Funny guy Thomas Duane Arnold is an American actor, comedian, and TV host. He is best known for playing the role of Arnie Thomas on the hit ABC sitcom Roseanne. He has also had other notable roles across film and television such as The Jackie Thomas Show, True Lies, and more recently, FX's Sons of Anarchy.

Tom Arnold's Early Life

Tom Arnold was born in Ottumwa, Iowa where he was raised by his father Jack Arnold, along with his six siblings. He attended Ottumwa High School, Indian Hills Community College, and soon after The University of Iowa in 1981. But Arnold took an academic course contrary to his career, and studied writing and business administration.

The Roseanne Years

While working as a comedian, Tom Arnold was hired by Roseanne Barr to work on her self-titled sitcom as a writer, and later as an executive producer. While working together on the show, Arnold and Barr struck up a romantic relationship, and eventually, they married. During this time, Arnold wrote himself into the show as the character "Arnie Thomas". Arnold's relationship with Barr often attracted news media attention due to the popularity of Roseanne, as well as the couple's on and off-screen behaviour.

The success of Arnold's TV appearances on Roseanne led to the creation of The Jackie Thomas Show. Tom Arnold appeared in the ABC sitcom as the title character Jackie, a former comic and slaughterhouse worker with an obnoxious and difficult to deal with attitude. Unfortunately, the show was canceled after 18 episodes. Arnold left Roseanne the same year in 1993 as an on-screen actor. A year later, Arnold and Barr divorced citing "irreconcilable differences".

Tom Arnold's Later TV Career and Films

While becoming a household name on TV, Arnold began to transition into Hollywood too. During the early to mid-90s, Arnold appeared alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in James Cameron's blockbuster True Lies. In the same year, he created and starred in Tom as Tom Graham, a short-lived TV sitcom about a blue-collar worker living in his trailer with his wife and 5 children.

Arnold went on to guest star in various TV shows, including Al Raymond in Baywatch Hawaii, The Big Kahuna in ER, and as the voice of George Wilson in a Dennis the Menace special. In the late 90s, he created and starred in another show called The Tom Show as Tom Amross, a TV producer balancing the divorce of his wife while raising his two children.

In the early 2000s, Arnold appeared as the character Marty Edelman in Civility. The film won two awards. Later, he secured the leading male role in Happy Endings alongside Hollywood A-listers such as Maggie Gyllenhaal and Lisa Kudrow. He continued regular TV and film work into the late 2000s, including an appearance as Rev. Calvin Riggins on an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

Tom Arnold's Current Career and Work

Arnold continues to work regularly in both film, TV, ads, and more. He has had a recent cameo in popular cult comedy The Trailer Park Boys, as well as a short stint on the crime series NCIS: New Orleans as Elvis Bertrand. He appeared alongside Chevy Chase in the Christmas movie Shelby as Doug the dog catcher as well as the role of Carl Phillips in Hallmark's Christmas Scavenger Hunt.

Tom Anrold explored out of his comfort zone and was recently a guest star on World's Funniest Animals. The actor has also cemented a career as a TV Host. From early appearances on The Best Damn Sports Show Period, to more recent stints as the host of CMT's Big Redneck Vacation.

In 2018, Arnold created a Viceland television series called The Hunt for the Trump Tapes With Tom Arnold. Although the series finished after 8 episodes with no success, Arnold claims the alleged Trump Tapes are still out there and pledged to not quit until "I get all the tapes or Trump resigns, whichever happens first.”

Tom Arnold's Personal Life

The actor has had four marriages, including his highly publicised one with Roseanne Barr. He recently divorced his wife of 11 years, Ashley Groussman. Tom Arnold's spouses include Shelby Roos and Julie Lynn Champnella. Arnold has been very public about his experience with sexual abuse, and subsequently he played a challenging role as a child molester in the film Garden of the Night which he took on to shed more light on the issue.

In 2019, Arnold had a brief involvement in the Fallwell scandal. He taped a phone call with Donald Trump's ex-attorney Michael Cohen in which Cohen revealed his involvement in a cover-up involving Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Falwell Jr.

Where is Tom Arnold Now?

The comic celebrity now lives in Beverly Hills, California. Tom Anrold is a dad of two kids and has four dogs – they're one big happy family.… show more