Reporter unknowingly interviews Henry Winkler outside Dublin fire

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Whoa, the Fonz isn’t recognized world wide?

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Apparently, not in Ireland.

After the historic Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin was evacuated due to a fire alarm Wednesday morning, an RTE News reporter began interviewing guests on the street, including Henry Winkler, who played Arthur (The Fonz) Fonzarelli on Happy Days more than 40 years ago.

But the reporter apparently had no idea Winkler, once one of the biggest TV stars in the world, was one of those guests, according to the Daily Mail. And Winkler didn’t let the reporter in on his identity, instead opting to maintain his anonymity while he answered questions.

“I thought somebody had set the (clock) alarm before we got there, like another guest,” Winkler said, clearly not agitated by the early wake-up call. “And finally I went into another room and it was still buzzing, so I called downstairs and the woman said in a very calm voice, ‘Yes, we’re all evacuating. You must evacuate right now,’ and I left.”

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Winkler, who was in Dublin to promote his memoir, Being Henry – The Fonz and Beyond, was clearly in good spirits while waiting for the all-clear, despite arriving late the night before and being woken up when the alarm went off around 10:30 a.m. He chatted with other guests and shook hands with the firefighters who showed up at the hotel to investigate the alarm.

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“Fireman are some of my favourite human beings, firemen and firewomen,” he told 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.”

Dublin Fire Brigade district officer Colm Kershaw said the fire at the hotel was confined to the roof space above one bedroom on the sixth floor and firefighters quickly got it under control. Damage was minimal, he said.

“There was minimal damage to the hotel because the crews got up there fairly quick and got water on it,” Kershaw said. “We had the floor isolated and we got it out fairly quick. Everyone is out safe. Everyone was out the hotel, so everything worked very well.”

Afterwards, Winkler took a selfie with some of the firefighters and posted it on X (formerly Twitter), giving them a big thumbs up – along with the Fonz’s obligatory “Aaayyyyyyyy” – and thanking them for keeping everyone safe.

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