Tom Arnold’s name is mainly known for two things – playing opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in True Lies and being an ex-husband of Roseanne Barr. Although the man has had no other plans to eclipse the significance of the above mentioned facts about his life, he is a man of many interests and has a diverse resume that spans screenwriting, comedy and politics.
Biography of Tom Arnold
Often we look at actors and celebrities and think their lives are perfect, with no reason to be sad or hurt. Often we forget that before they became stars that the world gawked at, they were just people with their own pasts and stories. To say that Tom had a difficult past would be to put his story kindly.
Tom Arnold is from Iowa, born in Ottumwa to Jack Arnold and Linda Kay. Things were apparently going well in the Arnold family until his mother left her, when Tom was just a child, leaving Tom and his siblings to their father. Raising six children is hard work for two people, remember not to leave this responsibility to one person. Having to combine the responsibility of providing for them and being with them, compromises will have to be made. Unfortunately, in Tom’s case, these compromises meant that he was sexually abused by his babysitter between the ages of 4 and 7.
Supporting a large family of six was difficult for him, so Tom and his siblings took to the streets to help in any way they could to supplement the family’s income. Tom, was looking for work in different places but finally found work in a meatpacking factory. Tom combined his work at the factory with high school. After graduating from high school, Tom went on to college where he majored in business administration and writing. He graduated from the University of Iowa.
Maybe it was about using humor to hide the emotional issues he faced growing up, but regardless, he would give up his business administration degree for a career in comedy theater. Luckily for Tom, it wasn’t a bad decision: he was discovered by 80s/90s sitcom star Roseanne Barr, who signed him on as a writer on her show.
From working together, the two developed affection for each other and they got married soon after. The attention of being married to one of TV’s most successful actresses gave Arnold media publicity that helped him land his own TV show, The Jackie Show. Thomas. Unfortunately, he didn’t enjoy the same success with the show that brought him into the limelight.
Tom Arnold’s career has progressed despite the setback of The Jackie Thomas Show. In 1994, he had the opportunity to play alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, one of the greatest actors in the history of cinema, as his humorous companion in True Lies, a film directed by the director of the superstar, James Cameron.
Along with starring in feature films, Tom has also hosted shows, like The Best Damn Period Sports Show, My Big Redneck Wedding. He’s also been on reality shows like “I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!”
His filmography includes movies like Nine Months, Mr. Magoo, Judge Dredd, Happy Endings, and L’homo erectus. He has participated in more than 50 film and television projects since the beginning of his career in the 80s. During his career, he struggled with alcoholism and drug addiction. He overcame it, however, and is now sober.
Net value
Tom Arnold is worth $30 million. His fortune despite the lack of filmography with commercially successful projects comes from his marriage to Roseanne Barr. The divorce from the TV star proved to be a lucrative move for him, with the terms of the prenup agreement earning him up to $20 million. His income from acting and royalties from past projects helped him maintain his wealth.
Is he married? Wife / spouse
Tom has been married four times, he was the first married to Roseanne Barr. The couple married in 1990, but after four years of a rocky marriage, the two men divorced. He remarried Julie Lynn Champnella in 1995, but four years later they separated and eventually divorced. Tom, not a man capable of giving up on love, tried again with Shelby Roos in 2002 and the marriage lasted longer than his first two, but after 6 years the two broke up. In what he hopes will be his last marriage, he is now married to Ashley Groussman. The couple got hitched in 2009 and they are still going strong. They currently have two children and four dogs.
Other facts to know about Tom Arnold
Arnold is a practicing Judaist
Although Arnold was raised as a Methodist and was to remain one, his marriage to Roseanne Barr converted him to Judaism and he has remained so ever since.
He started out as an actor
Tom started his acting career at the age of 23 in the early 80s. He had a prop-based routine he called Tom Arnold and the Goldfish Review.
Arnold is a vocal political commentator
Since Donald Trump’s rise in whites as President of the United States, Arnold has joined a host of Hollywood stars as vocal critics of the US President.
His marriage to Roseanne Barr was strange
The relationship between the two has drawn a lot of attention, not only because of the relationship’s implications for his career, but also their behavior when they were together. Tom had a tattoo of Roseanne’s face on his chest while Roseanne tattooed her name on her bottom.
Although better known as Tom Arnold, his birth certificate reads: Thomas Duane Arnold.