Henry Winkler has been attached to star in a new legal comedy series in development at NBC, titled 'Last Chance Lawyer.' In the show, he will portray Howard Greenberg, a unconventional criminal defense attorney advocating for underdog clients.
Henry Winkler, the Emmy-winning actor best known for his role as Arthur Fonzarelli on the ABC sitcom 'Happy Days,' is set to lead a new project at NBC. The series, 'Last Chance Lawyer,' is a legal comedy written by Mike Gagerman and Andrew Waller. Winkler will executive produce alongside the writers, Jed Mercurio, and Jimmy Mulville through Hat Trick Media. Universal Television, part of Universal Studio Group, is producing the show.
In the series, Winkler plays Howard Greenberg, described as a hard-driving criminal defense attorney who fiercely represents underdog clients. His character's philosophy is captured in the line: “no matter what they are accused of, the system is always guiltier.” This role draws on Winkler's history of portraying quirky legal figures, such as Barry Zuckerkorn in 'Arrested Development.'
Winkler's recent credits include the HBO dark comedy 'Barry,' opposite Bill Hader, for which he earned his first Primetime Emmy as best supporting actor in a comedy. He has also appeared in films like 'The Waterboy' and 'Click' with Adam Sandler, the crime thriller 'Normal' with Bob Odenkirk, and others including 'Night Shift,' 'Here Comes the Boom,' 'Heroes,' 'Holes,' and 'Scream.' Upcoming is the music festival comedy 'Rolling Loud.' Beyond acting, Winkler co-authored 40 children's novels in the Hank Zipzer series with Lin Oliver.
Gagerman and Waller, longtime collaborators, previously had their Blacklist spec script 'Search Party' produced by Universal, featuring Adam Pally and Alison Brie. The news was first reported by Deadline on January 6, 2026.