Henry Winkler reveals Ron Howard sends him a cheese basket every birthday — and he never returns the favor

Every year, without fail, a basket of cheese and crackers arrives at Henry Winkler's door. Every year, without fail, Winkler forgets to send one back.

Winkler, who turned 81 on October 30, appeared on ABC's Good Morning America on November 3 and revealed that his Happy Days co-star Ron Howard has maintained the quiet ritual for years — and that the generosity runs entirely in one direction.

Every year, I forget his, and he sends me this unbelievable basket of cheese and crackers. He's so thoughtful. You know, I met him when he was 18. I was 27.— Henry Winkler, actor

Winkler did not spare himself in the telling. He knows Howard's birthday — March 1 — and still does nothing about it.

I do [forget his birthday]. I know that it's on March 1, but I never seem to send him cheese.— Henry Winkler, actor

The two men met in 1973, a year before Happy Days premiered on ABC, when Howard was 18 and Winkler was 27. Howard played wholesome protagonist Richie Cunningham; Winkler played the leather-jacketed Arthur 'The Fonz' Fonzarelli. Howard left the show in 1980 to pursue directing; Winkler stayed until the series ended in 1984.

The cheese basket is not the first time Howard's gift-giving shaped Winkler's life. According to Winkler, it was Howard who introduced him to softball during their years on set — buying him his first mitt, while co-star Anson Williams, who played Potsie, bought him his first bat.

I don't have good eye/hand coordination, so I was never a sports person except for water-skiing when I was younger. Ron bought me my first mitt and Anson Williams bought me his first bat for my birthday. They taught me to pitch softball on the sound stage in between scenes. I became very good at pitching. I couldn't hit very well. I couldn't catch very well. But it was a great accomplishment for me.— Henry Winkler, actor

The friendship survived what Winkler once described as one of the hardest moments of his professional life: the day Howard called to say he was leaving the show. Winkler has recalled that Howard phoned him from a booth near the stage door, telling him the news would be in the press within minutes but wanting his friend to hear it first.

My first thought was, 'I'm going to die now'. My great acting partner on this show, my good friend, is no longer going to be here. My life is over. And that was in the first two seconds. Then I said, 'Ron, we've talked about this since the beginning. All you want to do is be a director. It's in your DNA. Go and be the best you can be, and I cannot wait to see what you do.'— Henry Winkler, actor

Howard went on to direct Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind — for which he won the Best Director Oscar — and How the Grinch Stole Christmas, among others. Winkler has continued acting, producing, and writing, and was appearing on GMA to promote his work including the animated Disney film Hexed and his Detective Duck book series.

More than five decades after they met on a soundstage, the annual cheese basket keeps arriving. Winkler has expressed his deep affection for his longtime friend.

Why it matters — A small, warm story about how a friendship forged on a 1970s sitcom has been quietly sustained for over 50 years — and what it looks like when one person simply keeps showing up.

Reported by ew.com, people.com, parade.com, hellomagazine.com, femalefirst.co.uk