciplined but also kept from taking part in school events. For the majority of his high school career, he was expected to overcome his “laziness” by spending weeks at a time at his desk. But his problems continued.
Winkler did not allow his dyslexia to stop him in the face of these obstacles. Even after earning a Master of Fine Arts from Yale University, he continued to have trouble reading scripts. His coping technique became improvisation; he would frequently commit the remaining portions of the script to memory. Despite several stumbles during table reads for his well-known part as “Fonzie” in Happy Days, his extraordinary talent and commitment were evident.
Winkler never gave his own dyslexic issues much thought until his stepson’s learning disability was discovered through testing. He was thirty-one when he finally identified the cause of his problems. He said, “I didn’t read a book until I was 31 years old when I was diagnosed with dyslexia,” as he thought back on this revelation. I was afraid of books. I felt uneasy with them.
From annoyance to motivation
When Winkler realized what was causing his reading difficulties, his first reaction was rage. He was angry since it now seemed pointless that he had argued with his parents and received punishment. He chose to utilize his diagnosis as motivation for others, especially kids, and managed to transform his fury into a constructive energy. In a series of children’s books, he created the dyslexic Hank, a pupil in elementary school.
For many kids who struggle with their education, the Hank Zipzer series has struck a chord. Winkler consistently emphasizes, “Your learning challenge will not stop you from meeting your dreams,” in his personal responses to emails from his young readers. The only person who can stop you from realizing your aspirations is you.
Even though Winkler continues to struggle with his own schooling, he has accomplished amazing things. In addition to writing multiple books and receiving multiple honors for his work in Hollywood, he is scheduled to publish his memoir in 2024. Despite all, he maintains his modesty and says that writing novels is his greatest accomplishment, second only to his family.
Henry Winkler’s amazing story began when he was a little child and ended when he realized he had dyslexia and overcame it. His tenacity and fortitude are an inspiration to those going through comparable difficulties. He has demonstrated that it is possible to overcome any challenge and have a positive impact on the world if one has self-belief and perseverance.
18 Child Actors Who Are All Grown Up Now, and We Didn’t Even Notice It (New Pics)
It seems that some of the films and TV series we loved as children are now decades old. Think of The NeverEnding Story, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, or even Baywatch. And of course, the young actors that played child roles in these have grown up significantly. For example, Jonathan Lipnicki, the child star of Jerry Maguire, is already 30 years old, and Noah Hathaway, who is remembered for his performance as Atreyu in The NeverEnding Story, will turn 50 in November 2021. Even Georgie Henley, aka Lucy in The Chronicles of Narnia is now 25!
Bright Side did some research to find out what 18 child actors from the ’90s and the beginning of the ’00s look like today, and here’s what we found.
1. Jeremy Dunn Jackson (Hobie Buchannon), Baywatch (1991-1999)
2. Jonathan Lipnicki (Ray Boyd), Jerry Maguire (1996)
3. Daryl Sabara (Juni Cortez), Spy Kids (2001)
4. Taylor Lautner (Sharkboy), The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D (2005)
5. Georgie Henley (Lucy Pevensie), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
6. Matthew Lawrence (Chris Hillard), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
7. Lisa Jakub (Lydia Hillard), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
8. Noah Hathaway (Atreyu), The NeverEnding Story (1984)
9. Nicholle Tom (Ryce), Beethoven (1992)
10. Giorgio Cantarini (Giosué), Life Is Beautiful (1997)
11. Anna Chlumsky (Vada Sultenfuss), My Girl (1991)
12. Patrick Renna (Hamilton “Ham” Porter), The Sandlot (1993)
13. Ivyann Schwan (Trixie Young), Problem Child 2 (1991)
14. Madison Lintz (Sophia Peletier), The Walking Dead (2010-2012)
15. Mackenzie Foy (Renesmee), The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1 and Part 2 (2011-2012)
16. Alexa PenaVega (Carmen Cortez), Spy Kids (2001)
17. Edward Furlong (John Connor), Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
18. Raven-Symoné (Olivia Kendall), The Cosby Show (1989-1992)
Which of the series or movies listed above is your favorite? Which of the actors do you think has changed the most? Is there anybody else you think we should add to this list?
Preview photo credit The NeverEnding Story / Warner Bros. and co-producers, noahhathaway*** / Instagram
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