Henry Winkler wins his 1st Emmy

LOS ANGELES -- Four decades after he charmed TV audiences as "The Fonz" on "Happy Days," Henry Winkler finally has charmed the TV academy voters.

He has won his first Emmy for his work on "Barry" Monday night, Sept. 17. And many of his fellow performers apparently agreed that the honor was overdue, giving him a standing ovation. Winkler was philosophic in his acceptance comments, using a gambling analogy to explain his situation.

He said, "if you stay at the table long enough, the chips come to you. Tonight, I got to clear the table."

Backstage, he was reminded that he told reporters earlier that if he'd won, he might wet his pants. He didn't, though he joked that he wore rubber pants lined with powder, just in case.

The 72-year-old was previously nominated three times for playing "The Fonz" on "Happy Days."