Fonz actor Henry Winkler says he's 'a fool' for not taking Grease Danny Zuko role

Fonz star Henry Winkler has admitted that he was a “damn fool” for turning down the lead role in hit 1970s musical Grease.

Saturday Night Fever star John Travolta took the role of Danny Zuko – opposite Olivia Newton-John – turning him into a Hollywood legend.

Happy Days star Henry, 77, was worried about taking another leather-jacketed 50s role as he was already playing Arthur “The Fonz” Fonzarelli.

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He said: “I am a fool. I thought, ‘I’ve played the Fonz, I don’t want to do it again. It’s already happened. I’m already typecast’.”

Speaking to CNN he went on saying that he “should have just shut up and had a really good time making that movie”.

Henry then quipped: “I go home, I say no, and I have a diet Coke, John Travolta, who has done the movie, goes home and buys a plane.”

Grease has been a smash-hit movie since it catapulted onto cinema screens in the June of 1978, defining an entire generation.

But it didn’t end there because many generations have enjoyed and been defined by the comedic teen romance.

With it hitting cinemas in the 70s, it then went on to be re-released on VHS, DVD and Blu-ray, and was more recently seen in the cinema again.

Back in August it was shown on cinema screens again following the death of Sandy star Dame Olivia Newton-John, who was just 73.

Although not garnering fame through Grease, Henry went on to have a glowing career.

Henry portrayed the lead role of The Fonz in Happy Days, which was a huge hit TV show back in the 70s.

The programme gave viewers a glimpse at the good life in the 1950s and early 60s.

During it’s run, it aired 255 half-hour episodes across 11 seasons before coming to an end in 1984.

Henry, who is a Golden Globe winner, has since appeared in a slew of acclaimed films – not letting missing out on Danny Zuko get him down.

Fans will know him from starring in Scream, Click, Holes, The Water Boy and more recently Black Adam.

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk