Earlier this year, the subject of two of the nicest guys in Hollywood (Henry Winkler and Tom Hanks) and their apparent, long-running feud popped up again. Yes, after TMZ asked Winkler, the Barry actor explained, “What everybody says and what is true are two different things. I just saw him at our SAG Awards. It was beautiful.” This appeared to be the end of a 30-year saga that began with the Winkler and Hanks not loving each other on the 1989 set of Turner & Hooch, which cost Winkler his directing job.
Winkler had tossed gasoline on the subject during an episode of Watch What Happens Live while not exactly articulating that he isn’t a fan of Hanks. Winkler did admit that something led to him getting fired, and he stressed that he adored the crime-solving canine that aided Hanks’ policeman character “I got along great, great with that dog.” So… what’s the real story? Well, Ron Howard recently spoke with The Guardian, and the conversation moved to Winkler vs. Hanks. Howard did not take sides (because obviously), but he confirmed that there was a kerfuffle, and both men came to him to discuss it:
“It was disappointing. I’m friends with them both and both men felt compelled to come to talk to me about it. 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.”
If it was “painful” for both men, then the feud certainly existed at some point, but Howard says that he believes things are alright now. He referred to them as “two men with a lot of water under the bridge” and didn’t discuss the matter further. So, does that mean we’ll eventually see a happy photo of Hanks and Winkler together? We sure could use some positivity in 2020, so I’m rooting for it to happen.
(Via The Guardian)