Really i was huge fan of this series it was fun so here we go
The sitcom "Happy Days" captured our hearts and minds from 1974 to 1984.
The series was so popular that even today the term ?jumping a shark? is used for any TV series that has gone past its prime. The expression is a reference to Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli?s attempt to jump a shark in his leather jacket, which is widely viewed as the nail in the coffin for "Happy Days."
"Happy Days" remains in syndication to this very day, making it one of the longest running TV shows in syndication history.
Where are this iconic show's biggest stars today? You're about to find out, and we'll also share a few things you might not know about the "Happy Days" actors.
We also sprinkled in some fun facts about the beloved hit series.
Ron Howard (THEN)
Ron Howard (Now)
There are very few Hollywood directors who have reached the iconic status of Ron Howard.
Among some of his biggest films are Apollo 13, Cinderella Man, A Beautiful Mind, and The DaVinci Code, among many others.
His daughter, Bryce Dallas Howard, has followed in her dad?s footsteps, appearing in a ton of big films herself, including Jurassic World, The Help, and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.
Happy Days Fun Fact #1: The Voice on the Jukebox at Arnold?s
Popular ?50s tunes were very expensive and hard to get clearance on for TV shows. For that reason Potsie actor Anson Williams would often provide the voice for music coming through the jukebox at Arnold?s.
It was a fitting option considering his part on the show? he played a hopeful musician.
Henry Winkler (Then) fonzie
Henry Winkler (NOW)
We didn?t see a lot of Henry Winkler on the acting side for years after ?Happy Days? ended. That?s because he started the production company that created ?MacGyver,? ?Mr. Sunshine,? and other TV shows.
Years later he would resurface in a bunch of films with comedian Adam Sandler. His roles included characters in Little Nicky, Click, and The Waterboy. I LOVED THIS MOVIE
More recently he appeared in popular TV shows that include ?Arrested Development,? ?Parks and Recreation,? and ?Royal Pains.?
He has written an amazing 26 books.
Tom Bosley (Then)
He was the head of the household in the Cunningham family and the owner of Cunningham Hardware.
Lovingly known as Mr. C, he was a middle-class guy who put his family first and kept with traditional family values.
Nobody has thrown down such a good lecture to their kids since he did it on the show.
Tom Bosley (Now)
Tom Bosley has since passed away, but not before an amazing career on screen and stage.
Bosley won a Tony for the Broadway musical ?Fiorello!? and then turned his attention to guest starring roles on shows like ?That ?70s Show,? ?Walker Texas Ranger,? ?ER,? and even the cartoon ?Rugrats.?
We lost this amazing actor in 2010, after a long battle with lung cancer.
:sadwave:
Marion Ross (Then)
Marion Ross (Now)
When the lights went down on the set of ?Happy Days,? this lovable actress continued to appear on TV shows, mostly as a guest star.
Among her work was spots on ?The Love Boat,? ?MacGyver,? and ?Night Court.? She then turned her attention to ?Brooklyn Bridge,? which provided her with two Emmy nominations.
Most recently she has appeared in such amazing modern day shows as ?That ?70s Show,? ?The Drew Carey Show,? ?Two and a Half Men,? ?Gilmore Girls,? ?Hot in Cleveland,? and others.
Her cult character status has led to huge rounds of applause during every live sitcom appearance she has made.
Roz Kelly (then)
Born in Mount Vernon, New York, Roz Kelly worked as a photographer for New York Magazine where she worked with huge celebrity names before she landed her role on ?Happy Days.? Roz played Pinky, Fonzie?s girlfriend for several episodes, and was in place to become his long-term girlfriend on the show. However those plans dissolved when Roz rubbed the cast and producers the wrong way. Her character was cut.
Roz Kelly (Now)
After her short stint on the show, Roz Kelly experienced some very unhappy days. In 1998 she was arrested for shooting up her neighbor?s house (who wasn?t home at the time) after their car alarm woke her up. That resulted in a felony, as well as an order to seek psychiatric counseling. Just two years later she was sentenced to 120 days in jail after she hit a man with a cane. She served her time and hopefully learned from her mistakes.
:mj07:
?Happy Days? Fun Fact #2: The Show Helped Launch A Ton Of Spin-Offs
?Happy Days? wasn?t just a show that came and went. It also led to a ton of spin-offs based on characters that first appeared on the popular sitcom.
The list of spin-offs include ?Laverne & Shirley,? ?Mork & Mindy,? ?Joanie Loves Chachi,? ?Blanksky?s Beauties,? and ?Out of the Blue.?
Robin Williams was probably the biggest winner from those spin-offs, as he became one of the greatest and well-known comedians of all-time.
Happy Days Fun Fact #3: The Fonz Originally Wore A Windbreaker
The leather jacket worn by The Fonz is nearly as iconic as the character himself. During his first appearance on the show he actually wore a windbreaker, because the executives at ABC thought the leather jacket made him look like a hoodlum.
Director Garry Marshall finally convinced them the leather jacket was a smarter piece of clothing because it was safer for motorcycle riding.
Of course, The Fonz had a heart of gold and was no hoodlum in any sense of the word, no matter what he wore.
Scot Baio (then)
Charles ?Chachi? Arcola was the younger cousin of Fonzie and a regular on the show. He was an aspiring musician who fell in love with Joanie and eventually married her in the season finale.
When the show was on the air he received up to 5,000 fan letters every single week.
OMG pusssy supermarket LOL
Scott Baio (Now)
Wow did he age well or what?
He was a teen heartthrob during his ?Happy Days? stint and remained one in adulthood.
Following ?Joanie Loves Chachi,? Baio went on to star in the hugely popular TV series ?Charles in Charge.?
He would later appeared on the shows ?Stoned? and ?All the Kids Do It,? for which he was nominated for two Emmys.
His guest starring roles included bits in ?Full House,? ?Arrested Development? and ?The Nanny,? among others.
In recent years he has given reality TV a shot with two different shows: ?Scott Baio is 45? and Single? and the follow-up ? ?Scott Baio Is 46? and Pregnant.?
?Happy Days? Fun Fact #4: The Show Was Supposed To Take Place In The 1920s or 30?s
Garry Marshall was approached about writing and directing a show that took place in the 1920s or 1930s. He quickly told the network that he knew nothing about flappers or anyone else from that generation. Instead, he offered to write a pilot for a show about the era he grew up in ? The 1950s.
That pilot failed and instead the show known as ?Happy Days? was born.
Anson Williams (then)
Anson Williams is best known for his ?Happy Days? character Potsie. He played a dimwitted but lovable character but he nearly missed his chance.
Williams was hours late to his audition after his car stalled, and yet he still managed to get the job.
It was not a bad gig for a 22-year-old who almost couldn?t make it to his audition.
Anson Williams (Now)
You won?t see Anson Williams in front of the camera much these days. That?s because like Ron Howard, he has focused his exceptional skills to being a director.
He is known for directing episodes of ?Star Trek: Deep Space 9,? ?Sabrina The Teenage Witch,? ?Charmed,? ?Star Trek: Voyager,? ?90210,? and various other shows.
He was also worked on ?The Secret Life Of The American Teenager,? where he served as the show?s director for five years.
?Happy Days? Fun Fact #5: The Show Was Going To Be Called ?Cool?
?Happy Days? was going to be called ?COOL,? but test audiences said it made them think about cigarettes. Not exactly what the show?s producers were going for.
Producer Carl Kleinschmitt threw an off-the-cuff comment to his colleagues: ?How about calling it ?Happy Days?? That?s what we?re going to show.?
A Monkee Was The First Choice For The Fonz
It?s hard to imagine Henry Winkler?s role being filled by anyone else, but it was almost a reality. Monkees drummer Micky Dolenz read for the role but was ultimately turned down. It turns out that Winkler?s shorter stature made him a better pick for playing Arthur Fonzarelli.
Henry Winkler Couldn?t Read His Casting Script
Henry Winkler is dyslexic and when it came time to read six lines for his audition, he wasn?t prepared for the reading. Instead, he decided to make up his own words. He managed to convince the show?s casting directors that he was giving them a real feel for the character. His plan obviously worked and he played The Fonz for 11 very successful seasons.
Ron Howard Joined The Cast To Avoid Vietnam
Ron Howard wanted to become a director, and while he has achieved that goal with much acclaim, he took a detour to avoid Vietnam. He originally enrolled in film school at USC but soon realized that his low draft number could have become a problem. He realized that finding a job with a big company like Paramount would help him avoid the war. He quickly joined onto the pilot of Love, American Style, which would eventually morph into Happy Days.
Many Of The Characters Names Came From Garry Marshall?s Own Real Life
Creator and producer Garry Marshall wanted to name The Fonz ?Arthur Masciarelli?, after Marshall?s original surname. ?The Fonz? sounded better than ?the Mash? so it was changed before the pilot was filmed. That was probably one of the show?s best pre-production decisions.
?Happy Days? Actually Arrived Before ?American Graffiti?
Happy Days was thought by many people to be an offshoot of the George Lucas film American Graffiti. That movie featured Ron Howard in a similar role. American Graffiti debuted before Happy Days but they were both in the works at the same time. Happy Days was only revisited because of the success of the movie.
The sitcom "Happy Days" captured our hearts and minds from 1974 to 1984.
The series was so popular that even today the term ?jumping a shark? is used for any TV series that has gone past its prime. The expression is a reference to Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli?s attempt to jump a shark in his leather jacket, which is widely viewed as the nail in the coffin for "Happy Days."
"Happy Days" remains in syndication to this very day, making it one of the longest running TV shows in syndication history.
Where are this iconic show's biggest stars today? You're about to find out, and we'll also share a few things you might not know about the "Happy Days" actors.
We also sprinkled in some fun facts about the beloved hit series.
Ron Howard (THEN)
Ron Howard (Now)
There are very few Hollywood directors who have reached the iconic status of Ron Howard.
Among some of his biggest films are Apollo 13, Cinderella Man, A Beautiful Mind, and The DaVinci Code, among many others.
His daughter, Bryce Dallas Howard, has followed in her dad?s footsteps, appearing in a ton of big films herself, including Jurassic World, The Help, and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.
Happy Days Fun Fact #1: The Voice on the Jukebox at Arnold?s
Popular ?50s tunes were very expensive and hard to get clearance on for TV shows. For that reason Potsie actor Anson Williams would often provide the voice for music coming through the jukebox at Arnold?s.
It was a fitting option considering his part on the show? he played a hopeful musician.
Henry Winkler (Then) fonzie
Henry Winkler (NOW)
We didn?t see a lot of Henry Winkler on the acting side for years after ?Happy Days? ended. That?s because he started the production company that created ?MacGyver,? ?Mr. Sunshine,? and other TV shows.
Years later he would resurface in a bunch of films with comedian Adam Sandler. His roles included characters in Little Nicky, Click, and The Waterboy. I LOVED THIS MOVIE
More recently he appeared in popular TV shows that include ?Arrested Development,? ?Parks and Recreation,? and ?Royal Pains.?
He has written an amazing 26 books.
Tom Bosley (Then)
He was the head of the household in the Cunningham family and the owner of Cunningham Hardware.
Lovingly known as Mr. C, he was a middle-class guy who put his family first and kept with traditional family values.
Nobody has thrown down such a good lecture to their kids since he did it on the show.
Tom Bosley (Now)
Tom Bosley has since passed away, but not before an amazing career on screen and stage.
Bosley won a Tony for the Broadway musical ?Fiorello!? and then turned his attention to guest starring roles on shows like ?That ?70s Show,? ?Walker Texas Ranger,? ?ER,? and even the cartoon ?Rugrats.?
We lost this amazing actor in 2010, after a long battle with lung cancer.
:sadwave:
Marion Ross (Then)
Marion Ross (Now)
When the lights went down on the set of ?Happy Days,? this lovable actress continued to appear on TV shows, mostly as a guest star.
Among her work was spots on ?The Love Boat,? ?MacGyver,? and ?Night Court.? She then turned her attention to ?Brooklyn Bridge,? which provided her with two Emmy nominations.
Most recently she has appeared in such amazing modern day shows as ?That ?70s Show,? ?The Drew Carey Show,? ?Two and a Half Men,? ?Gilmore Girls,? ?Hot in Cleveland,? and others.
Her cult character status has led to huge rounds of applause during every live sitcom appearance she has made.
Roz Kelly (then)
Born in Mount Vernon, New York, Roz Kelly worked as a photographer for New York Magazine where she worked with huge celebrity names before she landed her role on ?Happy Days.? Roz played Pinky, Fonzie?s girlfriend for several episodes, and was in place to become his long-term girlfriend on the show. However those plans dissolved when Roz rubbed the cast and producers the wrong way. Her character was cut.
Roz Kelly (Now)
After her short stint on the show, Roz Kelly experienced some very unhappy days. In 1998 she was arrested for shooting up her neighbor?s house (who wasn?t home at the time) after their car alarm woke her up. That resulted in a felony, as well as an order to seek psychiatric counseling. Just two years later she was sentenced to 120 days in jail after she hit a man with a cane. She served her time and hopefully learned from her mistakes.
:mj07:
?Happy Days? Fun Fact #2: The Show Helped Launch A Ton Of Spin-Offs
?Happy Days? wasn?t just a show that came and went. It also led to a ton of spin-offs based on characters that first appeared on the popular sitcom.
The list of spin-offs include ?Laverne & Shirley,? ?Mork & Mindy,? ?Joanie Loves Chachi,? ?Blanksky?s Beauties,? and ?Out of the Blue.?
Robin Williams was probably the biggest winner from those spin-offs, as he became one of the greatest and well-known comedians of all-time.
Happy Days Fun Fact #3: The Fonz Originally Wore A Windbreaker
The leather jacket worn by The Fonz is nearly as iconic as the character himself. During his first appearance on the show he actually wore a windbreaker, because the executives at ABC thought the leather jacket made him look like a hoodlum.
Director Garry Marshall finally convinced them the leather jacket was a smarter piece of clothing because it was safer for motorcycle riding.
Of course, The Fonz had a heart of gold and was no hoodlum in any sense of the word, no matter what he wore.
Scot Baio (then)
Charles ?Chachi? Arcola was the younger cousin of Fonzie and a regular on the show. He was an aspiring musician who fell in love with Joanie and eventually married her in the season finale.
When the show was on the air he received up to 5,000 fan letters every single week.
OMG pusssy supermarket LOL
Scott Baio (Now)
Wow did he age well or what?
He was a teen heartthrob during his ?Happy Days? stint and remained one in adulthood.
Following ?Joanie Loves Chachi,? Baio went on to star in the hugely popular TV series ?Charles in Charge.?
He would later appeared on the shows ?Stoned? and ?All the Kids Do It,? for which he was nominated for two Emmys.
His guest starring roles included bits in ?Full House,? ?Arrested Development? and ?The Nanny,? among others.
In recent years he has given reality TV a shot with two different shows: ?Scott Baio is 45? and Single? and the follow-up ? ?Scott Baio Is 46? and Pregnant.?
?Happy Days? Fun Fact #4: The Show Was Supposed To Take Place In The 1920s or 30?s
Garry Marshall was approached about writing and directing a show that took place in the 1920s or 1930s. He quickly told the network that he knew nothing about flappers or anyone else from that generation. Instead, he offered to write a pilot for a show about the era he grew up in ? The 1950s.
That pilot failed and instead the show known as ?Happy Days? was born.
Anson Williams (then)
Anson Williams is best known for his ?Happy Days? character Potsie. He played a dimwitted but lovable character but he nearly missed his chance.
Williams was hours late to his audition after his car stalled, and yet he still managed to get the job.
It was not a bad gig for a 22-year-old who almost couldn?t make it to his audition.
Anson Williams (Now)
You won?t see Anson Williams in front of the camera much these days. That?s because like Ron Howard, he has focused his exceptional skills to being a director.
He is known for directing episodes of ?Star Trek: Deep Space 9,? ?Sabrina The Teenage Witch,? ?Charmed,? ?Star Trek: Voyager,? ?90210,? and various other shows.
He was also worked on ?The Secret Life Of The American Teenager,? where he served as the show?s director for five years.
?Happy Days? Fun Fact #5: The Show Was Going To Be Called ?Cool?
?Happy Days? was going to be called ?COOL,? but test audiences said it made them think about cigarettes. Not exactly what the show?s producers were going for.
Producer Carl Kleinschmitt threw an off-the-cuff comment to his colleagues: ?How about calling it ?Happy Days?? That?s what we?re going to show.?
A Monkee Was The First Choice For The Fonz
It?s hard to imagine Henry Winkler?s role being filled by anyone else, but it was almost a reality. Monkees drummer Micky Dolenz read for the role but was ultimately turned down. It turns out that Winkler?s shorter stature made him a better pick for playing Arthur Fonzarelli.
Henry Winkler Couldn?t Read His Casting Script
Henry Winkler is dyslexic and when it came time to read six lines for his audition, he wasn?t prepared for the reading. Instead, he decided to make up his own words. He managed to convince the show?s casting directors that he was giving them a real feel for the character. His plan obviously worked and he played The Fonz for 11 very successful seasons.
Ron Howard Joined The Cast To Avoid Vietnam
Ron Howard wanted to become a director, and while he has achieved that goal with much acclaim, he took a detour to avoid Vietnam. He originally enrolled in film school at USC but soon realized that his low draft number could have become a problem. He realized that finding a job with a big company like Paramount would help him avoid the war. He quickly joined onto the pilot of Love, American Style, which would eventually morph into Happy Days.
Many Of The Characters Names Came From Garry Marshall?s Own Real Life
Creator and producer Garry Marshall wanted to name The Fonz ?Arthur Masciarelli?, after Marshall?s original surname. ?The Fonz? sounded better than ?the Mash? so it was changed before the pilot was filmed. That was probably one of the show?s best pre-production decisions.
?Happy Days? Actually Arrived Before ?American Graffiti?
Happy Days was thought by many people to be an offshoot of the George Lucas film American Graffiti. That movie featured Ron Howard in a similar role. American Graffiti debuted before Happy Days but they were both in the works at the same time. Happy Days was only revisited because of the success of the movie.
