Mike Galanos of CNN has JUST reported that actor Ron Palillo, best known as Arnold Horshack on the hit 1970s sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter, has died of unknown causes at age 63.

Ronald Gabriel Paolillo was born on April 2, 1949 in Cheshire, Connecticut, USA.

According to FOX5 News, Palillo died in his Palm Beach Gardens, Florida home and had not been Physically Ill OR in the hospital.

Palillo was cast as Arnold Horshack in 1975 on Welcome Back, Kotter by Gabe Kaplan, who cast himself as Gabe Kotter, the teacher of a group of students who included Robert Hegyes (who himself died earlier this year at age 60), Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs and a young kid named John Travolta, who would go on to greater fame as a movie star.

In later years Palillo retired from acting and was a high-school teacher in Florida, where he moved to in order to help care for his elderly mother.

Funeral services are pending.

Per the Internet Movie Database, at age 14, Ron had started a Youth Summer Camp in Connecticut the decade before being cast on Welcome Back, Kotter.

He never married or had any children, but is survived by a legion of fans who grew up watching Welcome Back, Kotter.

TMZ is reporting he died of a heart attack

http://www.tmz.com/2012/08/14/ron-palillo-dies-horshack-welcome-back-kotter-dead-at-63/#comments-fullwrapper

Link (http://www.wptv.com/dpp/entertainment/ron-palillo-arnold-horshack-on-welcome-back-kotter-dies-at-age-63#ixzz23XY9M0kx)

Ron Palillo, best known as mouthy classroom goofball Arnold Horshack on the 1970s TV series Welcome Back, Kotter, died at his Palm Beach Gardens home early this morning, according to Stacy Sacco, Palillo’s friend.

Sacco said Palillo passed away suddenly at 4:30 a.m. He was 62.

“He just couldn’t have been more fun and intelligent or talented. He was an amazing human being,” said Sacco of Palm Beach Gardens, who met Palillo 20 years ago when he was a guest on Ellen DeGeneres’ sitcom in Los Angeles, on which Sacco was a script supervisor.

“I had been a fan. We all knew who he was. He was a shining star,” Sacco said.

Palillo taught acting classes at G-Star Academy, a charter school in Palm Springs.

Sacco said that no cause of death has been determined, but that Palillo had not been ill or in the hospital. Palillo was a Connecticut native who lived in New York for about 40 years before starting teaching at G-Star a little over three years ago.

He is survived by his partner of 41 years, Joseph Gramm, a retired actor.

Before being hired by the charter school, Palillo had lectured in colleges and high schools all over the country.

“From the moment I heard about G-Star seven, eight years ago, it sounded like everything I wanted as a student when I went to high school,” Palillo told The Palm Beach Post in 2009.

“To have this when I was a kid would’ve been astonishing and I knew I wanted to be part of it.”

Greg Hauptner, founder and CEO of G-Star Academy, said in 2009 that Palillo asked to join the school after working with the students on the film Dog Gone Tale: Destiny’s Stand.

“I almost fell out of my chair,” Hauptner recalled. “I didn’t think he was serious.”

Palillo, a University of Connecticut graduate, played Horshack on the popular sitcom Welcome Back Kotter. The show also starred Gabe Kaplan and a young John Travolta. It originally aired on ABC and ran from 1975-79.

The show focused on Kaplan’s character Gabe Kotter, who returned to his high school in Brooklyn — the fictional James Buchanan High — to teach a remedial class to which he once belonged, according to tv.com.

The main group of students were known as the Sweathogs, an unruly group who always got in trouble. Palillo played the sheepish Arnold Dingfelder Horshack, who would often yell “Ooh! Ooh, ooh!” when he thought he knew the answer to a question.

The cast also included Travolta, who played lady’s man Vinnie Barbarino, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, who played the always cool Freddie “Boom-Boom” Washington and Robert Hegyes, who played the tough Jewish Puerto Rican wheeler-dealer Juan (Luis Pedro Phillipo de Huevos) Epstein, according to tv.com.

Hegyes died in January from an apparent heart attack. He was 60.

The show was based on Kaplan’s own high school experiences with remedial education and a teacher who cared dearly for her students, according to tv.com.

Palillo told the Post in 2009 he loved Palm Beach County, having served as artistic director for the Cuillo Center for the Arts where he directed and acted in A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline and The Phantom of the Opera.

“I’ve always felt very at home here,” Palillo said . “People go out of their way for you in West Palm Beach. They don’t do that in New York.”

Palillo told his G-Star students in 2009 that they should project as if they’re performing at a 500-seat Broadway theater and not inside a cramped high school classroom.

Palillo stressed the importance of getting his students comfortable with telling unrehearsed stories.

“I want them to get the feeling of what it’s like to be totally unprepared and to bond with each other in a way scientists think perhaps primitive man bonded by sitting around the campfire and eating a pterodactyl leg and saying, ‘I caught a brontosaurus this big last night,’” he said, laughing. “It also helps to create a good ensemble.”

Palillo said his fellow Kotter actors paid careful attention to their characters. “The writers asked us to write our characters’ autobiographies as our characters,” Palillo told the Post. “I wrote how Arnold’s mother had been married so many times and how he just wanted to be liked and how no one was going to read this autobiography he was writing. The writers used all of it.”

Palillo was born April 2, 1949 in Cheshire, Conn.

That's 3 from WBK this year. :(

Courtney Hazlett from MSNBC

Courtney Hazlett ‏@courtneyhazlett

Just spoke to Ron Palillo's (Arnold Horshack on Welcome back Kotter) agent. Sad news, he died in his sleep of a heart attack. He was 63.

This has been a horrible year:o


RIP Ron Palillo

I grew up watching WBK and I can't believe that two of the Sweathogs have passed away already. :rip: Ron Palillo

Wow! There sure have been a lot of celebrity deaths lately! RIP Arnold Horshack:(

http://www.kansascity.com/2012/08/14/3762028/ron-palillo-who-played-horshack.html

Ron created one of the great tv characters of all time. This is awful. It's been an awful year for deaths. :(

R.i.P. Ron

Thats too bad. RIP. I thought he was the funniest Sweathog on Welcome Back Kotter.

Very sad to hear. Rest in peace Mr. Palillo!!! :(

So sad. I love the and am a huge John Travolta fan. I remember being in high school when the show was on and kids would imitate him in school We all did. Wanted to post my condolences. So sad, he went like my late hubby did. :(

NO!!!! This is beyond awful. I remember he had to drop out of the TV Land reunion last year because he was ill and needed surgery. I wonder if the cause of his passing was related to that.

In any case, he was a terrific human being. God bless him. :rip:

For those of us "of a certain age" there was about a two year period where WBK was as hot as a supernova. Everyone was quoting the show and talking about what happened (and, in many cases, trying to emulate the characters, Heaven help us, lol).

This is indeed very sad news. He seems to have been a wonderful gentleman; humble, giving and intelligent.

"He is survived by his partner of 41 years..." That's a loooong time for any relationship these days, let alone one from Hollywood.

RIP Ron.

That's 3 from WBK this year. :(
I'm wracking my brain. Who is the third, besides Hegyes and Palillo?

I'm wracking my brain. Who is the third, besides Hegyes and Palillo?

Dennis Bowen (left) he was in several episodes as Todd Ludlow.

http://a3.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/67/796162aceb7d31dedca31d874ed3f581/l.jpg

First, Robert Heyges ("Juan Epstein"), and now Ron Palillo. Makes me wonder if there's a Sweathog Curse. Just look at what's happened with John Travolta.

Dennis Bowen (left) he was in several episodes as Todd Ludlow.

http://a3.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/67/796162aceb7d31dedca31d874ed3f581/l.jpg



Well he wasn't really a cast member just an occasional character. Kind of like the Police Officer on Sanford and Son and The bartender on Three's Company

Well he wasn't really a cast member just an occasional character. Kind of like the Police Officer on Sanford and Son and The bartender on Three's Company

I didn't say cast member, I said 3 from the show but I see what you're saying.

If I was John Travolta I would be scared s__less right now.

So many 70s stars have died this year. Not just sitcom ones either.

RIP Horshack! You were my favorite when I used to watch reruns of WBK as a 'tween' when it was on Nick at Nite.

Thank you for the clarification, Charles. From the way it sounds from the reports, it sounds like he didn't suffer, at least not too much.

:( R.I. P. Ron

Such very sad news, may he rest in peace.

First, Robert Heyges ("Juan Epstein"), and now Ron Palillo. Makes me wonder if there's a Sweathog Curse. Just look at what's happened with John Travolta.

Do you mean about his career or the death of his son?

If I was John Travolta I would be scared s__less right now.

So many 70s stars have died this year. Not just sitcom ones either.

RIP Horshack! You were my favorite when I used to watch reruns of WBK as a 'tween' when it was on Nick at Nite.


I don't see why if he is maintaining a healthy lifestyle and sees his doctor on a regular basis.

I don't see why if he is maintaining a healthy lifestyle and sees his doctor on a regular basis.

It certainly doesn't hurt but maintaining a healthy lifestyle is no guarantee that you'll be here tomorrow. I've known a few people that did it and died from heart attacks, strokes, natural causes, etc... before they turned 60 and some that smoked, dranked and ate poorly and still lived well into their 90's.

It certainly doesn't hurt but maintaining a healthy lifestyle is no guarantee that you'll be here tomorrow. I've known a few people that did it and died from heart attacks, strokes, natural causes, etc... before they turned 60 and some that smoked, dranked and ate poorly and still lived well into their 90's.


Well you just confirmed my HATE for doctors and Obamacare. Thank You

R.I.P. Ron. Say hello to Bobby!

he was also the the voice of squeeley the pig on laverne and shirley in the army.

Very sad news. :( May he rest in peace.

this is very sad for us Kotter fans....first Epstein, now Horshack.....

Yes, it is very sad. My condolences to his loved ones and fans.

That is so sad to hear

Makes me wish even more that Ron was at the TV Land Awards reunion. I'm glad Robert Hedges was there!

Trivia, Palillo was the oldest of the four "students" and to me, the only one who looked like he was still a teenager.

RIP:(

It was sad and shocking to read about Ron Palillo's passing. He portrayed my favorite character Horshack and he was very funny in the role, even his inimitable laugh. In one episode, he stated that Horshack was an old and respected name that meant "The cattle are dying."

My favorite Horshack episodes are the one where he dropped out of school and joined the religious cult The Baba Beebees and the Sweathogs tried to deprogram him by saying "Your name is Arnold Horshack!" The other was when they started a school radio station and Horshack became "The Mad Broadcaster of Buchanan High." It was a very funny episode. May he rest in peace.

The second Sweat Hog to die this year...so very sad... :(

Cleaned out my cabinets last week and went in the kitchen and saw the season 1 DVD of WBK laying on the table. Haven't watched it in so long but I definitely have a reason to watch this sunday so I can honor the Horshack character

It was sad and shocking to read about Ron Palillo's passing. He portrayed my favorite character Horshack and he was very funny in the role, even his inimitable laugh. In one episode, he stated that Horshack was an old and respected name that meant "The cattle are dying."

My favorite Horshack episodes are the one where he dropped out of school and joined the religious cult The Baba Beebees and the Sweathogs tried to deprogram him by saying "Your name is Arnold Horshack!" The other was when they started a school radio station and Horshack became "The Mad Broadcaster of Buchanan High." It was a very funny episode. May he rest in peace.
Which season did they do the radio station? Was Travolta still a regular back then?

Which season did they do the radio station? Was Travolta still a regular back then?


Sounds like Travolta was not a regular since Arnold had that major role. Just a guess but could be wrong

Sounds like Travolta was not a regular since Arnold had that major role. Just a guess but could be wrong
Hmmmm...I'll do a little digging around and see what I can find.

OK, I did my digging around - this episode aired in Season 3 (original airdate: December 22, 1977) and was called "Sweatwork" and appeared to be a parody of sorts of the then-new movie, Network. Here's a description:

"The famous scene in Network is where the broadcast anchor prompts all his viewers to go to the window and yell, 'I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!' Arnold Horshack does his own interpretation of the scene on his radio broadcast. Strangely, 33 years later the same sentiment exists; it appears we kept on taking it after all."

Sadly, the scene has since been taken off Hulu. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR...

I was unable to find out if Vinnie was in this episode. However, it does look like this episode was made pre-Beau. Does anyone know for sure?

OK, I did my digging around - this episode aired in Season 3 (original airdate: December 22, 1977) and was called "Sweatwork" and appeared to be a parody of sorts of the then-new movie, Network. Here's a description:

"The famous scene in Network is where the broadcast anchor prompts all his viewers to go to the window and yell, 'I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!' Arnold Horshack does his own interpretation of the scene on his radio broadcast. Strangely, 33 years later the same sentiment exists; it appears we kept on taking it after all."

Sadly, the scene has since been taken off Hulu. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR...

I was unable to find out if Vinnie was in this episode. However, it does look like this episode was made pre-Beau. Does anyone know for sure?



Vinny didn't appear in that episode. Is the episode on Hulu.com?

It looks like it might have at one time, if you check out this link.

http://www.rfcafe.com/miscellany/cool-videos/am-transmitter-schematic-welcome-back-kotter.htm

It looks like it might have at one time, if you check out this link.

http://www.rfcafe.com/miscellany/cool-videos/am-transmitter-schematic-welcome-back-kotter.htm


When TV Land aired the show they only aired seasons 1 and 2

I saw this link yesterday but I was thinking this was a thread for "Epstein" who died not that long ago. So sad that both of them died so close to one another.

I'm kinda pissed that none of the sitcom/variety stations can play a WBK marathon to honor him. Because, none of them have the rights. That's B.S. TV land could do it. Viacom had the rights to WBK before. They could get leeway to do it. But, nooooo.

*grr*

Up their noses with rubber hoses.

I'm kinda pissed that none of the sitcom/variety stations can play a WBK marathon to honor him. Because, none of them have the rights. That's B.S. TV land could do it. Viacom had the rights to WBK before. They could get leeway to do it. But, nooooo.

*grr*

Up their noses with rubber hoses.



I think that TV Land would do it if it was John Travolta or Gabe Kaplan. But since ron wasn't a major character that's probably why.

Like if the guy who played Ralph on the Jeffersons passed I don't think it would a tribute because he was a lead character.

:rip:

I think that TV Land would do it if it was John Travolta or Gabe Kaplan. But since ron wasn't a major character that's probably why.

Like if the guy who played Ralph on the Jeffersons passed I don't think it would a tribute because he was a lead character.


I'd say Horshack was a "major character" on WBK. If anything, he was probably second to Barbarino in terms of air time and popularity, and the only Sweathog to be seriously considered for a spin off series.

I'd say Horshack was a "major character" on WBK. If anything, he was probably second to Barbarino in terms of air time and popularity, and the only Sweathog to be seriously considered for a spin off series.


Yeah I forgot he was considered for a spinoff. His role did increase but only after Gabe and John was not on the show that much.

Someone can correct me on this but isn't a tribute normally for a actor who played a LEAD CHARACTER? I can't remember

Such a shame, :( Arnold was funny as heck.