I'M SO Blessed

The Happy Days alum shares memories, life lessons and the scoop on his new movie

- Katie Bruno

Scott Baio, who joined the cast of Happy Days as Chachi in 1977, has been famous since he was 16. But unlike a lot of actors who taste success early, Scott has kept working. In addition to the spinoff Joanie Loves Chachi, he’s starred on Charles in Charge and Diagnosis: Murder, appeared as a guest star on The Nanny and Arrested Development, and was a director on the TV series Out of This World. His latest project is the film God’s

Not Dead: In God We Trust, bowing in theaters Sept. 12 in association with Great American Pure Flix and Fathom. In it, this longtime TV sweetheart plays a not-so-nice guy.

“I had some pretty good banter with Samaire [Armstrong], kind of making fun of her and teasing her,” Scott, 63, tells Closer. “If the dialogue is good and if you can cop a little bit of an attitude, then you can play a creep pretty easily.”

Tell us about the movie.

It’s part of the God’s Not Dead series of films. It’s about a pastor who runs for Congress and another politician who doesn’t believe in religion. It talks about how a lot of Christians don’t vote and they should.

That sounds very topical right now!

I agree. It’s an important movie for the country. Hopefully a lot of people will enjoy it.

You’ve been acting for practically your whole life. How did you get started?

I started in commercials when I was 9, then I went to read for a movie called Bugsy Malone when I was about 13. I was cast in that, and that was pretty much it. The great [Happy Days creator] Garry Marshall saw me and brought me to Hollywood.

You were 16 when you started on Happy Days. How did that change your life?