Henry Winkler Opens Up About the Decades of Tension with Tom Hanks [WATCH]

Henry Winkler is revisiting his abrupt departure from the 1989 comedy “Turner & Hooch,” revealing what happened before he was fired from the Tom Hanks movie after only a brief period behind the camera, as reported by Page Six.

During a new interview on “In Depth With Graham Bensinger,” Winkler said studio executive Jeffrey Katzenberg hired him to direct the comedy.

However, his time working on the project ended after “13 days of filming.”

Winkler recalled meeting both Hanks and the dogs involved in the movie as preparations moved forward. “I now meet the puppies, and I meet with Tom [Hanks],” he said while describing the early stage of the production.

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The “Barry” star admitted that his own insecurity influenced how he approached those meetings. He explained that he spoke extensively and attempted to offer direction because he believed that was what the position required.

“I, at that time being insecure, I talked too much, and I gave them direction,” Winkler said. “I [did] what I thought was my job, and I wanted to do it over again; and apparently that pissed them off.”

Although Winkler acknowledged that he was not actually “suited” to direct the screwball comedy, losing the job still hit him hard. The actor described himself as “devastated” after being removed from the production.

Winkler said he learned the decision during a meeting in Katzenberg’s office. “I’m called into Jeff Katzenberg’s office, and he said, ‘It’s not in the dailies,’” the “Arrested Development” alum recalled.

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After receiving the news, Winkler returned to the set and collected his belongings. “I then go to the set. I get my things. I drive home. I’m fired as a director,” he said.

Looking back on the experience, Winkler conceded that he did not “handle it well” at the time. His account offered a candid glimpse into the disappointment surrounding his sudden exit from the movie.

Before the firing, however, Hanks had given Winkler a signed model plane. Winkler confirmed the gift during the interview and recalled watching Hanks work on the model while they were holding meetings about the film.

“While we were having meetings, he built a plastic Piper Cub or something like that,” Winkler divulged. The personal gift came before the “Turner & Hooch” episode appeared to cool their relationship.

Winkler also reflected on the fact that he and Hanks had shared the screen years before the film.

Hanks appeared as a guest star on “Happy Days” in 1982, before becoming a movie star, while Winkler was widely known for playing “the Fonz.”

Their earlier connection later surfaced when a retrospective about “Happy Days” was being assembled.

According to Winkler, the production wanted to include a short portion of footage featuring Hanks from his appearance on the sitcom.

“We did a retrospective of ‘Happy Days,’ and we wanted 60 seconds of Tom Hanks in his episode,” Winkler said. He added that they “did not get permission for that.”

When asked about the present state of their relationship, Winkler said he is “still working on” his “perspective” regarding their current dynamic.

Asked whether the relationship could ever “repair itself,” he responded simply, “Sure.”

A representative for the “Cast Away” actor did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment on Wednesday afternoon.

Hanks, now a 70-year-old Oscar winner, did not otherwise address Winkler’s latest remarks in the provided account.

Winkler, now 80, previously rejected the idea that he and the “Forrest Gump” actor were locked in a feud. In 2020, he told the outlet, via Vanity Fair, “I don’t have a feud with Tom Hanks.”

At that time, Winkler also pushed back on the public narrative surrounding the two actors and their history. “What everybody says and what is true are two different things,” he said.

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