There was a time, Henry Winkler admits, when he was sensitive to people calling him “Fonzie” in real life – and even scolding a child for it.

The Happy days icon made a name for himself playing fan-favorite character Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli on the sitcom for 11 seasons in the ’70s and ’80s. But the actor, 78, was so “panicked” about being typecast in that role that he reprimanded his future wife Stacey Weitzman’s son Jed, who was just four at the time — and a big fan of Fonzie .

Winkler and Stacey told the hilarious story, starting with how much Jed loved Fonzie when they just started dating, on Kate Hudson and Oliver Hudson’s Sibling rivalry podcast.

“My oldest son, Jed, loved him like crazy and had Henry and the Six Million Dollar Man on his fourth birthday cake in June, and this was in August,” Stacey said. “It was cute.”

So when it came time to introduce Jed and Winkler, the young boy knew exactly who he was meeting.

“My parents were abroad and we were staying at their house, kind of like a house sitter, and Henry came to pick me up, like a date was coming to pick me up,” Stacey said. “We went to the movies, and maybe it was because I said to him, ‘Guess who I’m dating?’ and it was his birthday cake person, he opened the front door and said, ‘Fonzie!’ And Henry – who was extremely serious at the time – (said) ‘What did you say, dear?’

The Emmy-winning Barry actor then explained, “I was freaking out at the time because I was being typecast, so I wouldn’t do anything to Fonzie outside of the show. I was Henry, and that was my character. (Jed) opened the door, I looked down at this little man (who said), ‘Fonzie!’ I said, “My name is Henry. Would you like me to call you ‘Ralph’?”

Stacey laughed as she joked, “And then of course he went to therapy.”

“Swear to God,” Henry added.

The couple married a few years later, in 1978, and had two children together, Max and Zoe, in addition to Jed (Stacey’s son from her previous marriage to Howard Weitzman).

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Winkler recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of Happy days at the 2024 Emmys alongside his co-star Ron Howard in a recreation of the Arnold’s Drive-In set (see video above). The pair presented the Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series, which went to Christopher Storer The Bear.

“This is fantastic,” Howard began, appreciating the film’s meticulous detail Happy days around them, complete with a live actor dressed in a 1950s outfit sitting in a booth going over the menu. Howard then urged Winkler to channel the Fonz and hit the jukebox behind them both. “First of all, I’m out of practice,” Winkler said. “Second, it takes rehearsal.”

“You went to the Yale School of Drama, Henry!” Howard reminded him. “Come on, you know you can do it.” Winkler immediately raised his hips and channeled his own Happy days Greter, and blasted the iconic theme song on the jukebox before closing with a Fonz arrific: “Nice to see you.”

Listen to the full interview at Sibling revelry with Kate Hudson and Oliver Hudson above.