Tom Hanks and Henry Winkler are among the most friendly actors in Hollywood. But you’ll never guess what else they have in common. Apparently the two talents have had an over 30-year beef! And not only that, it all was born on the set of one of Disney’s dog movies, Turner & Hooch. Winkler parted ways with the production after just two weeks on set.
During the recent Golden Globes telecast, Tom Hanks stole away hearts when he accepted the honor of the Cecil B. DeMille Award. An incredible montage showcasing the Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood stars’ career rolled for the audience – including a throwback to Turner & Hooch. The camera cleverly flashed to Henry Winkler during Hanks’ speech. He doesn’t look too pleased, does he?
Henry Winkler was in attendance for his sixth Golden Globe nomination – this time for HBO’s Barry, where he plays an acting coach to Bill Hader’s titular hitman, who aspires to be a performer. Winkler did not take home an award that night, as his category was instead won by Stellan Skarsgard for Chernobyl. Barry's other two nominations also went to other shows.
The point is – maybe Henry Winkler was just in a bad mood that night! Then again, here’s what he said on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen last year when a fan called in to ask for the real reason Winkler and Tom Hanks didn't get along on the set of Turner & Hooch:
I was directing that movie for 13 days and then I was called into (producer) Jeff Katzenberg’s office and he said, ‘You have everything with you? Go home.’ I got along great, great with that dog. Love that dog.
Yikes! In the interview, Henry Winkler at first pretended he didn’t hear the question, and Andy Cohen was shocked at the mere suggestion of a beef between the stars. Plus, Winkler didn't even mention Tom Hanks, just the fact that his time on set was nothing like Happy Days. He tried to end on a positive note by mentioning the star dog of the film (named Beasley), but what about America’s Sweetheart? Back in 1993, here’s what he told People:
Let’s just say … I got along better with Hooch than I did with Turner.
Whoa! If Tom Hanks and Henry Winkler can’t get along… what’s left? Sure, Turner & Hooch was taken over by director Roger Spottiswoode and became one of the highest-grossing movies of 1989 but Winkler still had quite the career! He recently earned his first Emmy in over 40 years for his highly-acclaimed work on Barry.
Turner & Hooch is reportedly being rebooted for television by Disney+ from the creator of Burn Notice. And Tom Hanks is shaping up to have another impressive year in movies with WWII drama Greyhound, sci-fi film BIOS, and western News of the World coming in 2020!
