Lady Gaga’s High-Flying Super Bowl Halftime Show Brings Back Memories for Howard

Lady Gaga’s high-flying Super Bowl performance still has people talking. On Tuesday’s Stern Show, Howard told Robin he knows firsthand how dangerous it is to be suspended from wires like the pop superstar was during the big game.

“I had agita when I saw her coming down on those wires,” Howard said of Gaga’s descent from the roof of NRG Stadium. “I’ve done that twice in my life … when I shot my movie and when I did Fartman at [the 1992 VMAs], I did the same stunt on those wires, with the brace. I gotta tell you, it is fucking scary.”

Howard revealed that he had a close call while rigged from the ceiling at the MTV Video Music Awards. “I almost lost my finger. The wires got crossed,” he explained to Robin. Since he didn’t want to spoil the surprise of his costumed character, Howard elected to not rehearse the bit beforehand.

“I was out of my mind trying to pull all that off,” he said. “It would have been very embarrassing that night to die in a Fartman costume.”

The memorable VMA appearance was recreated for Howard’s 1997 movie “Private Parts,” but he talked on Tuesday about how close that scene came to not making the film’s final cut.

“They weren’t going to put the scene in the movie. I said, ‘Listen, you put that fucking scene in the movie!'” Howard said with a laugh.

As nervous as he was watching Gaga’s wire act on Sunday, Howard had high praise for her performance.

“She did a great job, she really did,” Howard said. “Now if Lady Gaga had come down as Fartgirl, that would have really been something.”