Aaaaayyyy!
World’s coolest guy endorses world’s other coolest guy
You love Henry Winkler. You do. You can not help it. I love Henry Winkler too. It’s not a sexual, romantic love – that was reserved, in 1981 at least, for Chachi, though Chachi’s worked hard to lose his sexy – it’s a pure love, a God love, a Dad love.
Henry Winkler is the sweetest man in the whole wide world. He speaks slowly, in a sort of Mr. Rogersy way, as if you are a retarded child and he loves you. Also, I am a horrible interviewer in the best of times, and this one will go down as the greatest in my long history of personal worsts. But Henry Winkler? Encouraged me, soothed me, metaphorically patted my head as if I were the last girl galumphing to the finish line in his own private Special Olympics.
Last weekend, Henry Winkler read to children at the L.A. Times Festival of Books on the Target Children’s Stage, which I am putting into this story only because it was the guy from Target who called us up at CityBeat and asked us if we would like to interview Henry Winkler? Yes, please! There were a thousand people at the Target stage, soaking up their Henry Winkler love. That afternoon, he called us. Watch, dear reader. Watch and cringe.
--Rebecca Schoenkopf
CityBeat: Hello?
Henry Winkler: Hello, Rebecca?
Yes?
This is Henry Winkler.
I knooooowwwww. Oh my god. Hello! I’m so sorry. This is just … I’m sorry. I’m 35, so everyone I know, there is just love and gratitude for you. Every single person I mentioned this interview to got a huge smile on their face just at the sound of your name.
Thank you. Thank you. That is so kind. Thank you.
Okay, I’m sorry. So what did you read to the children?
Book 14, which comes out May 19.
Is that a Clifford book?
No, Hank Zipzer. I write a series of books about my dyslexia with my partner, Lin Oliver. We’ve sold over 2 million. We’ve just sold the first two to England.
And they’re charming and funny?
They’re so funny! We don’t put anything in them unless we make each other laugh. I got a letter from a boy in Missouri that said, “I laughed so hard, my funny bone fell out of my body.” They’re for reluctant readers, and librarians tell us if kids read one of my books, they read five.
My son met you in line at a movie. You called him “honey.” And I thought, but that’s ridiculous, he was 9 or 10 at the time, he doesn’t know from Happy Days. But of course it hadn’t occurred to me: The Waterboy! So there’s a whole new generation out there having love for Henry Winkler.
Some kids know me from The Waterboy, some kids only know me from the books! But Rebecca, please tell your son: My fourth movie with Adam Sandler is coming out, Don’t Mess With the Zohan.
Who do you play?
I play his limousine client.
And is it like The Waterboy, where you’re the anti-Fonz?
The Fonz is the Fonz, and everything else I do is everything else I do.
But really, the coach in The Waterboy – which made me cry three times, by the way; I’m ridiculous, but whenever somebody’s sweet to somebody else, I cry – is the anti-Fonz. Really, watch it again! Well, I mean, don’t. You don’t have to.
I’d never thought of it that way, but it’s a really interesting, wonderful thought.
No, it isn’t! No! So, four movies with Adam Sandler? I had no idea.
Yes, I was in Little Nicky.
Yeah, I didn’t really watch that.
You know, Adam Sandler is brilliant, a
genius. He is in charge of every single
detail on his movie sets. I was in Click.
Oh, Click was good!
I was his father.
Oh, that was sad!
It was sad.
But really, obviously we don’t know you, but we all feel like we do. And you seem like a truly gentle man.
Thank you. Thank you. I will say I’m very appreciative of every day on this earth. I love my family. I love what I do.
So what are your days like?
I do movies. I produce television. I write my books with my partner, Lin. I have a blessed life. I am very appreciative.
So obviously people come up to you and go, “Aaaaay.”
Absolutely!
And you don’t mind it … .
Some people talk to me about The Waterboy, some people talk to me about Scream.
You were in Scream?
I was in Scream. I was the principal in the first Scream.
I had no idea. Maybe I should have done some research.
No, no, no, you shouldn’t have done any research! You don’t have to know anything about me! Just mention my books.
So you read to kids.
Yes, we just did it this morning, at the
Festival of Books. We had a thousand
people there.
That’s wonderful! It’s a wonderful thing to do. But do you ever lend your name to things that are more controversial? I’ve never seen your name attached to anything political, for instance.
Oh, no. I’m political. And sometimes controversial, I guess.
Oh …?
Well, for instance, a chicken could run our country better than what we’ve got now.
That is political! Do you have a favorite going into the election?
I do have a favorite. I don’t think I’m going to say it … .
I’m an Obama girl, myself … .
I think I’m an Obama guy. You can not be that articulate that often and not have it on the ball. People say we need “experience,” but intelligence and passion are what we need to fix this country again after what they’ve done to it. Rebecca, I have to go now to do another book signing. But thank you, thank you for the warm thoughts and kind words. Have the most wonderful day.
You know they’re everywhere. There’s just love for you beaming and shooting at you from everywhere! Big greaser rockabilly guys today would break out in grins when I told them I was interviewing you. I don’t know if you know that … .
That doesn’t matter to me! What matters is that I got the kind words from you today. Have a blessed day. The most wonderful day. Have a blessed day.
Published: 04/30/2008
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I think we've found Obama's running mate. Barack would carry all 50 states with this guy.