Drew Barrymore ran off mid-interview after choking on her drink — but Henry Winkler saved the day
Drew Barrymore once ran off the stage of her talk show in the middle of an interview for a serious reason! In an October 2024 episode of her show 'The Drew Barrymore Show', the Golden-Globe winning actress was joined by Henry Winkler. After warmly introducing the 'Happy Days' actor, Barrymore recalled meeting him as a child on the set of Ron Howard’s 1982 comedy 'Night Shift' with her mother. Soon after, Barrymore took a sip from her mug, and as she was about to ask the next question, she began coughing. “Don’t you worry. "Don’t you worry. It’s Ok. No? Ok," Winkler told Barrymore, as she stepped down the stage, according to Daily Mail.
After assessing the situation, Winkler took over the show and told the audience, “So, thank you for being here. It is such a pleasure. So, while we’re waiting, is there anything you’d like to hear about?” At that point, one of the audience members screamed, "Arrested Development." Winkler played the character of Barry Zuckerkorn in Fox's beloved sitcom, and the crowd wanted him to shed light on the same.
Then, the Emmy winner, who struggles with dyslexia, shared how he became a regular on 'Arrested Development.' In the episode, Winkler stated, “I went as the lawyer for the family, and it was really hard for me to read, so I would ad-lib a lot. I was there in my first scene in the living room with the rest of the family, and I had a bunch of Danish on the table. And I open my attache cas,e and while I’m talking to them, I’m pulling the Danish closer and closer.”
Ultimately, Winkler “let the Danish fall into [his] attache case.” The legendary actor further added, “And I stayed for five years. That was really written by a genius.” As Winkler finished his story, Barrymore returned to the stage to resume the interview. After returning to the stage, Barrymore apologized to Winkler and the audience, saying, "That has never happened to me before. I’m so sorry." As per Decider, Winkler replied by saying, “No! Are you a human being?” The two quickly moved on to the next segment of their interview.
After the episode aired, many viewers praised Winkler’s kindness. In the comments section of the YouTube video, one fan commented, "Henry Winkler is said to be the nicest guy in Hollywood. This video is proof of how he helps his friends. The professionalism he displayed makes him one of the Best!" Adoring Winkler, another one wrote, "I adore Henry Winkler A true gentleman and a professional. He stepped right in to keep the conversation going while Drew had her (very human) issue." One Youtube user said, "Henry Winkler was the perfect person to be on the couch when Drew had to run off stage. He was able to keep the show going and was sympathetic to her when she returned." Another one wrote, "How gracious is he? He's so awesome. I had the wonderful opportunity of meeting him in person once exactly how he is just a thoroughly quality person through and through. He is so awesome and amazing. I absolutely adore Henry Winkler and always will."