Henry Winkler Is Trending on Social Media for the Most Simple Reason

Michael Hein

09/13/2022 05:04 pm EDT

The Emmy Awards ceremony was a media frenzy on Monday night with cameras pointing in every direction, yet Henry Winkler and his smartphone managed to steal the show in some ways. Winkler was on hand taking selfies left and right, making him a trending topic on social media the next morning. It looks like he may have had more fun than anyone at the award show.

Winkler was gregarious and open-handed at the Emmys this year – he answered interview questions on the red carpet, showered other performers with compliments and created soundbites that will have fans howling. He posted selfies with most of the main cast of Abbott Elementary throughout the night, as well as a surreptitious one with Lizzo. He even photobombed Zendaya, to followers' delight.

At 76 years old, Winkler is an undisputed icon in the TV industry – especially when it comes to sitcoms. That's why Abbott Elementary fans were particularly pleased to see him showing so much love for the breakout hit series. Winkler cut into Entertainment Tonight's interview with star Tyler James Williams, who was brought to tears by the older actor's praise.

Winkler's show Barry was nominated for outstanding comedy series, while Winkler himself was nominated for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series, but both awards went to other shows. Still, it was clearly a successful night out for Winkler. Scroll down for some of Winkler's best moments from the Emmys and fans' biggest responses.

'DILF'

One of the most popular clips of the night showed Winkler learning the slang term "DILF" in real time thanks to a tweet from a fan.

Abbott Elementary

Die-hard fans of Abbott Elementary were pleased to learn that Winkler was one of them. The actor could not say enough nice things about the sitcom.

Big Fan

While Winkler himself is an A-lister as far as most people are concerned, fans were amused to see him starstruck by other popular performers such as Lizzo and Jean Smart.

Being Himself

Admirers noted that Winkler succeeds on social media generally by using it without pretensions or agendas. He simply posts like any other daily user.

Interviews

Winkler's moment with Williams resonated with a lot of fans in a very particular way. Meanwhile, Winkler also raved about his Barry co-star Bill Hader.

Fonzie

Fans remarked that Winkler's real-life persona has become the opposite of the character that made him famous, and yet is no less beloved.

Protect Him

When photos showed that Hader wore a mask for most of the night, many fans presumed it was to add another layer of protection for Winkler, who is at high risk for COVID-19 because of his age. In fact, Hader himself has said that he takes COVID-19 precautions because he is personally immunocompromised, but it still kicked off a conversation about fiercely defending Winkler from any harm.

Disclosure: PopCulture. is owned by Paramount. Sign up for Paramount+ by clicking here.