A man who was interviewed about a Dublin hotel fire turned out to be a major Hollywood legend – and his response to the ordeal has captured the hearts of thousands of people across the web.
Guests of the Shelbourne Hotel were forced to evacuate on Wednesday morning, and a local news outlet rushed to the scene to interview some of them about the incident.
But one turned out to be a massive actor – Happy Days actor Henry Winkler – and his epic response after a newscaster asked for his take on the situation has gone viral.
Despite being woken up by the blaring fire alarm and having to rush outside, the star was in great spirits – and he even took time to thank the firefighters for their hard work.
‘When I heard the fire alarm, I thought it was the clock radio,’ Henry told Irish publication RTE News.
Happy Days star Henry Winkler has gone viral thanks to his epic response after a newscaster stopped him on the street to interview him about a hotel fire
The actor, 78, who famously played The Fonz in the ABC sitcom, was forced to evacuate the hotel he was staying at in Dublin (seen) this morning due to an emergency
Local news outlets rushed to the scene to get the scoop, and when one asked Henry for his take on the situation, his response captured the hearts of thousands of people on the web
Despite being woken up by the blaring fire alarm and having to rush outside, the star was in great spirits
‘I thought somebody had set the alarm before we got there, like another guest. Finally, I went into another room and it was still buzzing, so I called downstairs.
‘The woman said in a very calm voice, “Yes, we’re all evacuating. You must evacuate right now.” And I left.’
The actor explained that he had arrived late the night before after his flight got delayed by hours, only to be woken in the morning from the alarm.
But he was not in a bad mood despite the lack of sleep, and was spotted smiling, chatting with other guests, and shaking hands with the firefighters afterwards.
‘Fireman are some of my favorite human beings, firemen and firewomen,’ he added to RTE.
‘They run in when other people are running out. I think their hands deserve to be shook.’
‘It was an amazing adventure right here in Dublin. I cannot wait to see the rest of Dublin,’ he concluded.
According to the outlet, the fire alarms at the Shelbourne Hotel went off about 10:30am and a witness said ‘he saw smoke coming from one of the upper bedroom windows.’
He even took time to thank the firefighters for their hard work
After the incident, he posted a selfie with some of the firefighters to X, writing, ‘Thank you Dublin’s fire department… our hotel was evacuated on our first morning’
Dublin Fire Brigade Colm Kershaw later said that the fire was ‘confined’ to one room and that there was ‘minimal damage.’
The actor explained that he had arrived late last night after his flight got delayed by hours, only to be woken in the morning from the alarm. But he was not in a bad mood despite the lack of sleep. He’s seen in Happy Days
‘The crews got up there fairly quick and got water on it. We had the floor isolated and we got it out fairly quick,’ he revealed.
Back in 2013, Henry was involved in a similar scenario when a BBC reporter was asking Londoners what they thought about a new runway coming to Heathrow airport.
He stopped Henry to ask his opinion on the matter, who kindly told him he wasn’t a UK resident but that he thought it would be a good way to improve the ‘economy.’
During the quick interaction, Henry explained that that he was spending time in Richmond, where Heathrow was located, for work; he was in the midst of starring as Captain Hook in the Pantomime version of Peter Pan.
‘There I was, getting into my stride when suddenly a middle aged man hove in to view, scarf round his neck, shopping bags to hand,’ the reporter later wrote of the experience.
‘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.
‘Instantly I became a gabbling, star-struck idiot, asking if he had a vote here (doh! he’s an American actor), how his pantomime was going and even if he had a view on Heathrow (what was I thinking?).
‘As it turned out, he did have an opinion and a small TV moment was born. For the record, it was not a set-up, it was a totally random meeting.
‘I did know he was Henry Winkler but it took a moment to sink in; and yes, as a resident of Richmond – albeit a temporary one – he has just as much a right to an opinion as anyone.’
Henry’s positive attitude, as well as his gratitude to the workers amidst the annoyance left social media users in awe on Wednesday.
Immediately, X, formerly Twitter, erupted with posts about his involvement in the ordeal.
‘Don’t care about the other patrons. As long as Henry Winkler is safe. He is to be protected at all costs,’ one person wrote.
‘Fireman are some of my favorite human beings, firemen and firewomen,’ he said to RTE. ‘They run in when other people are running out. I think their hands deserve to be shook’
‘One of the best people on God’s green earth,’ another agreed. ‘Ireland might have become an international pariah if we’d killed Henry Winkler.’
‘It’s often said Henry Winkler is one of the nicest people in Hollywood, I can see what these people are talking about,’ someone else added. ‘Imagine being so positive after a disastrous beginning to your trip.’
Someone else found the ‘sheer luck’ of a journalist going to cover a small hotel fire and ‘randomly finding Henry Winkler there to interview’ amusing.
‘Assignment editor: Go to the scene and get victim impact. Reporter: I present you, The Fonz,’ a fifth tweet read.
A sixth said, ‘Imagine being the reporter sent to cover the fire and seeing Henry freaking Winkler.’
Back in 2013, Henry was involved in a similar scenario when a BBC reporter was asking Londoners what they thought about a new runway coming to Heathrow airport
Another user said they saw the news segment on TV and had to do a ‘double take’ when Henry popped up.
He stopped Henry to ask his opinion on the matter, who kindly told him he wasn’t a UK resident but that he thought it would be a good way to improve the ‘economy’
While someone else described the video as ‘unexpected wholesomeness.’
‘He seems like such a genuinely nice person, just great vibes radiating from him,’ wrote a different person.
Henry is in Dublin to promote his new memoir, Being Henry – The Fonz and Beyond.
After the incident, he posted a selfie with some of the firefighters to X, writing, ‘Thank you Dublin’s fire department… our hotel was evacuated on our first morning.’
Henry’s positive attitude, as well as his gratitude to the workers amidst the annoyance left social media users in awe
Henry Winkler: From early Happy Days to his TV renaissance
Henry Winkler has released a new memoir, taking fans behind the scenes of his 50 year career.
The actor first came into the public eye when he had a secondary role on the hit 70s show Happy Days as local tough Arthur ‘Fonzie’ Fonzarelli.
He landed the role after moving from his native New York where he was struggling to get by on theatre roles and the odd TV commercial.
Upon the advice of an agent he moved to California and within weeks he got the Happy Days role.
The actor first came into the public eye when he had a secondary role on the hit 70s show Happy Days
The character turned out to be so popular, he was made a lead in the series which lasted for 10 years. Such was his popularity that producers of the show wanted to change the title to Fonzie’s Happy Days, until the actor persuaded them not to.
The actor spoke to CNN’s Chris Wallace on Who’s Talking about winning the part as The Fonz at the age of 28 saying, when he turned up for the audition, ‘all I did was change my voice.’
‘I introduced myself as Henry, and then as I started to do it, something overtook me … And I changed my voice like this and it unleashed me.’
After a decade on the show he was ready to branch out. He was offered the part of Danny Zuko in Grease but turned it down, moving instead into producing and directing.
As incompetent attorney Barry Zuckerkorn in Arrested Development
He also became the co-author of the Here’s Hank and Hank Zipzer series of children’s books which were inspired by the Emmy winner’s childhood and his struggle with undiagnosed dyslexia.
The actor has addressed how the learning disability affected his life in the new memoir, revealing how difficult it was for him to get a job after being typecast as a result of his iconic Happy Days role.
The native New Yorker was able to get small parts a few times a year in the decades that followed.
He made appearances in the Adam Sandler comedies The Waterboy And Little Nicky. The versatile star also provided voice work for many animated shows, including Clifford’s Puppy Days and Sit Down, Shut Up.
In the 2010s Henry was back in front of the camera, charming audiences in comedies such as Parks and Recreation and Royal Pains and landing the part of incompetent attorney Barry Zuckerkorn in Arrested Development.
He shares three children with his wife of 46 years Stacey
Arrested Development was made by his Happy Days co-star Ron Howard’s production company which booked Henry for one episode before he ended up staying for five years.
The acting renaissance continued when in 2018, he was cast in HBO’s black comedy Barry, for which he won an Emmy.
He was persuaded to write his memoir by his son Max, but was initially put off writing due to his dyslexia, before teaming up with ghost writer, James Kaplan.
He shares three children with his wife of 46 years Stacey.