Henry Winkler says he was fired from Turner & Hooch because he didn’t get along with Tom Hanks

Happy Days star Henry Winkler recalls being fired from a hit movie, allegedly due to tensions with Hollywood star Tom Hanks.

A couple of weeks ago, there was a viral news story that originated when rapper Chet Haze (aka Chet Hanks) posted in his Instagram story a screenshot of a text from his father, Tom Hanks, asking for a breakdown of the Drake-Kendrick Lamar feud.

“Big Main, can you explain the Drake/Kendrick Lamar feud to me?” the elder Hanks asked his son, who then explained the backstory behind the two rappers’ diss tracks toward one another.

Well, it seems like now is the perfect time to ask the universe, “Big Main, can someone explain the Tom Hanks/Henry Winkler feud to me?”

Tom Hanks on the set of Turner & Hooch in 1989.

Henry Winkler was best known for his role in Happy Days at the time.

Because in case you didn’t know, there has been a 30-year-long beef between the two beloved actors, and right now I feel like Hanks did two weeks ago, trying to make sense of how these two talents could not like one another.

Winkler has spoken about the beef with Hanks before, and he brought the feud back to light when he appeared on the How To Fail with Elizabeth Day podcast in May, when he told a story describing how he was fired as the director of 1989’s Turner & Hooch, which starred Hanks.

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Hanks is said to have had an issue with Winkler’s fame and reputation.

“I did 11 weeks of preparation,” Winkler said, describing his work on the film. “I knew this dog. This bull mastiff, this slobbery dog and I became friends. The star did not become my friend.”

“You mean Tom Hanks? The ‘star,’ Tom Hanks?” Day clarified.

“I probably do,” Winkler replied laughing.

Winkler then told a story that makes it seem like Hanks had an issue with Winkler’s fame and reputation potentially overshadowing his own.

“We were in Carmel, this little seaside wonderful town on the coast of California, looking for a location, and a woman comes, honest to God, comes running out of a shop and says ‘Henry, Fonz! Oh, my God!’ and I say, ‘And, of course, you know Tom Hanks.’ The director of photography, when I was fired 13 days into filming, said, ‘I knew that this was going to happen, on that day in Carmel,’” Winkler recalled.

Winkler said he had done 11 weeks of prep for the film before he got fired. Picture: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images

It’s believed Hanks had Winkler fired just 13 days into filming. Picture: Angela Weiss/AFP

Ron Howard, who is friends with both men, has also publicly spoken of their rift, saying in 2020, “It was disappointing. I’m friends with them both and both men felt compelled to come to talk to me about it.:

He added, “It was just one of those unfortunate things where they really had a working style that did not fit. I know it was painful for both of them and I was able to lend an ear, if not offer any solutions.”

While Winkler has maintained a diplomatic approach and has denied ever having an actual feud with Hanks, it’s clear that the Turner & Hooch of it all still brings up certain feelings for him.

(Chet Haze, if you have a more insightful synopsis of this feud, please @ me.)

This article originally appeared in Decider and was reproduced with permission

Originally published as Henry Winkler says he was fired from Turner & Hooch because he didn’t get along with Tom Hanks