Henry Winkler will readily admit he is not a horror fan. Despite playing Principal Arthur Himbry in Wes Craven’s 1996 slasher classic ‘Scream,’ the actor says he’s never actually seen the finished film — he watched the premiere through his fingers.
Winkler landed the small but memorable role through his friendship with Craven, who invited him aboard and tucked a few Easter eggs from Winkler’s “Happy Days” era into the character. Himbry’s first name is Arthur — a nod to Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli — and a leather bomber jacket can be spotted hanging in his closet.
The role also gave Winkler one of the more memorable death scenes in the movie. He recently told PEOPLE that on the first take, blood shot out of tubes rigged all over his body as he screamed and hit the floor.
Craven, however, was underwhelmed.
The director walked over to Winkler after the take and asked, “Do you think it might be more excruciating?”
Winkler said yes. He took a shower, got retubed, and ran the whole thing again. “I screamed my head off,” he recalled. Horror fan or not, he has no regrets about the experience: “I had the greatest time,” he said of making ‘Scream.’
Craven died in 2015 at the age of 76. ‘Scream’ turns 30 this December.
