Ronald Gabriel Palillo (April 2, 1949 â€" August 14, 2012) was an
American actor and teacher. He was best known for his role as the
endearingly dim-witted character Arnold Horshack on the ABC sitcom
Welcome Back, Kotter (1975â€"1979).Ronald Gabriel Paolillo was born in
New Haven, Connecticut to Italian-Americans Gabriel and Carmel
Paolillo, and raised in nearby Cheshire. He graduated from the
University of Connecticut at Storrs, where he would later teach in the
1990s. He attended Fairfield University while pursuing a postgraduate
degree. He adopted the last name Palillo for his acting career.In
1975, Palillo was cast as Arnold Horshack, one of the misfit
"sweathogs" in the high school sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter, whose
antics made him one of the stand-out characters of the series. In the
last season of the series, a backdoor pilot episode for a spin-off
series featuring Horshack was produced, but the series was not
developed.Following Kotter, Palillo appeared in leading and supporting
roles in various television series and films. He voiced characters on
such animated series as Laverne & Shirley in the Army, Darkwing Duck,
and Rubik, the Amazing Cube, in which he played the lead character. In
1996, Palillo played himself in several episodes of the television
sitcom Ellen, playing the love interest of Ellen's friend Audrey.
Palillo also spent a year on the daytime show One Life to Live and
also acted in Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986), and the
lead in The Curse of Micah Rood.[better source needed]
American actor and teacher. He was best known for his role as the
endearingly dim-witted character Arnold Horshack on the ABC sitcom
Welcome Back, Kotter (1975â€"1979).Ronald Gabriel Paolillo was born in
New Haven, Connecticut to Italian-Americans Gabriel and Carmel
Paolillo, and raised in nearby Cheshire. He graduated from the
University of Connecticut at Storrs, where he would later teach in the
1990s. He attended Fairfield University while pursuing a postgraduate
degree. He adopted the last name Palillo for his acting career.In
1975, Palillo was cast as Arnold Horshack, one of the misfit
"sweathogs" in the high school sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter, whose
antics made him one of the stand-out characters of the series. In the
last season of the series, a backdoor pilot episode for a spin-off
series featuring Horshack was produced, but the series was not
developed.Following Kotter, Palillo appeared in leading and supporting
roles in various television series and films. He voiced characters on
such animated series as Laverne & Shirley in the Army, Darkwing Duck,
and Rubik, the Amazing Cube, in which he played the lead character. In
1996, Palillo played himself in several episodes of the television
sitcom Ellen, playing the love interest of Ellen's friend Audrey.
Palillo also spent a year on the daytime show One Life to Live and
also acted in Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986), and the
lead in The Curse of Micah Rood.[better source needed]
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