The Tragic Death of 'Welcome Back, Kotter' Actor Ron Palillo: A Look Back

Photo byFacts.net

He was born on April 2, 1949, in New Haven, Connecticut, and died of a heart attack at only 63 on August 14, 2012, in Palm Beach Gardens. His birth name was Ronald Gabriel Paolillo, but his stage name was Ron Palillo who was best known as Arnold Dingfelder Horshack on TV's hit 1970s sitcom, Welcome Back, Kotter.

A Closer Look

Ron Paolillo was performing in the play Hot L Baltimore in New York when he heard about the casting of Welcome Back, Kotter, which originally aired on ABC from 1975 to 1979.

At first, Palillo did not want to audition for the sitcom, which was co-created by comedian Gabe Kaplan, the show's star. But upon his agent's urging, Paolillo changed his mind.

Upon learning that the character of Horshack was street-tough, Palillo dressed to fit the part for the audition. Kaplan was impressed, and Palillo got the part.

Palillo thought the original way the producers saw Horshak was as the class loser. But when he started doing the show, they came to consider Horshack as probably the smartest one in the class.

Palillo's on-screen classmates attended a fictional Brooklyn high school, and the group included future superstar John Travolta as Vinne Barbarino. The show, based on Kaplan's youth growing up in Brooklyn, was about a teacher who once attended the school and was now hired to instruct the toughest students there called The Sweathogs.

Beyond Kotter

Ron Palillo continued to work following the cancellation of Welcome Back, Kotter. He made guest appearances on TV shows such as The Love Boat, The A-Team, and CHiPs. He also provided voice work for animated shows like Darkwing Duck and even played himself in many episodes of the Ellen sitcom.

Palillo was also a pen-and-ink artist who worked under his full name, Ronald G. Palillo. He said he used it as a tribute to his father. Palillo also authored two children's books, wrote a full-length play, and appeared in several Broadway productions

Conclusion

Welcome Back, Kotter was intended as a star vehicle for Gabe Kaplan and ultimately became exactly that for a then-unknown John Travolta.

In a statement to the press after Palillo's death, Travolta said, “Ron was a wonderful person and talent, and helped catapult Welcome Back, Kotter to great success. We will miss him.”

However, Ron Palillo and his trademark laugh as Horshack and his famous lines like, "Oooh...Oooh....Oooh," will be forever cherished by classic TV fans around the world.