Tom Hanks discusses how Fonzie, Tom Hanks’ kick on Happy Days, led to Splash.
Tom Hanks Made quite the splash in his guest starring part on Happy Days.
He is so proud of his role on the sitcom that it helped him get his first lead film role. Ron HowardThe 1984 hit song by’s… Splash.
Hanks was a guest star in “A Little Case of Revenge”, a 1982 episode. Hanks played the role of a former classmate. Henry WinklerFonzie is a man who has harbored a grudge since third grade. Dr. Dwayne Twitchell (Hanks), a doctor and karate expert, seeks revenge on Arthur Fonzarelli.
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Hanks recalls that “I kicked Fonzie”, SiriusXM’s Hanks said. The Jess Cagle Show. “I dressed up in a judo-karate outfit. Fonzie struck me once, I believe. I kicked him through Al’s Drive in stained glass window.”
While that may not have ingratiated Hanks to fans of The Fonz, it did catch the eye of some folks at Disney — former Happy Days Romantic comedy by Ron Howard stars Splash This would be the first Disney film to be released under Touchstone Pictures’ new label. They were looking for a lead man to fall in Love with Daryl Hannah‘s mermaid-in-human-disguise.
“Ron Howard had already quit the show and he was directing. The two had written this movie together called Splash,” Hanks explained. “And it was at Disney. And no one wanted work for Disney. So no one would accept the job. They finally said, “Hey, that guy who kicked Fonzie through the plate-glass window might make a good job.” So I auditioned for that.
The rest is history. Co-starring John Candy Eugene Levy, Splash It was a huge success with critics and audiences alike. Hanks received an Oscar nomination in Best Original Screenplay and established Hanks’ status as a true movie star.
Winkler and Hanks, however, have not yet been matched.
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