Biography
[edit] Early life
Arnold was born in
Ottumwa, Iowa to Jack Arnold and Linda Kay Graham Arnold Paxton Purdon McCombs Heiford Collier.
[1] His mother was an alcoholic. When he was 23, he was doing stand-up comedy in Minneapolis. He met Roseanne Barr when she saw his act.
[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
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 and has provided the voice for
Arby's "Oven Mitt" character in television
commercials for the fast-food chain. As host, Arnold was involved in the
April Fool's day "fight" on the show.
[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. During the marriage Arnold and Champnella were frequently spotted at local
Downriver hotspots.
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.