<\/p>\n
Henry Winkler thought his small role in Scream<\/em> would be a fun favor for Wes Craven. The surprise came after filming, when the studio told him it did not want his name or image used to sell the movie.<\/p>\n Winkler, who played Woodsboro High Principal Arthur Himbry in the 1996 horror hit, said executives worried audiences would see the Fonz from Happy Days<\/em> instead of someone who belonged in a slasher movie. \u201cYou will knock the balance of horror off,\u201d he recalled being told during a recent In Depth With Graham Bensinger<\/a> interview.<\/p>\n The decision hit harder because Winkler was already dealing with the downside of playing one of television\u2019s most recognizable characters. He has said for years that his association with Arthur \u201cFonzie\u201d Fonzarelli made it difficult to find acting work after Happy Days<\/em>, even though the role had made him a star.<\/p>\n Then the studio\u2019s calculation took an unexpected turn. Winkler said test audiences applauded when he appeared onscreen. The same people who had not wanted to advertise his involvement later asked whether he would help promote the movie and he agreed.<\/p>\n Winkler said the role began during one of the regular lunches he shared with Craven. The director mentioned that he was making a new movie and had a small role available as a high school principal.<\/p>\n Winkler immediately agreed. He traveled to Santa Rosa, California, where Scream<\/em> was filming, and spent about a week working on what became Principal Himbry, the Woodsboro High administrator eventually murdered by Ghostface.<\/p>\n The death proved more elaborate than the size of the role suggested. Winkler was rigged with tubes carrying fake blood underneath his clothes before filming the stabbing sequence.<\/p>\nWes Craven Offered Him the Part Over Lunch<\/h2>\n