Read the full transcript of actor Henry Winkler’s speech at Emerson College’s 2026 commencement ceremony, May 10, 2026.
Editor’s Notes: Beloved actor Henry Winkler delivers an entertaining and deeply personal 2026 commencement address to the graduating class of Emerson College, his own alma mater. Sharing stories from his youth, Winkler opens up about his struggles in the bottom 3% of his class academically and his journey to finding success in Hollywood as the iconic character “The Fonz” on Happy Days. He encourages graduates to rely on tenacity and gratitude to navigate the bumpy road ahead, urging them to trust their intuition and share their unique gifts with a world that sorely needs them.
TRANSCRIPT:
HENRY WINKLER: I have so many things I want to say and so little time to say it, but in the words of Maya Angelou, they gave me 10 minutes, I decided to take 15.
I’m going to tell you a little bit about my life and what I’ve learned, and maybe you can identify.
A Word to the Parents
First, I’m going to talk to the parents. You may experience this. Our youngest son finished high school, he said, “Wow, I am exhausted. I don’t think I’m going to go to college.”
I said, “But you know what? I think you better go to college. Maybe you can learn about yourself. Maybe you can find some friends. Maybe you can learn about what you want to do.”
He said, “God will provide.”
So he went to college and he graduated, and then he said, “You know, I’m not going to get a job.”
I said, “Oh my goodness, I think you better get a job. You might meet somebody, you need a nest egg, you might want to get a house.”
He said, “God will provide.”
He got a job. He said, “You know, I’m only going to go in three days a week. I mean, it’s hard.”
I said, “But you know what? They’re going to fire you. They’re going to think that you’re not interested. It doesn’t show leadership.”
He said, “God will provide.”
I know two things about our son. He’s a slacker. And he thinks I’m God.
Growing Up With a Dream
I grew up in New York City. I had very, very, very short German parents. I wanted to be an actor. My father wanted me to take over the lumber business that he brought from Europe.
I said, “I’m not interested in wood.”
He said, “Why do you think I brought it over here?”
I said, “Besides being chased by the Nazis, Dad, was there a bigger reason than that?”
The only wood I was interested in was Hollywood.
Struggling Academically — and Finding Emerson
But I was told that I would never achieve. I am in the bottom 3% academically in America. Everything except for lunch was difficult.
The headmaster of my high school said, “Winkler, I want to know why you’re not achieving.”
I said, “Hey, that makes two of us.”
I took geometry for four years, same course. I took it in regular school, summer school, regular school, summer school, regular school, summer school, regular school, summer school. I finally passed it in August of 1963 with a D minus. If I didn’t get that D minus, I could not come to the one college that said yes of the 28 I applied to.
Emerson. I love Emerson. They took me in and they nurtured me. And it was only one block at that time. It was Beacon Street at that time.
Tenacity and Gratitude
And you know, when I was growing up, my life was like a cylinder of stainless steel. No handholds, no footholds. And I kept trying to pull myself up into the sun and I kept failing at everything. And finally, finally, I pulled myself up into the sun.
And I started to get work in commercials. And of course, my parents were not happy with me at all. I embarrassed them. But I had a dream and I never let that dream out of my mind.
I live by two words, tenacity and gratitude. Tenacity will get you where you want to go and gratitude will make you enjoy the journey no matter how bumpy.
To Every Graduate in This Room
Here it is. No matter whether you procrastinated or you got your assignment done immediately as it came tumbling out of your professor’s mouth. Whether it’s hard to learn or you are the top of your class, you’re all here in your seats.
Walking Into Hollywood
So I go to Hollywood and I have long hair down to my shoulders and I go to Paramount Studios and I try out for a new show. And I walk in and there’s the producer, Gary Marshall, and eleven other men and women in that room. And I said, “Okay, honesty is the best policy.”
This sweat stain that looks like the Hudson River under my shirt is due to my fear that is running through my body. I had six lines. I went, “Hey, don’t look at me like that, you know.” I should have skipped up in the air and I sauntered out of that room.
On my birthday, 1973, they called me and said, “Would you like to join us?” I said, “Yes. Yes, I would.”
So I go to the studio. I go to Paramount Studios on the first day and there it says in the script, “Go to the mirror, comb your hair.” I said, “I don’t want to comb my hair. I want to be original. Every actor has combed their hair. Do anything, write anything. I will do it.” They said, “Oh, the producer wrote, go to the mirror, comb your hair.”
I go to the mirror, I pull out my comb, go, “Hey, look at that. I don’t have to because it’s perfect.”
Listen to Your Tummy
So here’s the lesson. This is the lesson I learned.