Henry Winkler was chosen to interview an unwitting Irish reporter on Wednesday who didn’t realize she was talking to a famous comedian.
The legendary ‘Fonzie’ star did not identify himself when he recounted that he was evacuated from the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin after a fire broke out at around 10:30 am.
“When I heard the fire alarm, I thought it was a clock radio,” Winkler said He told RTE NewsHe added that he did not realize it was a fire alarm until he went to another room in the hotel and kept hearing the “buzzing.”
“I called downstairs and the woman said in a very calm voice, ‘Yes!’ We’re all evacuating! ‘You have to evacuate now!'” Winkler added, playing the character’s panicked, funny voice.
Fortunately, there were no casualties and the fire 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 seen thanking and taking selfies with the “wonderful” crew of firefighters.
“Dublin’s finest did an amazing job when our hotel was evacuated on our first morning!!!!” The “Arrested Development” star said in an Instagram post that featured three smiling smokers.
Dublin Fire Bridge The photo was instantly reshared, with the caption “Ayyyy!” Thank you F̶o̶n̶z̶i̶e̶ Mr. Cousineau,” a reference to Winkler’s character on the HBO show “Barry.”
Funnily enough, the accidental interview is not the first time that a foreign correspondent has selected the mega star for broadcast without his knowledge.
BBC correspondent James Landale stopped a shopping bag carrying Winkler on the streets of London in 2013 to discuss aircraft noise concerns in the area.
“He seemed like a promising person in the interview,” Landale later wrote, “so I rushed forward, began my speech and immediately realized that I was addressing no less a character than the Fonz.”
Although Winkler noted that he was not a British voter, he expressed his thoughts cordially: “Richmond is a beautiful place. I watch the planes go every day. I don’t hear anything,” he said before walking away.
“Immediately I became a chatty, starstruck idiot,” Landale wrote.
“Lifelong beer expert. General travel enthusiast. Social media buff. Zombie maven. Communicator.”