It isn't easy to describe for those who don’t know just how big a star Henry Winkler was in the 1970s. His character, The Fonz, was the biggest part of Habby Days, one of the best sitcoms of all-time, even if he didn't really know how to ride a motorcycle. He was so big, that he apparently even got social calls from the FBI, though Henry Winkler was afraid he was getting arrested at the time.
The great Henry Winkler recently appeared on the Smartless podcast where he told the story of hanging out in his apartment, listening to music while smoking a bit of pot. Unfortunately, he got a visit at that exact moment from exactly who you don’t want to be at your door when technically committing a crime. Winkler explained…
So I'm sitting in my apartment. I have a Victrola because everything was vinyl. I went to Tower Records on Sunset Boulevard. I bought Dan Fogelberg, and I was listening to Dan Fogelberg on my rented Victrola. The door knocks. I get up. There are three men with badges. And I said, 'Oh no, you do not smell what you think you're smelling.' Oh my god.
One can imagine, depending on exactly how long Henry Winkler had been smoking, that he was a little extra paranoid when the three guys at the door showed their badges. This has to be the nightmare scenario for every person who ever got high in their bedroom in the 1970s. Unfortunately for Winkler, the agents did smell what they thought they were smelling. Fortunately for Winkler, they didn’t care. The Fonz continued…
And they said, 'We're with the FBI. We're not here for that. We just wanted to meet the Fonz.'
On the one hand, marijuana possession probably wasn’t within the purview of the FBI at the time, so it wasn’t a crime they were technically concerned with. Of course, if they had wanted to arrest the actor, they certainly could have. Luckily for Henry Winkler, this was just three guys who wanted to meet the actor behind their favorite TV character.
Henry Winkler’s overnight stardom would have its downsides. He later turned down the lead in the Grease movie because he wanted to avoid typecasting, only to discover that it was too late, as he had trouble finding other work for a long time. He would eventually be rediscovered by a new generation thanks to popular supporting roles as part of the Arrested Development cast and on HBO's Barry, the latter of which ultimately won Winkler an Emmy.
Henry Winkler may not be the most famous person in the world anymore, but he’s still an incredibly accomplished actor. He probably doesn’t get visits from the FBI anymore, but if he does, and their Arrested Development fans, he’ll be fine.
