Henry Winkler is opening up about his brush with the law.
Speaking on the SmartLess podcast in an episode released on Monday, July 8, the actor, 78, revealed how the FBI once arrived at his home just to “meet the Fonz.”
“So I’m sitting in my apartment. I have a Victrola because everything was vinyl,” he began. “I went to Tower Records on Sunset Boulevard. I bought, Dan Fogelberg, and I was listening to Dan Fogelberg on my rented Victrola. The door knocks.”
Winkler added, “I get up. There are 3 men with badges. And I said, ‘Oh no, you do not smell what you think you’re smelling. Oh my God.’ ”
Harry Winkler at the 2024 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at the University of Southern California on April 20, 2024 in Los Angeles.
David Livingston/Getty
“And they said, ‘We’re with the FBI.’ Mhmm. ‘We’re not here for that. We just wanted to meet the Fonz,’ ” the comedian continued in reference to his character in Happy Days. “I was so happy that I was not being put in handcuffs, I didn’t care what they did.”
Winkler’s story comes after he had to be evacuated from The Shelbourne hotel in Dublin, Ireland in June due to a fire.
The star arrived at the hotel the night before the fire occurred on the fifth floor of the 19th-century hotel at 10:38 a.m. local time.
Sharing a snap on Instagram, Winkler posed with firefighters as they stood outdoors following the evacuation.
“Dublin’s finest does a great job when our hotel is evacuated on our first morning !!!!,” his caption read.
Henry Winkler and Ron Howard in “Happy Days”.
ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty
Back in February, Winkler reunited with his Happy Days costar Ron Howard — who played Richie Cunningham — at Winkler’s event in Sydney Australia for his memoir Being Henry: The Fonz…and Beyond.
“LIFE! As the WORLD turns @RealRonHoward came to my book event in Sydney Australia. SO exciting for everyone !!!!” Winkler, 78, wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter) alongside a snap of the two.
Reposting Winkler’s tweet, Howard, 70, wrote, “Just started post-production in Sydney on my recently wrapped latest movie @edenthemovie starring an amazing cast.”
“A great creative experience but that’s for another post,” he added on X. “When I touched base with Henry, I discovered he was making an appearance here in support of his excellent best-selling memoir #BeingHenry: The Fonz…and Beyond. Fantastic!”
He added: “We connected backstage and I watched him give a great speech to a huge crowd. What a blast! @RealImagine.”
