The Fonz gets OBE

Henry Winkler honoured by the Queen...

09:10 15 September 2011

Henry Winkler, who played the Fonz on US show Happy Days, has been awarded an honorary OBE for his work on dyslexia in the UK.

Winkler received the honour at the British Embassy in Washington DC and said he was "overwhelmed" to have his work recognised.

The actor, who was diagnosed with dyslexia himself as an adult, has been touring schools in the UK for the past two years, talking about the learning disability.

He told BBC Breakfast about his delight at receiving the "unexpected" honour:

"I got a letter from the Queen saying she graciously agreed to confer on me the OBE."

Winkler, who has also penned a series of children's books about a character with dyslexia called Hank Zipzer, continued to say that visiting schools to raise awareness was one of his "favourite things to do":

"I walk into the room and ask if anybody has trouble in school and maybe one or two people raise their hands. By the time I've read to them from Hank Zipzer... everybody wants to be dyslexic.

"We say our goodbyes just hugging. It's very touching."

Winkler shot to fame playing Arthur Fonzarelli - a leather jacket-wearing ladies man, who was the epitome of cool - in Happy Days, which began back in 1974 and ran for over a decade.