♪♪ -Tonight on "PBS Arts Talk"... -Oh, my gosh!

-[ Laughs ] -How are you?

-Imagine finding you sitting here.

-...comedian and late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel.

[ Applause ] -Hi, everyone.

-He sits down with legendary actor Henry Winkler... -One of the things that I love about you -- -...on this edition of "PBS Arts Talk."

♪♪ -You have a good show tonight?

-It was alright, you know.

-Yeah?

-It's not one for the record books, but it was okay.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-You've done so many.

-Yes.

Some say too many.

-I don't think so.

-[ Laughs ] -No, I don't think so.

You know, first of all, you are the first person immediately to say yes when -- -That's because I love you, that's why.

-Well, thank you.

That makes me feel good.

-Yeah, yeah.

-But I also thought it was because I will do almost anything that you ask, like put this whale-like body in a wet suit and belly flop for all of the public to see.

[ Drumroll ] -With the flop!

[ Triumphant music plays ] Took a page out of Eric's book.

[ Laughs ] Well, you're what they call a good sport.

-I am.

-For sure.

-I am.

And I got an award.

-Well, congratulations, Henry Winkler.

-Can I take this home?

-Yes, please, it's all yours.

-I thought you were going to give it to like a lot of other people.

-No, no, no.

Listen, we don't do that.

We're very, you know, very particular, when it comes to awards.

-Is that true?

-Yes.

If you get a Jimmy, I mean, that's something you'll have for the rest of your life.

-Yeah, I'm very happy.

-[ Laughs ] -I'm very happy.

You started on "The Man Show."

-I started, really, in radio.

-In radio.

-Actually, I started in high school.

I was on the college radio station in Las Vegas when I was 16.

-Right.

-I hosted a Sunday night talk show.

-Right.

-And then I -- -Even then?!

-Even then, yeah.

-At 16?

-Yes, at that age.

-You had the gift of gab.

-I guess.

You know, I worked at a clothing store with a guy who worked at the radio station and he said, "You're funny.

Do you want to be on the radio?"

-Wow.

-And I said, "Yeah, yeah, I do want to be on the radio."

And he took me down to the station and they put me on and they let me do this little show.

-Okay, so, now, you're 16.

Did you always know that this was the path, that something in show business was -- -No.

I wanted to be an artist when I was a kid.

-What kind?

-Drawing?

I love to draw.

That was my thing.

-Still?

-Still love to draw.

But once I got on the radio, being an artist, that was a memory.

-Second place.

-Then I get this disc jockey who, weirdly, happened to be at the show tonight, starts putting me on the air.

I'd call in to his show and I'd do character bits.

Then I moved to Arizona State.

-Paid for that, or no?

-No pay.

-No pay.

-Moved to Phoenix, Arizona State.

The disc jockey said, "Hey, this is the good station in Phoenix.

You should call them and do this there."

I did.

I met these guys and one of them got a job in Seattle and took me with him as his sidekick.

Got a job doing morning radio in Seattle.

-You left college... -Left college, dropped out.

-...to go to Seattle?

-Mm-hmm.

-Wow.

-My dad was not excited.

-Did you have a problem making that decision?

-Not at all.

I had no problem.

-Whhhshf!

-And, even if I had stayed in college, I probably wouldn't have graduated because I did not take it seriously.

-Got it.

-And then I got fired from that job in Seattle, had to move back in with my parents for almost a year, then finally got a job in Tampa, Florida.

Got fired thereafter... -[ Scoffing ] Right.

...little less than a year.

-Got fired because?

-Various shenanigans, you know.

You know, what it really was -- -Did you push the, uh... -Yeah.

I mean... -...envelope?

-...on the air, yes, but also, internally.

Like I always thought -- I always figured my jokes would be seen in the spirit of good humor, whereas, making fun of your bosses almost never pays off.

-Got it.

-Then got fired in Tampa, got a job in Palm Springs.

The day I got fired, I got the job in Palm Springs.

-Wow.

-I sensed it was coming.

-Carson Daly was my intern there.

-Wow!

-I met him when he was 12 years old and he was living in town and I said, "Come work with me at the radio station."

He was in college at the time.

Then I went to Tucson, Arizona.

I didn't get fired in Palm Springs.

Went to Tucson, fired there.

Got a job at KROQ in L.A. and I worked there for five years.

Then they put me on a show called "Win Ben Stein's Money."

That was my first show.

-Now let's turn to the Milli to my Vanilli, Jimmy Kimmel, [ Cheering and applause ] and find out [indistinct].

-Then "The Man Show," which I did with Adam Carolla.

[ Whimsical tune plays ] -Now, I heard Adam when he was the gardener, when he was -- -Mr. Bertram.

-That's right.

-That's where I met you, at KROQ, when you were in the Weezer video.

-That's right!

-♪ Ooh whee ooh ♪ ♪ I look just like Buddy Holly ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, and you're Mary Tyler Moore ♪ ♪ I don't care what they say about us, anyway ♪ ♪ I don't care about that ♪ -You were at the Weenie Roast with us... -Right.

-...or the Acoustic Christmas.

-The Acoustic Christmas.

-Acoustic Christmas and that's where we met and I have a great photo of that, that I think I sent you, but I should send you, so we can put it up on the screen.

-Let me tell you that that moment was important to me because I was asked to introduce Weezer.

-Very special guest to introduce the next band!

-I was not working at that time and it was very hard for me to get a job at that time.

And I walked on the stage and it was kind of dark and I had my head down to look for the spot I was supposed to stand in.

My children were there and I raised my head up and the audience saw and they started to cheer.

[ Cheering, whistling, and applause ] -[ Chanting ] Fonzie!

Fonzie!

Fonzie!

Fonzie!

-Boom!

Fonzie!

Fonzie!

-Thank you.

-Fonzie!

Fonzie!

Fonzie!

-Listen.

And I thought to myself, "I do exist."

For the first time in history, I have credibility in my house with my three kids.

[ Cheering, whistling, and applause ] I want you to get crazy for Weezer!

[ Cheering and whistling ] -You've got this audience of, largely, teenagers going crazy for you.

-Yeah, and they knew who I was and they liked what I did.

-Oh, I remember, when we booked you to do that, we were so excited, you know?

-Really?

It was amazing.

-Yeah, yeah.

-It was an amazing moment, actually.

-♪ I don't care about that ♪ -One of the things that I love about you, watching, and being on, your show, is that you're an amazing listener, which I think is an art.

-What?

-You're an amazing [ Raising voice ] listener.

-Oh, oh, oh.

Oh, thank you.

Appreciate that.

-You use your ear really well.

-Oh, the ears!

-Yes.

-Yeah, yeah, I got two of them.

-Yes!

-Yeah.

-Are they both working?

-[ Laughs ] -And I think it's an amazing thing.

You meet so many people, sitting in that chair.

-Yeah.

-Some people are not built to go on a talk show.

-Right.

-What is that like?

You then have to kick into another gear, I imagine.

-It can be difficult.

It's interesting because, now, we have social media and everybody comments on everything.

So you might have somebody who's a young star, who's never done a talk show before, who's seen them a lot and who's scared and is not used to this because it is a very particular thing.

You happen to be very good at it.

-But, let me just say to you --.

-A lot of actors aren't.

-I live with a tremendous amount of anxiety in that car from my house to yours.

-I do, too.

If I'm on a talk show, I have that, for sure.

What I don't want to do is dominate the conversation.

I could sit there and talk the whole time, it's no problem.

We can probably have a relatively entertaining conversation, but then the people who wanted to see the guest are upset.

So, I just want them -- I just very badly want the guests to leave the chair feeling it went well.

-Wow.

[ Cheering, whistling, and applause ] Did you [indistinct]?

-They don't do this for me.

This is specifically for you.

-That makes me feel better.

-Now, there are some people who are great at it, who never feel they did well, like David Letterman, like Howard Stern, who are fantastic and, afterwards, they're like, "Oh, I'm so sorry."

It's like, "What are you, crazy?"

-But both of those men are important influences to you, right?

-They are.

They are, for sure.

And it's important to me that they feel like they did well.

David Letterman, everybody.

-I'll take it.

[ Cheering and applause ] -[Both] Thank you so much.

-I'll be happy to take the [bleep]damn bull.

Do I leave now?

-But there are other people also, who are not very good, [ Laughter ] who think they did well.

You know, that happens sometimes, too.

But, yeah, it can be tough.

And it's a short period of time.

That's the hardest part because I do feel like, if I have an hour with anybody, I can have a pretty good conversation with them, but I don't have an hour with them.

And so that's why it's nice to have a conversation like this.

-But what happens if they literally give you nothing?

You're then left to your own devices.

You have to make it up.

-Then I will just talk the whole time.

I will fill the rest of the segment.

And, most of the time, when I do that, they are grateful that I did and afterwards, when the interview's over, they're like, "Thank you.

I'm so sorry," you know.

That happens sometimes.

But --.

-So, they're aware of the moment they're in?

-Usually, yeah, usually.

I mean, you can hear the audience not reacting or not laughing, so... -Yes, you can.

Yes, you can.

-...it's pretty immediate and it's hard, you know?

-You are a mysterious man.

Would you agree with that?

Do people find you to be mysterious?

-What does that mean?

-I mean, we don't -- [ Laughter ] I feel like we don't know a ton about you personally.

Is that intentional?

-I don't know a lot about you.

[ Laughter ] -In 21 years of interviews, you get up and you leave whatever house you're in at the time and you go to that studio.

[ Cheering and applause ] -Wow.

Hi, Guillermo.

Ah.

Hi, everyone.

Thanks a lot.

Thank you.

I appreciate it.

-Does it ever become a chore or are you still thriving and enjoying yourself?

-You know what?

It's too, um -- It's too hard to become a chore and what I mean by that is, ultimately, I go through a huge amount of material in the morning, I whittle it down to what I want to do.

I have a meeting -- -Right.

For the monologue?

-For the monologue.

I have a meeting about the guests and sometimes about the guest segments.

We have a meeting and then we go to rehearsal and then we go about crafting the monologue, which is a lot of work, so, it's one of those things where I'm so busy, I don't have time for it to feel like a chore.

I don't have the luxury of writer's block.

-But you still enjoy that hard work?

-I think so, yeah, I do.

-Yeah, I mean, it comes through, so I mean.

-Some nights more than others.

-I'm sure, I'm sure.

-Sometimes I will be walking down the stairs and go, "Oh, I got some good ones tonight I'm looking forward to," you know?

And sometimes I'm standing backstage, I just take a deep breath, I'm like, "What you have isn't that great and you're going to have to use whatever tools you have at your disposal to really sell it."

-Absolutely.

-And then sometimes it really goes really well and it feels really good, but then you got to do it again the next time, so.

-What's on your mind at this moment?

-I do feel a little bit -- I'll tell you what's on my mind.

A couple things.

-Yeah, I want to know.

-I do feel a little bit like I'm in an episode of "Barry."

-Come on, let's get down to work.

Scene 1.

I just want to hear the words.

-Because, you know, it's kind of like a teacher-type situation.

-Yes.

-I also, as I've told you multiple times -- There is something I want to talk to you about.

-And I'm here for you.

-One of my favorite movies -- and when I say one of my favorite movies, I mean top 2 or 3 favorite movies... -Unbelievable.

-...of all time... -Yes.

-...is "The One and Only."

-Unbelievable.

Do you know how many people talk to me about that?

-How many?

-Six.

-Yeah.

[ Laughter ] -And you're -- -Me my bandleader, Cleto... -Cleto!

-...we watched that movie.

Not only did we watch it a hundred times when we were kids.

We watch it as adults.

I have the entire movie memorized from beginning to end.

-I think that's fantastic.

-We, anytime we're together -- -Because you know what I did on the set?

-What?

-I would yell, "Line!"

[ Laughter ] I never knew anything.

-I know them all, so, if you need a line, you let me know.

-That's great.

-And it is, I think -- -But what is it about the film?

-It's a great cast and I think your character, Andy Schmidt, is so funny.

-Andy Schmidt.

-Who cares?!

-I feel like you don't appreciate that movie as much as you should... -It's so true.

-...and I can't understand it.

Like even when I asked you to sign the poster, you were like semi-reluctant.

Every line is a gem.

Like I used to date Sarah Silverman.

There's a scene in the movie -- you probably don't remember this at all, but scene in the movie where you throw your girlfriend out of the car.

-Get out.

-You say, "Get out!

Get out."

She gets out of the car on a dark road and then you're like, "O-O-O-O-O-Okay, get in."

She gets back in and then you throw her out again.

-If I get out, I'm not going to get back in.

-I'll take that chance.

[ Slam ] -You start driving next to her and you go, "Uh, get in.

You're acting like a child."

[ Laughs ] -Uh, get in.

You're acting like a child.

-[ Laughs ] I actually got out of a big fight with Sarah, once, who got out of the car and started like walking home or whatever and I roll down the window, I go, "Uh, get in.

You're acting like a child," and she started laughing and it just --.

-She watched the movie because of you?

-Of course.

-Of course.

-I wouldn't date somebody, unless they saw the movie and enjoyed the movie.

It's like a prerequisite for me.

-So, family.

I mean, I've met most of your family.

-Yeah.

You met my parents at dinner.

-I met your parents.

I met your son.

I met your brother.

-Sorry about that again.

-No.

Your mother came up to the table with your dad.

We were at this wonderful pizza place.

-Pizzeria Bianco.

-It was my birthday, and my entire family was there at the table, from one to 77.

-Oh.

-And your mother came up and, within about 10 seconds, was a member of the Winkler family.

-[ Laughs ] -She enveloped the table.

-Yeah, that's her.

-And all she did was, really, say hello and then take the baby and hold the baby.

-Oh, she took the baby.

Yeah, she's a baby taker.

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-It was amazing.

-How long did she have the baby?

-Uh, I -- Well, I think she still has the baby.

-Were people getting nervous that she might not return the baby?

-She sent us a video and the baby just started walking and so I just wanted to say.

-That's good.

She does a pretty good job, you know.

-She does.

So, growing up -- And then Aunt Chippy.

-That's her sister, my mother's older sister, my aunt Chippy... -Oh, my goodness.

-...who's a great character in my life.

Hello.

-I love you.

-Say hello to everyone, Aunt Chippy.

-Hi, everybody!

-So, Aunt Chippy.

[ Cheering and applause ] Aunt Chippy's hobbies include video poker, smoking, and yelling at people, right?

-Especially you.

-Now, she is that in life?

-Very much so.

Maybe more so.

-Would you describe Aunt Chippy?

-Aunt Chippy's a very cantankerous 81-year-old woman.

-No holds barred.

-From Brooklyn, and you'd know it within four seconds of meeting her.

-The hell's the matter with you two?!

-Just turn over, there's a -- -You know, they should give you a lobotomy, that's what they should do with the two of you.

[ Laughter and applause ] -She is loud.

She is, deep down, very sweet.

-Right.

-But also, she's got a mouth like a truck driver and she won't hesitate to tell you -- -That mouth could burn paint off a wall.

-Yeah, yeah.

I've been pulling pranks on her since I was a little boy.

-Truly?

I mean, really?

-Yeah, yeah.

-Always?

-She's a great smoker.

She's one of the great smokers of all time.

She actually won a silver medal in smoking at the Olympics in like 1904.

-Unbelievable.

Unbelievable.

-But she loves to smoke.

-The Belgians came in second, I think, right?

-[ Laughs ] Marlboro Reds, she smokes.

-Marlboro Reds.

-And when I was a kid, I discovered cigarette loads.

You remember those?

They came in a little round -- -I do!

-And you put them in the cigarette... -Absolutely, light them.

-...and then the cigarette will blow up.

-Yes!

-And if you took a hard drag on the cigarette, they would really blow up.

So, I ordered some out of a comic book or something and I put them in her cigarettes and they would just blow -- She'd get to work, they'd blow up and it became this thing where she would hide her cigarettes from me and I'd somehow get them.

I started going to the 7 Eleven and buying cigarettes as a kid.

I'd buy a pack and I'd take a razor blade and I'd cut the bottom and then I'd pull it out gently and I'd load all the cigarettes and I'd put it back in the wrapper and Scotch tape it just invisibly, so it looked like it was brand-new, so I could just -- -Fantastic.

How old are you?

-Oh, like 14 or something.

-Fourteen.

-I could swap it out in her purse... -Wow!

-...quickly, without her noticing.

She would call me wherever I was.

She's like, [ As Chippy ] You little son of a bitch.

I'm sitting in my boss' office!

And, you know, people would borrow cigarettes from her and they'd get --.

-They would blow up.

-Yeah, it was great.

[ Suspenseful music plays ] I found out my Aunt Chippy had a ceramics class that she loved going to down at the community center, down the block from her house in Vegas.

So, I got all the information from my cousin and we set up a full hidden camera situation.

-Okay, Chippy's here.

Everybody, roll, please.

-We like to get her in the places where she least expects us.

And we sent this man in, Gene LeBell, who's an older man and a big, a formidable man and he just comes in and starts causing trouble.

And he's like -- [ As Gene ] My nephew is the assistant county commissioner.

He keeps saying.

-You don't seem to realize my nephew, who he is.

He's a county commissioner.

-Good for you.

-We're trying to get her to go, "Oh, my nephew is Ji--" [ Laughing ] She never says it.

She doesn't care.

But he disrupts the whole class.

-Uncle Gene, I brought your pants.

There you are.

Here you go.

-Ah, yes, how are you?

-There you go.

Was everyone good to you today?

-Everybody's nice to me.

-Even that one there?

-You stupid son of a bitch.

You have invaded my -- my only place I thought it was safe!

-You were so mean to my uncle here.

-I'm going to crack my freakin' [indistinct].

-Oh, Jesus.

[ Laughter ] -Is that hard enough for you?

Huh?!

[Indistinct] [ Cheering and applause ] -So, sometimes you get political.

You're not scared to go political.

-The clock is ticking on Donald Trump.

Trump's lawyers have reportedly told him that, if he gets indicted in New York, he should be prepared to lose the case, which means he'll spend the next three years claiming he won the case.

[ Laughter ] This is -- -There was a time, I believe, that your network was not happy with you about being so political.

-Yeah.

-How did you deal with that?

How'd you negotiate that?

-Well, it wasn't, um -- I will say, it wasn't a big deal.

It was never more than like two telephone calls and I didn't really negotiate it, so much as I said, "This is how I have to do it, so, let me know if you're okay with that.

-Or?

-I don't have to do this."

You know, I wasn't a jerk about it.

I didn't say, "I'll walk right out of here if you don't let me do it."

But I understood where they were coming from and they understood where I was coming from.

-That you needed to do it.

-I mean, ultimately, you could see -- -Do they have a lot to say about what you say?

-No.

Not anymore.

-Is there somebody who looks over your shoulder?

-Not at all, no.

At one time, there was -- really, even not that much of that at the beginning, but there was a time where they were more -- Now, they just, they know that I know what I'm doing and it works, and, usually, in the case of all our executives, I've been there longer than they have, so... -[ Laughs ] -...they just kind of leave me alone.

-Let's talk about the children.

You have... -I have four kids.

-...many.

Four kids.

-Yeah.

-Okay.

One just got married.

Congratulations.

-Two adults.

They both just got married over the course of the last year and then I have an eight-year-old girl and a five-year-old boy, Jane and Billy.

-Yes, yes, Jane and Billy.

When Billy was born, he had a medical problem.

-Still does, yes.

-Still does?

-Yep, yep.

-Alright.

Will that be forever?

-No, well, they'll repair it when he's, probably, nine years old, we hope.

-When Billy was born, your monologues at that time were enormously powerful.

-[ Crying ] I have a story to tell about something that happened to our family last week.

I'm sorry, I -- You know, I try not to get emotional, but it was a scary story and before I go into it, I want you to know it has a happy ending, okay?

So, when I'm telling this, don't get too upset.

Leave that to me.

But a little over a week ago, on Friday, April 21st, my wife, Molly, gave birth to a boy, a baby boy.

His name is William John Kimmel.

[ Cheering, whistling, and applause ] Thank you.

Thank you very much.

We were happy, everything was good.

My wife was in bed, relaxing, when a very attentive nurse at Cedars-Sinai Hospital, her name is Nanoush, was checking him out and heard a murmur in his heart.

They did an echocardiogram, which is a sonogram of the heart, and found that Billy was born with, um... ...a heart disease.

Um -- -You allow your emotion to come through.

-At that time, what we call Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act, was this close to being eliminated, basically.

And I just, you know, I just went on and talked about being a parent and looking around at this great hospital that we're at, children's hospital, that takes care of anyone, doesn't matter how much money you have.

-Right.

-And looking at these parents of these children -- of course, that's the most, you know, it's the place where you're most vulnerable in your life, is your children.

And really having some stark realizations about healthcare and what that means and it means life or death to a lot of people.

It means an unpleasant life or a pleasant life to a lot of people.

-You mean the difference between?

-Yeah, if you don't have it and you can't get things done that you need to get done.

Or if you just can't afford to get things done or if you put things off because, you know you can't afford even the copay, you know, whatever.

These things are real problems in people's lives and, you know, I wanted to make something positive out of something very scary.

And so I started talking about that.

And then so many people saw it and they said, you know, I'm so grateful that you spoke about this because my brother or myself or my sister, or whatever, you know, my kid, you know, and it made me realize like how real it was and how necessary it was.

-It is as vivid now as it was when you first did it.

-I don't know.

I don't know that I believe that things happen for a reason.

I don't disbelieve that.

I don't necessarily believe it.

But the timing was... -It presented itself... -...remarkable.

-...and you took it.

-It just made perfect sense.

-You had the platform.

-That's obviously not the bulk of the show... -No, of course not.

-...but, every once in a while, I think that it -- I think people respond well to that.

I think, if you're just joking, joking, joking, joking, joking all the time, that even the jokes themselves don't resonate, if you don't have -- if there's nothing.

-If there's no bottom to them.

-It's like when you have a conversation with somebody and they're constantly joking.

Its like, "Alright, but can we... -Can we get on with it?

-...can we get into something here," you know?

-Well, I cannot tell you how much I love you as a human being.

I'm so happy we chatted tonight.

-I am, too.

Thank you for having me.

-You bet.

-That was fun.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪