Some characters stay with you forever, and when they’re as cool as Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli, it’s appropriate to bring them out and pay them respect once in a while.
On the red carpet of the 2022 Emmy Awards, Henry Winkler, who recently nabbed his third nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for Barry — an award he won in 2018 — fondly recalled some acting advice he got from his Happy Days costar Ron Howard.
Stopping by the PEOPLE & Entertainment Weekly Red Carpet Live pre-show, the star reflected on their decades-long friendship, saying, “He is like my brother, even though we are 10 years apart. He has great wisdom. He has great warmth. He has great ability. And I have loved him from the minute that I met him.”
CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images Henry Winkle
Winkler then shared a bit of advice Howard gave to him when he was frustrated with one of the Happy Days scripts.
“I was on the set. I’m hitting my script because I’m from New York and I can’t make the joke work,” Winkler recalled. “He took me around my shoulder, walked me to the back of the soundstage. He said, ‘You know, the writers are working as hard as they can. I wouldn’t hit our script.’ I said, ‘Ron, I will never hit it again as long as I live.'”
Everett Collection Ron Howard and Henry Winkler in ‘Happy Days’
Winkler also shared what fans say to him most often when they see him, which the veteran actor claims depends on their age — whether it’s a reference to Happy Days, Scream, The Waterboy, Arrested Development, Parks and Recreation, or, now, Barry. Still, the iconic catchphrase from the cooler-than-cool Fonzie remains as popular as ever.
“I promise you, ‘Ayyyy!’ is in there a lot,” Winkler said, channeling the Fonz. “As a matter of fact, I knew I was going to be hot, so I wore the jacket under the tux… It’s under here! It’s a little… it chafes a little bit.”
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