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Henry Winkler: 25 Things You Don’t Know About Me (‘I Couldn’t Read Until I Was 31’) (Exclusive)

Henry Winkler
Henry Winkler Trae Patton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Henry Winkler, the star of NBC’s Better Late Than Never, spilled 25 “perfectamundo” things you might not know about him to Us Weekly. Read on to learn more about the 72-year-old acting icon.

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1. So far, in my lifetime, I’ve had eight dogs as pets, plus a rat, a snake, an African centipede, a turtle and a bunny.

2. I am passionate about fly-fishing. But only catch and release. I record every fish I catch in my fishing diary.

3. I like dark chocolate better than milk chocolate. My favorite strength is 55 percent.

4. My favorite kind of cake is chocolate Bundt cake. I prefer it to cake with frosting.

5. I’m a pack rat. The last time I went through all of my scripts, I was able to throw one away. Now that’s progress.

6. What I admire most about my wife, Stacey, is her ability to see things in situations that I don’t.

7. I love gardening, especially my roses.

8. My favorite song is “Born in the U.S.A.” by Bruce Springsteen, followed by anything Sia sings and “Grenade” by Bruno Mars.

9. My favorite movie is Rebel Without a Cause – it was the first time I cried at the movies.

10. I cannot be in New York City without at least one visit to the Burger Joint in the Parker Méridien and Cacio e Pepe at Eataly.

11. The worst job I ever had was filing at my father’s office. He imported and exported wood.

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12. I make a great scrambled eggs breakfast.

13. I couldn’t read until I was 31, but now I can’t wait to read the next book by Daniel Silva.

14. The mantra I live by: You don’t know what you can accomplish until you try.

15. I love to take photos. My favorite that I’ve taken is a natural still life in Kyoto, Japan.

16. My favorite way to spend a Saturday is seeing two movies with dinner in between.

17. I cannot be at the movies without my freshly popped, unbuttered popcorn – I like to drop Junior Mints into it!

18. I live by two words: tenacity and gratitude.

19. I have the Playbill for every play or musical I have ever seen in my life! (Did I mention I was a pack rat?)

20. I am very, very practical. When I travel, anything you might need is in my bag. Thread and needle, a whistle, stain remover, Band-Aids, rubber bands, Scotch tape — and that’s just in one compartment of my carry-on.

21. Four important geniuses in my life: Garry Marshall, Adam Sandler, Mitch Hurwitz and the Bill Hader/Alec Berg combo.

22. Elephants bring me to tears.

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23. I love washing dishes.

24. When my children were growing up they called me Mr. Stricty. When the kids were younger I thought it was really important for them to have chores. I was adamant! Our children were great negotiators. I did their chores.

25. Black-and-white cookies from Bea’s Bakery in Tarzana, California, are my guilty pleasure. They are the best black-and-white cookies in America!

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