Tom Arnold, the guy most famous for being Roseanne's husband, has become somewhat of a cult classic.
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OC Weekly (Ali Lerman): What's up with the show you're hosting, My Big Redneck Wedding?
Tom Arnold: Hey, people can say what they want about reality TV but when you have a show that special, it makes up for a lot of bad reality TV! When they told me the name of the show a few years ago I thought, no I don't want to make fun of rednecks. I'm from Iowa! Then they told me they shoot it documentary style and at the end of the day, these people love each other. I actually got to go down and literally marry people a couple of times! The last people I married lived together for four months in a car! I have a hard enough time getting a woman to live with me in Beverly Hills, if you can get a woman to live with you in a car…that's true love.
You're right. Nothing says true love like the back seat of a Ford. Will there be another season?
[Laughs.] You got it! And yeah, we're gonna do it again. It turns out it's CMT's highest rated show!
That live webcast on Tuesday you did was really cool, how great is it to be involved with the hit show, Sons of Anarchy?
That was fun! Those guys are so nice. I'm doing another episode this week, god knows how that's gonna turn out. [Laughs.] They usually want to kill my character and eventually that will happen, but I'm enjoying working with these guys a lot! The fact they all showed up for the webcast was fun.
Could you guys see the number of people that were watching online?
No!! I was just trying to focus on the teleprompter, which was far away. Where there a lot of people?
There were almost 8,000 people half way through it…pretty amazing I'd say!
Oh good! Well I'm glad and I hope a lot of people watched the premiere too. It was crazy. I saw it a week ago and they're really going for it. You know, it's one of those shows were you have no idea how anyone lives through any of it. It just seems like at any moment, they could all get shot!
I'm guilty of not watching the show although, I have it on my DVR and now plan to see it because I'm clearly missing out.
It's ok. I've of course paid attention to the episodes I was in and then they sent me a bunch of previous episodes to watch and I really got into it. It a very different show. What amazes me is that a lot of women watch it, and it can be violent. But it has a lot of heart to it and I think that's why a lot people like it.
And you play a porn director on the show?
Yes. I am a porn director. This season I also sell sex dolls. That's how I end up getting back involved with the gang.
That's great that you're so busy! What's your role going to be in the movie Jewtopia?
We film that this summer and I play the father of the bride, who is played by Jamie-Lynn Sigler. It's about a wedding that's coming up and all of the problems that come along with the two families. There is a lot of Jewish stuff in there but it's not just for Jews.
It's all good, I'm a big ol' Jew.
[Laughs.] Well you'll like it because it deals with a lot of the ridiculousness of the ceremony and the family stuff. There is a lot of controlling by the parents when it should be about the kids. The kids who wrote the original play are directing the film and there are a lot of good people in it. Rita Wilson, Jon Lovitz, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Camryn Manheim plays my wife; and she's great. It's a lot of fun. It seems like it'll turn out really well, we'll see!
So will there be a soundtrack? Maybe a little Hava Nagila?
Yeah I'm sure. If it can make money I am sure they'll do it!
Nice! Well you are just blowing up!
Well now, I wish I was blowing up. I just work day to day trying to keep it together.
Well the working speaks for itself and you have an exciting weekend coming up at the Irvine Improv too! How'd that come about?
Well. I do stand-up. [Laughs.] I'm getting prepared to do another special and I go out once a month somewhere. It's fun to get out and mix it up! I enjoy doing the shows but not so much the travel. But Irvine is close. I like it. At the end of the shows I come out and take pictures and I also sell t-shirts for Camp Del Corazon, which helps kids living with heart disease. I'm doing this challenge where whatever people donate until October 22nd, I'll match. So I gotta get to work hard because people are really stepping up! I'll sign anything and take pictures with everyone, and they'll probably throw it away but I get to meet them.
Ha! I doubt anyone would throw it away and it sounds like you're what they refer to as “a people person.”
It's fun because when you do movies you don't really get to be around people except the ones you work with. The same with TV. That's what I like about stand-up. And I like that I get booked to do it! That's an ace in the hole for me. Irvine is a great place too. They see a lot of different comedy out there so you really gotta bring your A game. It'll be fun.
Tom Arnold will be at the Irvine Improv ( 71 Fortune Dr., Irvine) this weekend. (949) 854-5455, www.improv.com. If you can't make it out to buy a t-shirt but would like to make a donation to Camp Del Corazon, please help the cause on their website. Follow Tom on Twitter @TomArnold and pick up some of his schwag on his webpage!
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Ali Lerman knows much about comedy, basketball, and celebrating Wu-Tang Wednesday. She’s been writing for sixteen years and still calls her mom with grammatical questions.