Henry Winkler has opened up about filming his first-ever nude scene at 79, sharing what the experience was really like.
Viewers of Apple TV’s sitcom Loot got an unexpected treat in season three when a familiar face joined the cast.
If you’re not caught up, the series follows Molly (Maya Rudolph), newly single after splitting from her tech billionaire husband. Suddenly among the richest people in America, she throws herself into running a charitable foundation and ends up surrounded by an assortment of quirky personalities.
One of them is Gerald Canning (Winkler): a billionaire nudist who lives on an island where getting dressed is entirely optional.
Winkler was thrilled to take part in the show, though he soon realized the role would require him to do something he’d never done on camera before.
“Maya Rudolph is one of my favorites,” Winkler, 80, gushed during a recent interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
“She is brilliant. She is [a] brilliant person and a lovely person. So, when she asked me to be on the first episode of the third season of Loot, I didn’t even ask to read the script,” the Happy Days star revealed.
That confidence was tested, however, when he showed up for his first costume fitting. Winkler said his character’s wardrobe consisted of a ‘silk robe that went to there’, as he explained on the talk show while gesturing to his upper thigh.
“There was nothing else.”
He admitted his first thought was ‘no, no, no’, and said the team tried to reassure him with an added detail: ‘No, there’s a piece of jewelry’.
“And then we did it in January on the beach. And I want to say the wind came from every direction,” he added.
“Parts of my body large and small. … It was so cold. I was in shock. But then I was with Maya and her wonderful cast.”
Rudolph, who stars in and executive produces Loot, previously discussed the scene with Jimmy Kimmel back in October, clarifying that nude appearances on set were handled with modesty garments.
She explained: “I feel like people were a little bit cold, and I felt very guilty because everyone was, like, over 70,” she said.
“But there were a few individuals who enjoyed it a little too much and volunteered not to wear any of the clothing at all. And we were letting them know, like, it’s OK.”
All three seasons of Loot are available to stream on Apple TV.