Ron Howard confirms Tom Hanks and Henry Winkler DID feud after Turner & Hooch… but they’re past it

Hollywood nice guys Tom Hanks and Henry Winkler have rumored to be feuding for three decades.

And now mutual friend Ron Howard has finally acknowledged the clash, telling The Guardian it was ‘disappointing’ to see his pals at odds.

According to Howard, Hanks, 64, and Winkler, 64, – who allegedly bucked heads during Henry’s brief stint directing Turner & Hooch – have both even asked for advice on their longstanding rivalry – which Howard says is now ‘water under the bridge.’

‘I’m friends with them both and both men felt compelled to come to talk to me about it,’ Ron – who worked with Henry on Happy Days from 1974 to 1984 and has directed Hanks in five films – told the paper.

‘It was just one of those unfortunate things where they really had a working style that did not fit. I know it was painful for both of them and I was able to lend an ear, if not offer any solutions.’

The Hanks/Winkler feud reportedly began during the Barry star’s 13 day stint as the director of the Forrest Gump star’s movie Turner & Hooch, the 1989 classic about a canine/detective crime-fighting combo. 

Henry was reportedly canned from the project after less than two-weeks due to ‘creative differences.’ He was replaced by Roger Spottiswoode, who also directed The 6th Day with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Recalling his dismissal with People in 1993, Winkler said: ‘I was called into [producer] Jeffrey Katzenberg’s office and he said, “You have everything with you? Go home.’ 

Fonzie touched on the tension during a 2019 appearance on Watch What Happens Live, telling Andy Cohen: ‘I got along great with the dog.’

And during January 5th’s Golden Globe Awards Winkler was seen making a sour face while Hanks was being honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Award. 

Just days after the Emmy-winner approached by TMZ and said: ‘I don’t have a feud with Tom Hanks. What everybody says and what is true are two different things.’

And Ron assured The Guardian that the spat was behind them, saying they’ve both attended Howard’s birthday celebrations, adding: ‘It’s been a lot of years, two men with a lot of water under the bridge.’

The trailer for Howard’s next film Hillbilly Elegy hit the web last Wednesday.

The film, which stars Glenn Close, Amy Adams and Gabriel Basso, is adapted from the 2016 memoir of the same name, which was written by author/venture capitalist J. D. Vance.

The memoir explores how his family’s Appalachian roots influenced his upbringing in Middletown, Ohio, the third-largest city in the Cincinnati metropolitan area.

Howard’s Hillbilly Elegy is scheduled to be released on Netflix on November 24, 2020, after a theatrical run in select theaters.