Henry Wrinkler Reveals Why He Sought Therapy at 70

The actor described feeling like he was barely staying afloat before deciding to get help, admitting he had shut everyone out for years. He also reflected on whether his decades-old tension with a former colleague could ever be mended.

Henry Winkler is getting candid about his mental health journey. The "Happy Days" alum discussed his path to therapy during an appearance on "In Depth with Graham Bensinger," released Wednesday, September 9.

Henry Winkler attends the Television Academy's Inaugural Televerse Festival at JW Marriott LA Live on August 15, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images

The actor recalled feeling like he was "treading water," a feeling that ultimately pushed him toward professional help.

"About 10 years ago, maybe 12 years ago, I was pretty good at either figuring things out or making it or smoothing things out in my mind or rationalizing," Winkler, now 80, said. "And I just couldn't do it anymore."

When Bensinger brought up comments previously made by Winkler's wife, Stacey Weitzman, who once said she wasn't being "let in," the "Barry" Emmy winner didn't shy away from the truth.

Henry Wrinkler during his appearance on "In Depth with Graham Besinger," released on September 9, 2026. | Source: YouTube/Graham Besinger

"I didn't let anybody in," he admitted, adding that things were "going sideways" in the years before he sought treatment.

"I was not being able to just [say], 'Oh, well, OK, I'll move that aside and I'll just move forward,'" Winkler explained. "I needed to now empty myself out of all of the rancid garbage I had allowed to infiltrate."

According to Bensinger, both Winkler's therapist and his daughter, Zoe, have noticed a shift in the actor, pointing to a newfound confidence, calm, and self-respect. Winkler didn't dispute the observation. "It's all true," he said simply.

Henry Wrinkler during his appearance on "In Depth with Graham Besinger," released on September 9, 2026. | Source: YouTube/Graham Besinger

The star credited much of his progress to learning how to genuinely listen to other people.

His newfound habit of holding back his own opinions "unless it's asked for," he said, has made a significant difference in his overall well-being. Curious about the shift, Bensinger asked what had driven his old behavior in the first place.

"Because I was out of balance. I was out of my [expletive] mind," Winkler replied bluntly. Asked whether that imbalance still lingered, he offered a more hopeful answer: "I'm getting there."

Henry Wrinkler during his appearance on "In Depth with Graham Besinger," released on September 9, 2026. | Source: YouTube/Graham Besinger

He then reached for a vivid metaphor to sum up where he once stood.

"I was Swiss cheese," Winkler said. "I was filled with holes. And I had to constantly be anxious about stepping in one of those holes. And my job is to become a chunk of cheddar, not a hole in sight."

The conversation eventually turned to another chapter of Winkler's past: his long-simmering tension with Tom Hanks.

Winkler mused on whether the two could ever fully patch things up, tracing the friction back to his time directing the 1989 film "Turner & Hooch," which starred a then up-and-coming Hanks, now 70.

Winkler admitted he'd sensed early on that directing wasn't the right fit for him, even though he'd been personally chosen for the job by a Paramount executive. "I went completely against my tummy, and it hit me in the face with a 2x4," he recalled.

Tom Hanks and Henry Wrinkler on "Happy Days," circa 1982. | Source: Getty Images

Looking back, he acknowledged that insecurity got the better of him on set.

"I now meet the puppies, and I meet with Tom... and I, at that time being insecure, I talked too much and I gave them direction. I [did] what I thought was my job, and I wanted to do it over again and apparently that pissed them off," Wrinkler said.

The fallout was swift. "And in 13 days of filming, I'm called into [studio executive Jeffrey Katzenberg's] office and he said, 'It's not in the dailies.' I then go to the set. I get my things. I drive home. I'm fired as a director... I don't handle it well. I'm devastated," Winkler shared.

Henry Wrinkler during his appearance on "In Depth with Graham Besinger," released on September 9, 2026. | Source: YouTube/Graham Besinger

"I don't know because, when Tom, before he was a movie star… he was a guest star on 'Happy Days.' And I don't know," he said. "We did a retrospective of 'Happy Days,' and we wanted 60 seconds of Tom Hanks in his episode and we did not get permission for that."

Pressed on his current outlook toward Hanks, Winkler was candid about still sorting through his feelings. "I am still working on my perspective," he said, before adding, "I think his wife, Rita [Wilson], was also a guest on 'Happy Days' in the beginning."

Still, when asked directly whether the relationship could one day mend itself, Winkler didn't hesitate. "Sure," he said.