Actor John Stamos, who’s most well-known for his role as Uncle Jesse in the hit sitcom Full House and the sequel series, Fuller House, took a moment on Oct. 30 to pay tribute to an earlier sitcom icon and the man who played him.
Stamos took to Instagram to share a throwback photo of himself and Henry Winkler, who played the character of Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli, commonly known as “The Fonz” or “Fonzie,” on the sitcom Happy Days that ran from 1974 to 1984.
In the photo taken decades ago, a young Winker wore a red sports jersey and hat, posing with his arms crossed as he leaned into Stamos. By his side, Stamos wore a gray and green shirt and rocked his signature hair as he looked at the camera with an arm around Winkler.
Stamos shared a special birthday message for Winkler in the caption as he declared, “Happy Birthday @hwinkler4real So happy you were born. Without The Fonz, there’d be no Uncle Jesse!” Winkler turned 80 on Oct. 30.
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Quite a few fans agreed with Stamos’ bold statement, with replies in the comments like, “Fonz paved the way to be 😎,” and “The Fonz was everything 🙌❤️.”
Another wrote, “Without The Fonz, there would be no ‘cool,'” while other comments read, “Wow that’s a blast from@the past!!!” and “So adorably cute! Both of y’all!!”
Someone else suggested another character that had the same sort of vibe as Uncle Jesse and The Fonz, saying, “Let’s not forget about Danny Zuko,” referring to John Travolta‘s character in the hit musical Grease.
Other fans simply wanted to celebrate the nostalgic photo and wish Winkler a happy birthday, such as people who replied to Stamos’ post saying, “Aww love this!! 🥰 Happy 80th Birthday @hwinkler4real!!” and “Aww, I’m glad both of you were born. Happy Birthday Mr. Winkler.”
A different fan shared the excited message, “Legends!!!! Takes me back to my childhood!!! Haaaay… Happy birthday to the FoNZ.”
Full House debuted on TV in 1987, a few years after Happy Days ended, and fans immediately fell in love with Stamos’ cool yet loving Uncle Jesse, who helps raise the Tanner girls with their father, Danny Tanner (Bob Saget), and their friend Joey Gladstone (Dave Coulier).
Like Winkler’s Fonzie, Uncle Jesse has gone on to be a fan-favorite character remembered years after the show ended.
Related: Dave Coulier’s Loving Tribute to John Stamos Has ‘Full House’ Stars Emotional