Most television viewers know Henry Winkler as Arthur Fonzarelli, better known as “Fonzie” or “The Fonz.”
On the long-running hit sitcom Happy Days, Winkler wore a black leather jacket, a white T-shirt, and blue jeans. But for his latest role, he appears in just a silk robe and a piece of jewelry.
“Fonzie” Is Going the “Full Monty”
The 80-year-old Winkler discussed his lack of wardrobe on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on April 13. He appears in the third season of Apple TV’s Loot, starring Maya Rudolph, as billionaire Gerald Canning. His episode premiered late last year.
“Maya Rudolph is one of my favorites. She is a brilliant, brilliant person and a lovely person,” he shared. “So when she asked me to be on the first episode, I didn’t even ask to read the script.”
When Winkler went in for a costume fitting, the first thing he tried on was a silk robe that went to his thighs.
“There was nothing else,” he explained. “That was it. And I said, ‘No, no, no.’ And they said, ‘No, there’s [also] a piece of jewelry.'”
Henry Winkler Said It Was “So Cold” During the Shoot
Winkler then began talking about the scene, which was filmed on a beach in January.
“And I want to say, the wind came from every direction,” Winkler said. “Parts of my body, large and small… It was so cold. I was in shock. But then I was with Maya and her wonderful cast.”
Being naked on a beach seemed less stressful for Winkler than performing with Neil Diamond, an experience he described last year.
“[It was a] hot August night,” Winkler shared. “Happy Days is as big as it possibly gets. I’m wearing a kind of a nice cable sweater, you know, and I’m sitting in the audience with my wife, Stacey, and all of a sudden, he calls me up.”
Winkler adds, “Now, I am so dyslexic I do not know the words to any song except for ‘God Bless America.’ And so, he calls me up, and he said, ‘Let’s sing ‘Song Sung Blue’ as the Fonz.'”
Of course, Winkler pulled a Fonzie and nailed it, proving he’s still the coolest guy on TV.