'Happy Days' star Henry Winkler took Marlee Matlin in after difficult relationship with William Hurt

When Marlee Matlin ended her tumultuous narration with William Hurt, she leaned connected her mentor, Henry Winkler, for support.

The Oscar victor is detailing her emergence to Hollywood stardom successful a caller documentary, "Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore."

According to the film, Matlin turned to the "Happy Days" prima aft she ended her narration with histrion William Hurt. In the documentary, Matlin claimed that her "Children of a Lesser God" co-star had a "habit of abuse." Hurt died successful 2022 astatine property 71.

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Marlee Matlin and Henry Winkler's relationship is featured successful the caller documentary "Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore." The movie was featured astatine the Tribeca Film Festival. (Kino Lorber)

The 59-year-old, who is deaf, told Fox News Digital done an interpreter that turning to Winkler during a hard clip successful her beingness was a no-brainer.

"He didn’t marque it hard for maine to scope retired to him," said Matlin. "He was ever available. It was similar an unfastened doorway – an unfastened doorway to his bosom and my heart. And helium knew that."

Marlee Matlin credits Henry Winkler for being a supportive mentor and friend. (Kino Lorber)

"He knows that he’s done that to a batch of people," she shared. "But to person that adjacent relationship, I was conscionable very, precise fortunate. And I knew that some helium and his woman were golden to me. I don’t deliberation if I had Henry successful my life, I would beryllium here. I don’t deliberation I would’ve made it this far. I don’t deliberation so."

William Hurt was Marlee Matlin's co-star successful 1986's "Children of a Lesser God." (Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

Hurt and Matlin starred successful the 1986 movie astir a deaf woman’s romance with a hearing-speech teacher. Matlin was 19 erstwhile she was formed other Hurt, 35.

While the narration was plagued with problems, Matlin did recognition Hurt for inspiring her to cheque into the Betty Ford Center aft utilizing up each spot of cocaine and marijuana she had successful their New York City apartment.

However, post-rehab, Matlin realized their narration would not beryllium the same.

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The Betty Ford Center helped Marlee Matlin bushed her addiction. She celebrated 31 years of sobriety successful 2018. (Kino Lorber)

"I walked retired of that location and ne'er went back," she said successful the film.

Winkler encouraged a sober Matlin to sojourn him and his woman Stacey Weitzman at their California home. There, they could "talk." Matlin took up his offer.

The actor, who catapulted to fame arsenic "The Fonz," described Matlin knocking connected his door.

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 "’I conscionable broke up with my boyfriend,’" Winkler recalled Matlin telling him successful the film. "’Can I enactment with you conscionable for the weekend?’ ‘Sure. Stace, what bash you think?’ ‘Of course.’"

"Two years later, she yet moved out!" Winkler chuckled.

Matlin said Winkler and his household took her successful "as if I were 1 of their own."

Marlee Matlin lived with Henry Winkler and his household for 2 years. (Noel Vasquez/FilmMagic/Getty Images)

Winkler noted that Matlin was not "completely full astatine that time."

"What I told her was, ‘If you cognize what you privation without ambivalence, if you’re wide astir what you want, everything other volition autumn into place,'" helium said successful the film.

Not lone did Matlin statesman to heal, but she besides recovered existent love. In 1993, she joined Kevin Grandalski, a constabulary officer, astatine Winkler’s home.

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Marlee Matlin joined Kevin Grandalski successful 1993. They stock 4 children. (Barry King/WireImage/Getty Images)

 "You conscionable knew," said Winkler successful the movie astir the romance. "This is different. This is wherever a location is made. [And] determination was nary different happening to do, determination was nary different spot for her to get married, but successful our yard, successful her location distant from home."

Winkler archetypal saw a 12-year-old Matlin connected signifier in a Chicago assortment show. In the documentary, Winkler recalled however Matlin’s parent took him speech and asked if helium could pass her girl from pursuing an acting vocation due to the fact that it would beryllium excessively hard for her. Winkler replied, "You got the incorrect guy."

Marlee Matlin and Henry Winkler be the ceremonial honoring her with a prima connected the Hollywood Walk of Fame connected May 6, 2009 successful Hollywood, California. ( Noel Vasquez/FilmMagic/Getty Images)

Winkler became a person and mentor to the then-aspiring actress. Their relationship has lasted for decades.

Henry Winkler, seen present embracing Marlee Matlin, ever encouraged the histrion to prosecute her dreams. (Kristian Dowling/Getty Images)

"I deliberation anyone who has that benignant of mentor would recognize and admit however important helium was to me," Matlin explained for Fox News Digital.

"He provided a spot for maine to consciousness safe," she said. "I could ever beryllium connected the information that helium was a idiosyncratic who believed successful me, genuinely, believed, and helped physique my ain self-confidence and spot the information that helium allowed maine to beryllium unfastened and spot the satellite much clearly. I'm truthful fortunate… that I was 1 of the radical that helium truly cares about, genuinely cares about, genuinely cares about."

In her documentary, Marlee Matlin reflected connected her beingness successful her superior connection of American Sign Language. (Kino Lorber)

"He was astir apt 1 of the astir celebrated radical successful the satellite astatine times," Matlin beamed. "He was much celebrated than the President, successful my opinion, and 1 of the astir beloved radical successful the world. So, who would've ever thought that helium would instrumentality the clip and springiness attraction to idiosyncratic similar me, the small miss that I was erstwhile helium met me, the small deaf miss erstwhile helium didn't adjacent cognize American motion language?"

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Marlee Matlin and Henry Winkler airs astatine the ceremonial that honored her with a Star connected the Hollywood Walk of Fame. (Frank Trapper/Corbis via Getty Images)

"He didn't cognize thing astir being deaf, astir deaf culture," Matlin continued. "But you cognize what? It didn't substance to him. He acknowledged, of course, yes, that I communicated. He didn't disregard the information that I was deaf, but astatine the aforesaid time, helium treated maine with emotion and respect, arsenic anyone should to anyone. And I grabbed that infinitesimal erstwhile we archetypal met, knowing that helium was the existent deal."

Winkler, 79, said successful a connection sent to Fox News Digital, "When we archetypal saw her astatine property 12, it was evident however almighty and talented she was. She volition ever beryllium portion of our lives."

Henry Winkler arsenic "The Fonz" successful "Happy Days." (Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)

Matlin is the youngest and archetypal deaf champion histrion Academy Award winner. Her memoir, "I'll Scream Later," was published successful 2009. In it, the histrion said she was molested arsenic a kid and alleged maltreatment from Hurt during their relationship.

Marlee Matlin's memoir, "I'll Scream Later," was published decades earlier the #MeToo movement. (Kino Lorber)

"I didn't cognize that you could inquire for help," Matlin told Fox News Digital. "I didn't cognize that portion screaming for help, I didn't cognize that I could spell retired and question retired help, arsenic opposed to portion it was happening… hoping that idiosyncratic would come. But nary 1 did portion I was screaming. No 1 did… I don't privation to dwell connected that, but that's what happened."

William Hurt arsenic a newscaster successful a country from the 1987 movie "Broadcast News." The histrion died successful 2022 astatine property 71. (Amercent Films/Getty Images)

Following the book’s publication, Hurt issued a connection to Access that read, "My ain recollection is that we some apologized, and some did a large woody to heal our lives. Of course, I did, and bash apologize for immoderate symptom I caused. And I cognize we some person grown. I privation Marlee and her household thing but good."

The documentary’s director, Shoshannah Stern, who is besides deaf, told Fox News Digital done an interpreter that she admired Matlin’s bravery successful speaking earlier the #MeToo movement.

MARLEE MATLIN REACTS TO EX WILLIAM HURT'S DEATH AMID ABUSE ALLEGATIONS: 'WE’VE LOST A REALLY GREAT ACTOR'

"Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore" was directed by Shoshannah Stern, left, who is besides deaf. (Kino Lorber)

"Everyone had truthful overmuch doubt," said Stern. "And past asking Marlee, ‘Why didn’t you leave?’ ‘Why did you enactment successful that relationship?’ I conscionable felt that they conscionable re-traumatized her… The questions that they asked made it worse, asking, ‘Did you deliberation that those events happened to you due to the fact that you were deaf?’ And Marlee continuing to say, ‘I didn’t know.’… And radical conscionable overlooking that remark implicit and over, not knowing what she meant and her strength."

Marlee Matlin flashes a fierce look successful a achromatic and metallic rhinestone gown astatine the 93rd Annual Academy Awards astatine Union Station connected April 25, 2021 successful Los Angeles. (Chris Pizzelo-Pool/Getty Images)

"She didn’t cognize that maltreatment was maltreatment astatine the time," said Stern. "And that’s what happens to truthful galore deaf radical successful the world."

The enactment continues for Matlin, on with telling her story.

Marlee Matlin is seen present arsenic a kid and today. (Kino Lorber)

"I was determined to beryllium [my critics wrong]," Matlin told Fox News Digital about pursuing a Hollywood career. "It conscionable made maine privation to rotation up my sleeves, adjacent more, to beryllium to them that I’m a deaf pistillate who loves acting arsenic overmuch arsenic anybody else… I didn’t get into this concern for nothing. It was a imagination travel true. So wherefore shouldn't I beryllium capable to bash different film?"

"But if it happened today, I would’ve made a batch of sound backmost then," Matlin reflected. "I didn’t cognize however to talk retired against those who… wanted to enactment maine successful a antagonistic light… As a effect of each those criticisms, I had to turn up truthful quickly.

Marlee Matlin won an Oscar for Best Actress successful 1987. (Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

"I was 19 years aged erstwhile I got into [‘Children of a Lesser God’], I turned 20 during the making of the film, and I had a overmuch older boyfriend. It was my archetypal film, and I was trying to get sober, and everything was coming astatine once. And they were much funny successful pulling maine down than each the different things that I was going through."

"Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore" premieres June 20.