TOM ARNOLD (ACTOR)

'Thomas Arnold' (born March 6, 1959) is an American actor and comedian.

Contents

Biography

Personal life

Career

Filmography

References

External links

Biography

Personal life

Arnold was born in Ottumwa, Iowa to Linda Kay Graham (née Collier)^[1] and Jack Arnold.^[2] His mother was an alcoholic. He has three siblings, Johnny, Scott, and Mark. Arnold attended Ottumwa High School and began doing stand-up comedy when he was 23. He met Roseanne Barr when she saw his act, in 1983. Arnold, who had Jewish ancestors named Cohen on his maternal grandfather’s side, converted to Judaism upon marrying Barr.^[3]

Career

Arnold was a stand-up comic who became a writer for the popular television sitcom ''Roseanne'' (which debuted in 1988). He married the show’s star, Roseanne Barr, in 1990, after she divorced her first husband. He appeared occasionally on the show as the character “Arnie Thomas” (a spoof of his name). The couple’s marriage attracted media and especially tabloid attention due to their sometimes outrageous behavior. In 1992 Arnold starred in his own sitcom, ''The Jackie Thomas Show''. Airing after ''Roseanne'' on ABC, the show lasted 18 episodes. In 1993, Arnold and Barr bought a house together in Arnold’s hometown of Ottumwa and opened a restaurant in nearby Eldon, Iowa. Both appeared in the 1993 movie ''The Woman Who Loved Elvis'', which was filmed in Ottumwa. Arnold and Barr divorced in 1994, and their restaurant closed in 1995. In a late-1990s interview on the syndicated radio ''Howard Stern Show'', Arnold admitted that his share of his and Barr’s estate amounted to “over $20,000,000,” including a percentage of the ''Roseanne'' ABC-TV series, but would not elaborate further, citing a confidentiality clause.
In 1994, Arnold appeared as the sidekick to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character in the James Cameron feature film ''True Lies''. He later supported Schwarzenegger’s bid for the California governorship. He played the father on the ''Outer Limits'' episode “Family Values.” His role in ''True Lies'' was parodied in an episode of ''The Simpsons'', where washed-up actor Troy McClure makes a comeback in a McBain movie. ''The Simpsons'' has also shown Tom Arnold among the people sent to the Sun in a rocket, in their 10th Halloween episode.
Arnold was the host of Fox Sports Net’s talk show ''Best Damn Sports Show Period''. As host, Arnold was involved in the April Fool’s day “fight” on the show with New York Giants defensive end, Michael Strahan. He has also provided the voice for the Arby’s “Oven Mitt” character in television commercials for the fast-food chain.
Arnold had his first romantic leading man part in the 2005 movie ''Happy Endings''. In 2005, Arnold also starred in ''The Kid & I'', which paired him with Eric Gores, the son of billionaire Alec Gores. The younger Gores has cerebral palsy and his father hired Arnold, their neighbor in Beverly Hills, to make a sequel to Eric’s favorite film, ''True Lies'' (in which Tom Arnold had co-starred).

Filmography

★ '' (1991)

★ ''Undercover Blues'' (1993)

★ ''True Lies'' (1994)

★ ''Nine Months'' (1995)

★ ''Big Bully (film)'' (1996)

★ ''Carpool'' (1996)

★ ''The Stupids'' (1996)

★ '' (1997)

★ ''McHale’s Navy'' (1997)

★ ''National Lampoon’s Golf Punks'' (1999)

★ ''Lloyd'' (2000)

★ ''Animal Factory'' (2000)

★ ''Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the Thirteenth'' (2000)

★ ''Exit Wounds'' (2001)

★ ''Cradle 2 The Grave'' (2003)

★ ''Soul Plane'' (2004)

★ ''Happy Endings'' (2005)

★ ''The Kid & I'' (2005)

★ ''Oranges'' (2007)

★ ''The Final Season'' (2007)

★ ''Pride'' (2007)

★ ''Palo Alto'' (2007)

★ ''Rockett'' (2007)

★ ''Remarkable Power'' (2007)

References

1. How I Lost 5 Pounds in 6 Years: An Autobiography, , Tom, Arnold, St. Martin's Griffin, , ISBN0312322445
2. http://www.filmreference.com/film/74/Tom-Arnold.html
3. How I Lost 5 Pounds in 6 Years: An Autobiography, , Tom, Arnold, St. Martin’s Griffin, , ISBN0312322445

External links

★

★ Hollywood.com’s Tom Arnold profile

★ Tom Arnold on Officer Phil’s KUSI-TV page