Photo: Henderson/Miller-Milkis/Paramount/Kobal/ShutterstockEven The Fonz crashes and burns sometimes.Henry Winkleradmitted on Friday’s episode ofThe Jennifer Hudson Showthat he only actually rode hisHappy Dayscharacter’s signature motorcycle once. And unfortunately, it ended in disaster.“I rode it really for 17 seconds, in the beginning, going up the hill. That was it,” the actor, 77, told hostJennifer Hudson. “And there was a moment when they had me on soundstage 5 at Paramount. I was on the bike and all I had to do was rev it and move it five feet. I revved it and I be so dyslexic I had no idea where the brake was, where the gear was and I shot forward.“Leon Bennett/WireImageWinkler remembered nearly hitting the show’s director of photography.“He leapt out of the way,” he recalled. “I put the bike down. We slid under the truck on the soundstage, and they came running. Everybody was, like, in a panic that the bike was fine because it was rented. And then they [said], ‘How about you? Are you okay?'“As a result, Winkler said he never rode the motorcycle again. “They scare me, actually,” the Emmy winner continued. “They put it on a board with four rubber wheels, attached it to a truck.“Winkler joked that he really sold that he had been riding the bike, though. “Did I not lean on that bike like it was my bike?” he asked.TheBarrystar also revealed thatSteve McQueenpreviously rode the same motorcycle in 1963’sThe Great Escape.“My tush and Steve McQueen hit the same seat!” Winkler remarked.Herbert Dorfman/Corbis via GettyNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Winkler called hisHappy Dayscostars his “secondary family” and said he “dreamt” of having the long Hollywood career he’s achieved.“I came out here and two weeks after I arrived,” he said, referring to Los Angeles, “I went to an audition forHappy Daysand it changed my life.“Happy Daysran for 11 seasons between 1974 to 1984 and launched Winkler’s Hollywood career. He went on to star inMonty,Arrested Development,The Waterboy. He currently stars oppositeBill Haderin HBO’sBarry, which earned Winkler his first Emmy in 2018.Winklerrecently told PEOPLEhe has no plans to slow down.“I have no license for that,” he said in April. “I just have that feeling. I will stop when I have to stop.”
Photo: Henderson/Miller-Milkis/Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock
Even The Fonz crashes and burns sometimes.Henry Winkleradmitted on Friday’s episode ofThe Jennifer Hudson Showthat he only actually rode hisHappy Dayscharacter’s signature motorcycle once. And unfortunately, it ended in disaster.“I rode it really for 17 seconds, in the beginning, going up the hill. That was it,” the actor, 77, told hostJennifer Hudson. “And there was a moment when they had me on soundstage 5 at Paramount. I was on the bike and all I had to do was rev it and move it five feet. I revved it and I be so dyslexic I had no idea where the brake was, where the gear was and I shot forward.“Leon Bennett/WireImageWinkler remembered nearly hitting the show’s director of photography.“He leapt out of the way,” he recalled. “I put the bike down. We slid under the truck on the soundstage, and they came running. Everybody was, like, in a panic that the bike was fine because it was rented. And then they [said], ‘How about you? Are you okay?'“As a result, Winkler said he never rode the motorcycle again. “They scare me, actually,” the Emmy winner continued. “They put it on a board with four rubber wheels, attached it to a truck.“Winkler joked that he really sold that he had been riding the bike, though. “Did I not lean on that bike like it was my bike?” he asked.TheBarrystar also revealed thatSteve McQueenpreviously rode the same motorcycle in 1963’sThe Great Escape.“My tush and Steve McQueen hit the same seat!” Winkler remarked.Herbert Dorfman/Corbis via GettyNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Winkler called hisHappy Dayscostars his “secondary family” and said he “dreamt” of having the long Hollywood career he’s achieved.“I came out here and two weeks after I arrived,” he said, referring to Los Angeles, “I went to an audition forHappy Daysand it changed my life.“Happy Daysran for 11 seasons between 1974 to 1984 and launched Winkler’s Hollywood career. He went on to star inMonty,Arrested Development,The Waterboy. He currently stars oppositeBill Haderin HBO’sBarry, which earned Winkler his first Emmy in 2018.Winklerrecently told PEOPLEhe has no plans to slow down.“I have no license for that,” he said in April. “I just have that feeling. I will stop when I have to stop.”
Even The Fonz crashes and burns sometimes.
Henry Winkleradmitted on Friday’s episode ofThe Jennifer Hudson Showthat he only actually rode hisHappy Dayscharacter’s signature motorcycle once. And unfortunately, it ended in disaster.
“I rode it really for 17 seconds, in the beginning, going up the hill. That was it,” the actor, 77, told hostJennifer Hudson. “And there was a moment when they had me on soundstage 5 at Paramount. I was on the bike and all I had to do was rev it and move it five feet. I revved it and I be so dyslexic I had no idea where the brake was, where the gear was and I shot forward.”
Leon Bennett/WireImage
Winkler remembered nearly hitting the show’s director of photography.
“He leapt out of the way,” he recalled. “I put the bike down. We slid under the truck on the soundstage, and they came running. Everybody was, like, in a panic that the bike was fine because it was rented. And then they [said], ‘How about you? Are you okay?'”
As a result, Winkler said he never rode the motorcycle again. “They scare me, actually,” the Emmy winner continued. “They put it on a board with four rubber wheels, attached it to a truck.”
Winkler joked that he really sold that he had been riding the bike, though. “Did I not lean on that bike like it was my bike?” he asked.
TheBarrystar also revealed thatSteve McQueenpreviously rode the same motorcycle in 1963’sThe Great Escape.
“My tush and Steve McQueen hit the same seat!” Winkler remarked.
Herbert Dorfman/Corbis via Getty
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Winkler called hisHappy Dayscostars his “secondary family” and said he “dreamt” of having the long Hollywood career he’s achieved.
“I came out here and two weeks after I arrived,” he said, referring to Los Angeles, “I went to an audition forHappy Daysand it changed my life.”
Happy Daysran for 11 seasons between 1974 to 1984 and launched Winkler’s Hollywood career. He went on to star inMonty,Arrested Development,The Waterboy. He currently stars oppositeBill Haderin HBO’sBarry, which earned Winkler his first Emmy in 2018.
Winklerrecently told PEOPLEhe has no plans to slow down.
“I have no license for that,” he said in April. “I just have that feeling. I will stop when I have to stop.”
source: people.com
