Tom Arnold (actor)

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For other persons named Tom Arnold, see Tom Arnold (disambiguation).
Tom Arnold
Born March 6, 1959
Ottumwa, Iowa

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

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Arnold was born in Ottumwa, Iowa to Linda Kay Graham Arnold Paxton Purdon McCombs Heiford Collier[1] and Jack Arnold. His mother was an alcoholic. He has three siblings, Johnny, Scott, and Mark. Arnold attended Ottumwa High and began doing stand-up comedy when he was 23. He met Roseanne Barr when she saw his act, in 1983.

[edit] 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. He has also provided the voice for the Arby's "Oven Mitt" character in television commercials for the fast-food chain.

[edit] Personal life

Arnold, who had Jewish ancestors named Cohen on his maternal grandfather's side, converted to Judaism upon marrying Barr.[2]

He went through a rigorous cardiovascular training program in 2005, losing nearly 70 lb (30 kg). The new svelte 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 Alec Gores, a billionaire technology investor and founder of the Gores Technology Group, best known for its acquisition and resale of Brøderbund. The younger Gores has cerebral palsy and his father hired Tom Arnold, their neighbor in Beverly Hills, to make a sequel to Eric's favorite film, True Lies (in which Tom Arnold had co-starred). The plot of The Kid & I closely parallels the actual situation. On July 2, 2006, Arnold made a special appearance in Ames, Iowa for the USA National Special Olympic Games.

Arnold was once married to Southgate, Michigan native Julie Champnella who graduated from Southgate Anderson High School. During the marriage Arnold and Champnella were frequently spotted at local Downriver hotspots. On several occasions in Dearborn, Michigan Arnold was seen in local bars reciting unusual rhetoric including his alleged, "I was in a movie with the Governor, and my last name is his first!" Campaign speech. Arnold supported True Lies co-star Arnold Schwarzenegger for California governor in 2006 and attended his victory party.

On August 28, 2006, Arnold and his wife, Shelby Roos, announced their separation. On October 25, 2006, in an interview on the Adam Carolla Show, Arnold stated he and his wife are in counseling and living in the same home.

He is an avid Iowa Hawkeye fan and supporter of the University of Iowa.

[edit] Selected Filmography

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ Arnold, Tom (2003). How I Lost 5 Pounds in 6 Years: An Autobiography. St. Martin's Griffin, 14. ISBN0312322445. 
  2. ^ Arnold, Tom (2003). How I Lost 5 Pounds in 6 Years: An Autobiography. St. Martin's Griffin, 145-146. ISBN0312322445. 

[edit] External links

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