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Ron Paolillo as Arnold Horshack
How do you go from class clown to class teacher?
Ask Ron Palillo.
The former Welcome Back, Kotter star, who played the goofy Arnold Horshack on the hit ABC sitcom, has joined the staff of G-Star School of the Arts as a ninth grade acting teacher.
Don’t laugh.
This isn’t the 60-year-old Palillo’s first time in front of students. In fact, he’s a seasoned educator who has lectured at high schools and colleges around the country. He also started the popular class, Acting for Film and Television at the University of Connecticut, his alma mater.
“I am so excited to be back in the classroom, especially teaching aspiring actors and actresses at such a young age,” Palillo said in a statement. “G-Star and their students are just exceptional.”
Palillo has appeared in more than 150 TV shows, including Ellen, Murder, She Wrote and One Life to Live. He has also starred on stage in such productions as Amadeus, Guys and Dolls and Camelot.
Greg Hauptner, G-Star founder and CEO, said Palillo asked to join the charter school after working with the students on the film Dog Gone Tale: Destiny’s Stand.
“I almost fell out of my chair,” Hauptner said. “I said, ‘Oh my God, yes! I’d take you in a heartbeat.’”
Palillo will teach entry-level acting his first year, Hauptner said. The following year, he’s scheduled to run the school’s adult education program.
The veteran actor, who couldn’t be reached for comment, is no stranger to 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.
But he’ll always be remembered as the funny looking kid with the curly ‘fro and in the green jacket who kept raising his hand in class and shouting, “Ooooh! Ooooh! Ooooh! Pick me Mr. Kotter!”
Now G-Star has.
Who’s teaching 8th grade class …. Henry Winkler?
..g-star doesnt have an 8th grade.. its a high school.
This school is a joke.
YOUR A JOKE!
ill have you know mr. paolilo is a great teacher thus far and has already taught me alot about acting.
hes not as silly and stupid as horshack, its called ACTING, moron!
g-star is full of creative and intelligent kids, and its much better then any of the other schools i went to.
so just shut up if you dont know what you’re talking about, ok?
One of the worst “actors” teaching at one of the worst schools in the US, and it’s supported by your tax money!!
You don’t know a thing about this school. So keep your ignorant opinions to your self. Which I doubt you can do since you are a self proclaimed “film critic”. Maybe you’re a frustrated actor, or a wannabe somebody. I’m probably right. Most people who spit this kind of venom have serious issues with jealousy, like a mean middle schooler. Beside when you can sustain a career in acting as long as Ron Palilo, who better than to teach the craft? I enjoy his acting and think he is a great addition to the school.
My child attends G-Star, and loves it, and as parents we do too.
Prove it.
Yeah, I met Henry Winkler many years ago. Like Paolillo, he’s intelligent, talented and a darned good teacher. That would be pretty danged awesome if Winkler decided to teach at GStar too.
I agree with Christine. You obviously know nothing about G-Star. My kid attends and loves it as well, and the teachers there are great and certainly not burned out as in most other schools…I think Pallilo is a great addition to their staff.
why is it in palm beach county, no matter what happens a bunch of ignorant loud mouths start spouting off….good luck g-star….why don’t the rest of you morons move….or jump off a cliff…
Just heard froma friend Screech will teaching Porn 101 this fall.
My little girl graduated from G-Star Scool of the Arts. She is now in her second year at Palm Beach Atlantic Universty on a full scholarship!
As i G-star graduate I would just like to say that g-star has its flaws just as any other school, but it was incredible and I loved every minute ofit. That school was truly one of the best things to ever happen to me.
After having a guidance counselor from one of Palm Beach County’s so called ‘finest’ high schools, with “Dr.” in front of her name – tell my child who just didn’t like school (and was part of their gifted program) while I was sitting there with them, that he’s better off dropping out and getting his GED than staying in school, I was floored to say the least. When my youngest child decided to apply for G-Star I was ecstatic. Why? G-Star has a 95% graduation rate. They are required to teach the same academics that every public school in PBC teaches. Due to the smaller class sizes, they are able to give their students the needed attention to be successful. The teachers at G-Star teach there not because it’s the only place they can get a job, not because it’s an “A” school – but because they WANT to be there.
As for Mr.Paolillo – I am sure the folks that think he’s a bum, wash-out, what ever the heck you think – have probably not attended a great theater performance (or as you might call it ‘a play’), you probably only know one play that Shakespeare wrote, and even if you did, wouldn’t be able to sit through one without mumbling random stupid comments and annoying those that WANT to be there.
To you folks, please don’t let Hamlet haunt you in your dreams. And if you ever get to see ‘Oklahoma!’ you might want to ‘RENT’ a seat so ‘Patsy Cline’ can join you to watch ‘Cat’s’ dancing in ‘Chicago’!
Just disspelling some rumors:
-G-star now has somewhere around 900 kids, since it has been growing. Though it’s still not that much, the rooms are very small and they have to pile kids in as much as they can because they just don’t have the space. Therefore, you have the same amount of kids as you would in most other schools, but in a smaller setting.
-G-star has never been an “A” school.
-Many teachers quit their job at g-star after a couple of years.
-I have met Paolilo and I have to say, he’s an extremely rude and agitated person. Few people respect him, and I feel like Hauptner just keeps him there for the attention he brings to the school.
Bottom Line: G-Star is a great school! Great staff. Anyone that has ever been involved in the “real” Hollywood acting scene and knows what it takes to get any role on any film or television series will know that having Ron Paollilo as an acting coach is a great thing. He is an actor, must of been good as everyone remembers him and the role he “acted” out. My son graduated from G-Star, was there from the beginning, many students are at Universities now with full scholarships, many are pursing their goals in film, teaching. Great school, great staff, great kids… and the best part is they are a family …. the students are welcome back at anytime with open arms for a visit, some offered to work …. If the student doesn’t take advantage of what this school has to offer then it’s a shame.
wow… what is most amazing is how angry, combative and defensive the parents are out here. not to mention how badly written their posts are. i’m sure some parent will now attack me just cause i’ve posted something critical. um… it’s the KIDS who are in high school folks… parents are supposed to know better and be a little more tolerant. so glad i have no interaction with this school or you people in it. exiting stage left!
oh “wow” how your words affect me so! i almost feel bad about the fact that you were probably home schooled and know nothing of interacting with anyone let alone a girl. You’r so quick to judge a school you have never been too. Why dont you come on down to g-star and bring a petition saying “lets shut the school down cause it sucks soooo much” and we can see how many people sign that. G-star is the only school i know that i can watch dancing shows at lunchtime or have lunch time games. So you can go back to your minimum wage job, and also try to remove your head from your ass!
Let’s see “wow”… Do you have children trying to manage their way through the maze of the public school system? And as for: [["not to mention how badly written their posts are"]] that you so kindly state – you might what to consider taking a grammar refresher yourself. Or, perhaps you show how unimportant you feel about yourself when you lower your self identification to “i”. I still don’t see what you posted that would be considered critical, since when it comes to wanting the best for out children most parents WILL fight for what is best for their kids.
Ha,ha[["you people"]].. I love that, that’s usually a term used when someone feels threatened by another group of people. Oh, and you can bet that the students and teachers of G-Star are pretty happy as well, that you and those like you have no interaction with the school.
Let’s see “wow”… Do you have children trying to manage their way through the maze of the public school system? And as for: [["not to mention how badly written their posts are"]] that you so kindly state – you might what to consider taking a grammar refresher yourself. Or, perhaps you show how unimportant you feel about yourself when you lower your self identification to “i”. I still don’t see what you posted that would be considered critical, since when it comes to wanting the best for our children most parents WILL fight for what is best for their kids.
Ha,ha[["you people"]].. I love that, that’s usually a term used when someone feels threatened by another group of people. Oh, and you can bet that the students and teachers of G-Star are pretty happy as well, that you and those like you have no interaction with the school.
Regardless of what one thinks of Mr. Palillo’s body of work, the bottom line is that he worked professionally as an actor and made a living at it, which puts him in an elite minority. Who better to teach kids the ins and outs of working as an actor than one who has actually done it? Most drama teachers know nothing about show business. He can talk frankly about his successes and his failures. G-Star, and particularly its students, are lucky to have him.
G-Star School of the Arts has turned out some incredibly talented graduates and has the finest and most dedicated teachers and staff in the country. I don’t know too many art schools that can say one of their students was hand picked out of thousands of auditions by the “king of Pop” Michael Jackson to tour . Not to mention these people at G-star truly care about the community and regularly donate their time to help community charity events. Thank you everyone at G-star! You are all amazing!
G-Star school sucks and is overcrowded. The founder only cares about your child bringing in money. Bad choice to send your kids here.
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