Bachelor Nation
Henry Winkler Shut Down Daughter’s Chance to Become Next ‘Bachelorette’ Star
Henry Winkler could’ve been a Bachelor Nation dad, but sadly, he wasn’t interested in that position.
The Happy Days star is known for his charismatic personality, yet he doesn’t want to reveal every part of his life. After keeping his family life somewhat private, he definitely didn’t want his kids to go down the reality TV route.
This was revealed in a recent episode of What in the Winkler?! His daughter, Zoe, 44, brought up an old endeavor she was interested in. “Do you remember when I was in the running to be the Bachelorette?” she asked. Harry quickly replied, “Oh, my goodness. And we put a stop to that and only for your protection.”
The Barry alum is still not the biggest fan of the genre, as he jokingly demanded his daughter to give him a”thank you” for shutting down her chances. Even more reality opportunities had come Zoe’s way in the ’00s. She divulged that back in the day, she, Kim Kardashian, and Sarah Howard had been offered to be a part of a show called Quarter Life Crisis. Her dad wasn’t fond of that role either.
“I’ll never forget Matt Hanna [an executive producer],” she recalled. “He worked at VH1 at the time. He flew out to LA and did a sizzle reel of us. And I don’t even think like I mentioned it to you… I was living at home at the time because I was just done with college. He came to the house, and you met him outside.”
After Henry shot it down on her behalf, the actor said, “It is so lovely that you’re here, I can suggest some really good restaurants, [but] my daughter is not doing your show.”
In the years that followed, Kim K blew up and became “the most famous person in the world.” Zoe, however, admitted that her dad’s opposition to her early ambitions allowed her to pursue her dream of becoming a teacher.
“I became a teacher, which was the best job and what I always truly wanted to do,” she explained. Henry, who was a fan of that profession, knew she was “born” to teach after visiting her classroom on multiple occasions. “I’m not kidding, [it’s] not because I’m your dad,” he continued. “I’m just objectively telling you I saw it happen. If I were a young parent, at the time that I saw the way you parent and the way you taught, I would have stolen your technique and used it as my go-to.”
Zoe began working as a nursery school teacher after graduating from Loyola Marymount University. She eventually transitioned into a humanitarian role after co-founding the nonprofit, This is About Humanity, in 2018.
The organization helps families and children who were separated at the United States-Mexico border by raising awareness and offering resources and assistance.
