Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Ron Howard Threatened To Leave 'Happy Days' Over Proposed Title Change Focused On Fonzie

Ron Howard; Henry Winkler
Udo Salters/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images; Lionel Hahn/Getty Images

Howard told the 'New York Times' for an article marking the show's 50th anniversary how a proposed title change to 'Fonzie's Happy Days' left him considering ditching the show.

Ron Howard recently revealed he nearly walked off Happy Days when producers proposed changing the title to Fonzie's Happy Days due to Henry Winkler's rising popularity.

In an article marking the show's 50th anniversary, Howard told the New York Times he threatened to leave the 1970s sitcom if they went through with the change.


"I said, 'If you do that, it is an insult to everybody I’m working with.'"
"'Why fix something that isn’t broken? We are really good. I live in the family and that’s why I’m successful.'"
'"I’m asking you, if you never listen to me again, leave it alone.'"

And while Howard acknowledge he was "contractually" obligated to remain on the series that ultimately ran for 11 seasons from 1974-1984, he nevertheless told the network he "would leave."

"But I told them if you really want to change the name of the show to that, I would rather go back to USC and film school and what I was doing before the show launched."

People on social media agreed with Howard and didn't blame him for threatening to quit.



Some, however, felt the title change made sense given Winkler's rising stardom at the time.


And others noted that Howard ended up exiting the show early, anyway.


Winkler himself even admitted he wasn't a fan of the title change, though he did confess the fame went to his head a bit.

The show's creator, Garry Marshall, was not having any of it.

"One time, when he was announcing the guest cast, I said, 'Garry, we have to hurry up because I’m flying to Arkansas."
"He nodded, put down the microphone, grabbed me by my shirt, put me against the wall and said, 'Don’t ever do that again, because they have every right to be recognized like you.'"
"He kept us in line."

Fortunately, the friction between Howard and producers over the title change never bled into his relationship with Winkler, who is the godfather to all four of his children.

Howard shared that their close friendship "endures to this day."


More from Trending

Screenshots of Justin Bieber being hounded by paparazzi
X17OnlineVideo

Fans Defend Justin Bieber After He Confronts Paparazzi For Constantly Hounding Him

Fans defended Justin Bieber after he berated the relentless paparazzi and accused them of only being concerned with turning a profit over valuing people's lives.

According to X17, the "Intentions" singer's retreat to Palm Springs, days before the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, was anything but relaxing as he clashed with the paparazzi for a third day in a row.

Keep ReadingShow less
RFK Jr.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

RFK Jr. Slammed After Claiming HHS Will Discover The Cause Of 'Autism Epidemic' By September

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared that scientists would determine the cause of the "autism epidemic" by September, even though scientists haven't discovered a breakthrough despite decades of research.

In a cabinet meeting with Republican President Donald Trump on Thursday, RFK Jr. stated:

Keep ReadingShow less
J.D. Vance and Usha Vance listen to Susan Meyers during his Greenland visit
Jim Watson/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Space Force Commander Fired Over Email Criticizing Vance's Greenland Comments

Vice President J.D. Vance and the wider Trump administration are facing criticism now that Colonel Susan Meyers was removed from her post as commander at Greenland's Pituffik Space Base after breaking with Vance in an email she wrote following his controversial visit to the island territory.

Greenland is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, alongside the Faroe Islands, the only other autonomous territory within the Kingdom. Citizens of both Greenland and the Faroe Islands are full citizens of Denmark. As one of the Overseas Countries and Territories of the European Union, Greenland’s citizens are also recognized as EU citizens.

Keep ReadingShow less
Karoline Leavitt and Scott Bessent
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Karoline Leavitt Dragged After Making Mind-Numbing Claim About Trump's Tariffs Reversal

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is getting called out after she attempted to justify President Donald Trump's sudden reversal on his proposed tariffs, telling reporters that his actions make sense because he has a master plan to make the world bend the knee.

Trump declared a full 90-day suspension of all the “reciprocal” tariffs that took effect at midnight April 10—except for those on China—in a dramatic about-face from a president who had long championed his historically high tariff rates as permanent.

Keep ReadingShow less
religion signs
Noah Holm on Unsplash

People Explain What Stopped Them From Going To Church Anymore

There's been a perception of a bit of an exodus from religion for the last several decades. But humanity has gone from no organized religions to oppressive religious regimes to rebellion and back again over the last several millennia.

But is the 21st century when religion finally fails to bounce back?

Keep ReadingShow less