A night of laughter, insight and more laughter is what students were in for at Norris Cinema Theatre on Tuesday night. Students, faculty and guests alike all filed into the 341-seat auditorium. Some were there to see Gene Cousineau, Barry Zuckerkorn or The Fonz, but all were there for Henry Winkler. The actor and comedian came to USC to accept USC Comedy’s 2024 Oakie Award.

Shalen Farahi, an undeclared freshman, just finished watching “Barry” and was anxiously waiting in line to see Winkler.

“He’s a living legend,” Farahi said. “It’s super cool that we’re able to have all these massive people in the film and media industry come to our school and speak. I think any chance that I can have to be near that would be super, super cool.”

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The Oakie Award is named after legendary comedians Jack Oakie and Victoria Horne Oakie and is given out annually. Previous recipients of the award include Bill Hader, Steve Carell and Mel Brooks.

Winkler was set to be in conversation with Hader, but because Hader came down with a fever, Wayne Federman, a part-time lecturer, stepped in. Winkler came on stage to thunderous applause and had the crowd laughing within his first sentence. He then leaped into the start of his inspirational story, on 78th Street and Broadway in New York City, lying in his bed, dreaming of becoming what he has become today. 

“If you have a dream — I’m no different than you, probably a little shorter — you don’t let the dream out of your mind,” Winkler said. “You have no doubt. You have to know what it is you want, and if you know what you want, you can actually just get there. I know this because I lived it.”

Winkler highlighted the power of tenacity as he told his life’s story, starting with his parents, who wanted to work in the wood industry. 

“My father spoke many languages. I am so dyslexic. I had trouble with English,” Winkler said. “He said to me in those languages many times a day, ‘Why do you think I bought the business over here?’ and I said, ‘Besides being chased by the Nazis, dad, was there a bigger reason?’” 

Winkler struggled with dyslexia and in school his entire life, having written more books than he has read. He took geometry four times in high school until finally getting a D- the summer after his senior year. He assured students that grades don’t matter. 

“When you’re out in the world and you’re good, you think someone’s gonna say, ‘Excuse me, can I see your transcript?’ I don’t think so,” Winkler said. “I think they’re gonna just say, ‘Oh, you’re good. I’m gonna hire you. I need you on my team.’” 

He continued to talk through his educational career at Emerson College and Yale University and then moved into his Hollywood career. He shared about his first audition for “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and his quick thinking that got him the part.

““The producer said, ‘I don’t have a script yet, but I do have one line … ‘Please pass the salt,’” Winkler said. “I took a glass of pencils, and I spilled it on his desk. I took the pencil, clanged it on the glass, and I said, ‘When you get a moment, do not bother yourself, could you pass the salt?’ And by the time I got back to where I was staying, I had the part.”

From there he went on to “Happy Days,” “Arrested Development,” “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” and “Barry.” Aside from acting, Winkler also wrote a plethora of books, such as the “Hank Zipzer” series.

Students were also given the opportunity to ask Winkler questions at the event. Haley Warren, a junior majoring in writing for screen and television, has always been a fan of Winkler, her favorite book series growing up was Winkler’s “Hank Zipzer.”

“I’m so beyond thankful that I got to meet him and tell him that and hear everything … like all of his wisdom, and he’s just absolutely incredible,” Warren said.

The awards started with a series of scholarships given out in honor of various faculty members. Then, it was Winker’s turn. Winkler was given Jack Oakie’s old kiddush cup and cardigan and, for a reason that was unclear to the audience, some fishing gear on behalf of a faculty member’s son-in-law. The big moment happened when Winkler was officially awarded the 2024 Oakie Award, which he was very proud to receive.

As crowds dispersed, Winkler stayed behind — taking photos and talking to all students and faculty who hung around afterward, cracking more jokes and giving everyone else the last laugh.