It wouldn’t be until decades later that he would learn there was a reason he struggled, and knowing how much it set him back he wanted to use his diagnosis to inspire others, especially children.
While Winkler is an accomplished actor, it did not come easy to him. In fact, he had to work extremely hard for all of his accomplishments.
And it all began when he was a child.
From the start Winkler had high expectations placed on him, especially when it came to education.
“My parents were very, very, very, very, very short Jews from Germany,” Winkler told The Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity. “They believed in education. They thought I was lazy. I was called lazy. I was called stupid. I was told I was not living up to my potential.”
But Winkler did not believe his parents. He felt he was trying as hard as he could.
