Henry Winkler turns on character voice when he’s interviewed by unwitting Irish journalist about hotel fire
Henry Winkler was tapped for an interview Wednesday by an unwitting Irish reporter who didn’t realize she was speaking to a famed actor and comic.
The legendary “Fonzie” star didn’t identify himself when he recounted being evacuated from Dublin’s Shelbourne Hotel after a fire broke out around 10:30 a.m.
“When I heard the fire alarm, I thought it was the clock radio,” Winkler told RTE News, adding that he didn’t realize it was the fire alarm until he went into another room at the hotel and could still hear the “buzzing.”
“I called downstairs and the woman said in a very calm voice: ‘Yes! We’re all evacuating! You must evacuate right now!’” Winkler added, turning on a hilariously panicked and guttural character voice.
Fortunately, there were no injuries and the blaze was brought under control in less than an hour, leaving minimal damage to the 200-year-old hotel.
Winkler — who was visiting the Irish city to promote his new memoir “Being Henry: The Fonz … And Beyond” — was later seen thanking and taking selfies with the “wonderful” crew of firefighters.
“Dublin’s finest does a great job when our hotel is evacuated on our first morning !!!!” the “Arrested Development” star said in an Instagram post that featured three smiling smoke-eaters.
The Dublin Fire Bridage promptly reshared the image, captioning it “Ayyyy! Thanks F̶o̶n̶z̶i̶e̶ Mr. Cousineau,” in reference to Winkler’s character on the HBO show “Barry.”
Hilariously, the accidental interview isn’t the first time a foreign reporter has unknowingly chosen the megastar for their broadcast.
A shopping bag-toting Winkler was stopped by BBC reporter James Landale on the streets of London in 2013 to discuss airplane noise concerns in the area.
“He looked a promising interviewee so I lunged forward, began my spiel and immediately realized I was addressing no less a figure than the Fonz,” Landale later wrote.
Even though Winkler pointed out he wasn’t a British voter, he amicably gave his thoughts: “Richmond is a lovely place. I watch the planes go every day. I hear nothing,” he said, before walking away.
“Instantly I became a gabbling, star-struck idiot,” Landale wrote.
