An evacuation at a Dublin hotel became quite the spectacle when firefighters encountered Hollywood veteran Henry Winkler.
The 78-year-old, best known for playing “The Fonz” on American sitcom Happy Days, had been staying at The Shelbourne in the Irish capital on Wednesday, when warnings to evacuate the building were sounded.
As smoke was seen rising from the building’s roof, firefighters and a media crew from Irish national broadcaster RTÉ News who attended the scene were surprised to find Winkler among the chaos.
The Parks and Recreation and Arrested Development star later posted a selfie on social media with three firefighters, thanking the responders involved and appearing amused by the situation.
“Thank you Dublin’s fire department … our hotel was evacuated on our first morning!!!,” Winkler wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Firefighters ‘some of my favourite human beings’, Winkler says
Gestures of goodwill were exchanged both ways, with the Dublin Fire Brigade responding to his post with an “Ayyyy, thanks Fonzie Mr. Cousineau”, referencing another of Winkler’s on-screen portrayals in HBO series Barry.
Later the department shared more photos with the actor while he was given a tour of their Dublin headquarters, looking jovial with a team of firefighters.
Speaking to reporters at the scene, Winkler described the early moments of the evacuation rather theatrically, explaining he initially mistook the fire alarm for an alarm clock.
“When I heard the fire alarm I thought it was the clock radio,” he told RTÉ News.
“I thought somebody had set the alarm before we got there, like another guest, and finally I went into another room and it was still buzzing so I called downstairs and the women said in a very calm voice, ‘Yes, we’re all evacuating, you must evacuate right now,’ and I left.”
He repeated his gratitude for the first responders, saying firemen and firewomen were “some of my favourite human beings”.
“They run in when other people are running out. I think their hands deserve to be shook.
“We came last night, our plane was delayed in London for about three and a half hours. this morning, we got up and evacuated … and it was an amazing adventure.”
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