Henry Winkler Has 3 Surprise Netflix Hits on His Hands

Henry Winkler is a beloved actor of the big and small screen, and he’s apparently making waves on Netflix, as well. The 76-year-old star has not just one, not just two, but three separate movies making their marks in Netflix’s top 10 lists. While none of these are Winkler-focused projects, he plays key supporting roles and makes them all better, as he typically does in anything he’s in, whether it be HBO’s Barry or Disney+’s Monsters at Work.

The first big Netflix title that includes Winkler is the 2012 Sony movie Here Comes the Boom, which the streaming service is currently licensing. This Kevin James-led flick is the No. 1 kids project on the entire platform, and it’s the No. 2 movie, behind only Red Notice. When accounting for all movies and TV shows, the flick, in which Winkler plays teacher Marty Streb, is the No. 7 project on the service.

Here Comes the Boom’s official synopsis reads: “Former collegiate wrestler Scott Voss (Kevin James) is a 42-year-old, apathetic high school teacher. When budget cutbacks threaten to cancel some of the school’s programs and lay off its music teacher (Henry Winkler), Scott creates a scheme to raise money by moonlighting as a mixed martial arts fighter. Everyone thinks Scott is crazy – most of all the school nurse, Bella (Salma Hayek). In his quest, Scott gains something he never expected as he inspires his students and becomes a sensation that rallies the entire school.”

Next up, Winkler’s latest movie, the animated feature Extinct, is also rushing up the charts. It’s the No. 3 movie overall behind Red Notice and Here Comes the Boom, and it’s the No. 3 Kids title behind the James movie and the TV show Cocomelon. The Happy Days legend voices a character named Jepson in the new movie, which Netflix dropped on Nov. 19. The flick’s official synopsis is, “Two creatures known as Flummels find themselves transported from 1835 to modern day Shanghai.”

An unexpected credit that is Winkler’s third current Netflix hit is Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You. He voices Grandpa Bill in the animated movie, which is based on Carey’s iconic Christmas song. Even though it’s not even Thanksgiving, the holiday special is already the No. 6 Kids title on the service. It’s likely that it might even rise higher as the Christmas season approaches.