Friday, March 22, 2013

LEAGUE OF THEMSELVES - RON PALILLO


RON PALILLO

From Wikipedia:
Ronald Gabriel "Ron" Paolillo (April 2, 1949 – August 14, 2012) was an American television and film actor. He was best known as Arnold Horshack on the ABC sitcom 'Welcome Back, Kotter' (1975-79).

Ronald Gabriel Paolillo (he used the surname "Palillo" during his acting career) was born in New Haven, Connecticut to Gabriel and Carmel Paolillo, of Italian descent and raised in Cheshire. He graduated from the University of Connecticut at Storrs, where he taught during the late 1990s.

After 'Welcome Back, 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 Audrey (Ellen's friend)'s love interest. Palillo also spent a year on the popular 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".

Palillo, in a newspaper interview in 1997, said he lamented his role as Horshack as he was permanently typecast, which he believed had damaged his career.

Palillo and his partner of 41 years, Joseph Gramm, lived in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. On August 14, 2012, Palillo suffered a heart attack at his home and was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Palillo's funeral service was held in Palm Beach Gardens on August 22, 2012.

AS SEEN IN:
'Ellen'
"Horschack's Law"
"When The Vow Breaks" Parts 1 & 2


O'BSERVATION:
I went to UConn several years after Palillo, at the height of 'Kotter' popularity, and one of our acting teachers kept throwing him at us as an example to emulate.  

If Palillo's relationship with Mr. Gramm existed in Toobworld as well, then he was bisexual and cheating on his partner in a cross-country affair with Audrey.

BCnU!

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