HENRY WINKLER - WINKLER: 'FAME IS A MYTH'

HENRY WINKLER has warned fellow actors not to take their celebrity for granted after struggling to find work after HAPPY DAYS. Winkler, who played ARTHUR 'FONZIE' FONZARELLI in the sitcom between 1974 and 1984, found out the hard way that fame does not guarantee success. He was forced to produce and direct a string of TV shows to pay the bills, but has since staged a return to acting, appearing alongside ADAM SANDLER in CLICK last year (06). He says, "I thought the Fonz was so big I'd beat the system. I thought I was so famous I'd be able to leap from mountain top to mountain top. But I slipped right to the bottom of the valley and my jeans got covered in grass stains. "It was a shock to me at first but I had to start from scratch. I had to pick myself up, dust myself off and walk back up the mountain. "I saw that there was no such thing as stardom - it's a myth, a mirage. I saw that if you dare believe your hype, you'll get a smack in the mouth."