Ron Palillo

Ron Palillo was an American actor known for Arnold Horshack -- the eager, hand-waving student -- on Welcome Back, Kotter (1975). He was gay and began a relationship with retired actor Joseph "Joe" Gramm in 1971; the two remained partners for 41 years, until Palillo's death, living together in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. He was never the subject of a formal public coming-out story, but his relationship was openly acknowledged in interviews and obituaries. Beyond acting, Palillo earned an MFA in Performance & Direction from Lehman College and later taught drama, including at his alma mater the University of Connecticut and at Florida's G-Star School of the Arts. He died of a heart attack in August 2012, at 63. Palillo was known for his warmth and generosity as a person, and his character Horshack remains one of the fondly remembered comic creations of 1970s American television.