Ron Palillo is an American television and film actor, and teacher. He was born Ronald Gabriel Paolillio on April 2, 1949 in New Haven, Connecticut and raised in Cheshire, where he started his own summer theater at the age of 14. He was a graduate of the University of Connecticut at Storrs, where he has appeared in many school plays. He also taught at the university during late 1990s.

Palillo is best known for his role as Arnold Horshack on the ABC sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter between 1977 and 1979. Since then he has starred in several leading and supporting roles in television and films. He was also the voice behind characters in animated series such as Laverne & Shirley in the Army, Darkwing Duck, and Rubik, the Amazing Cube. Other appearances included Ellen, One Life to Live, Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives and The Curse of Micah Rood.

In 1991, Ron Palillo returned to New York and played different roles in various stage plays. He was Mozart in Amadeus, George in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Arthur in Camelot and Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls. He also appeared in a Broadway show in 2008.

Palillo is also a director and his works included the successful productions of the musical Three Guys Naked From The Waist Down in Los Angeles, A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline, and a new edition of Phantom Of The Opera at the Cuillo Center for the Arts in West Palm Beach, Florida. He also introduced a new clothing line in 2007, which specializes in limited edition T-shirts made by Rotter and Friends. As an artist, he has provided artwork for two children’s books - The Red Wings of Christmas and A Gift for the Contessa. His first full-length play was The Lost Boy, by J.M. Barrie, in 2005.

On August 14, 2012, Ron Panlillio suffered from a heart attack at his home. He was taken to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.