‘Are You A Damn Fool?’ Chris Wallace Stunned Henry Winkler Turned Down John Travolta Role In ‘Grease’

CNN anchor Chris Wallace was stunned when legendary actor Henry Winkler confirmed he turned down the John Travolta role in the movie musical Grease, asking him “Are you a damn fool?”

The latest interviews from Wallace’s series Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace on HBO Max feature AOC, Barry star and area Fonzie Henry Winkler, and Michelle Zauner of the alternative pop band Japanese Breakfast.

During his interview with Winkler, the erstwhile Arthur Fonzarelli talked about being typecast and unable to find acting jobs after Happy Days ended, a period during which he turned to producing TV shows. He helped create the hit Richard Dean Anderson vehicle MacGyver for ABC, but Winkler shared that he did not enjoy producing.

Wallace asked Winkler about one role he was offered and rejected:

CHRIS WALLACE: Okay. During this fallow period…

HENRY WINKLER: Yes.

CHRIS WALLACE: You do get offered a part. You get offered the part of the lead in Grease over over John Travolta before John Travolta. And you turn it down.

HENRY WINKLER: I did.

CHRIS WALLACE: Are you a damn fool?

HENRY WINKLER: Yes, I am. I–. Because I only realized or afterwards, years afterwards, I thought I played the Fonz. I don’t want to do it again. I’m going to cement. It as already happened, I’m already typecast. I should have just shut up and had a really good time making that movie.

CHRIS WALLACE: Right.

HENRY WINKLER: Now I go home, I say no and I have a Diet Coke. John Travolta goes home and has done the movie and buys a plane.

CHRIS WALLACE: (laughs) Okay, good. Good line.

HENRY WINKLER: It’s true!

Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace drops three full episodes each Friday morning, and CNN airs a version recapping highlights of the episodes every Sunday at 7 p.m.

Watch the full exchange above via HBO Max and CNN.