'Like I'm coming back home:' Tom Arnold returns to Donnie B's for shows Oct. 13-14

When Tom Arnold got a call from Donnie B's Comedy Club owner Donald Bassford about kicking off the club's 25th season, it was an easy decision for the veteran stand-up comedian to make.

"I haven't been to Donnie B's for awhile and I do have a great time there always and with (Bassford) personally," said Arnold in a recent phone interview from his home in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley. "For me, I feel like I'm coming back home. It's not far from where I grew up."

Arnold, best known for the movie "True Lies" and his relationship with Roseanne Barr, headlines stand-up shows at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 2200 Meadowbrook Rd., at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Friday's early show is a fundraiser for Sojourn Shelter & Services.

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Despite being in L.A. the last three and half decades, where he almost immediately caught on as a writer for the "Roseanne" show, Arnold's old stomping grounds of Ottumwa, Iowa, are on the actor's mind these days.

Arnold also attended the University of Iowa where he started honing his stand-up routine.

"The kids (son Jax, 10, and daughter Quinn, 7) and I just went back to Ottumwa and we just had the best time," recalled Arnold. "My kids were like, 'Why can't we live here? There are yards and snow, and we love that stuff.' My kids, I pay about $150 each and drive them about an hour and 15 minutes outside of L.A. and they get out the car and pick vegetables and fruit. I had to do that as a kid. Now I'm paying so my kids can have that great opportunity.

"I do like coming back to the Midwest. I think people can tell if you're authentic, if you're from there, if you really know what you're talking about. I've always felt people from the Midwest support their own. People enjoy that you've been in movies and TV shows and this and that, but they really get behind a person if someone comes to their area or community."

In January 2022, Arnold had a mini stroke, causing temporary vision loss in his right eye. Although the stroke was categorized as minor, it reoriented his approach to his health and led him to a relationship with St. Louis fitness expert and motivational coach Charles D'Angelo ("Think and Grow Thin"), who he met through "True Lies" co-star and friend, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Arnold dropped 80-plus pounds in the process.

"He's been amazing," Arnold said of D'Angelo. "My first thought was, 'Does he expect me to go to the gym and lift weights with him? I mean, the guy's huge. But it's Zoom every two weeks. He tells you what to eat, talks about why you're eating what you're eating, how you're feeling.

"He knew I was filming (the action-comedy series 'FUBAR' on Netflix) with (Schwarzeneggar) last July. I said, 'Boy, it would be good to be back to my old "True Lies" weight.' He said, 'You'll be there.' I just didn't see how that was possible, but by trusting him, all of a sudden, I weighed less than when I filmed with Arnold.

"Some days I'm perfect with the stuff and some days I have a bite of cake. I do cardio, which is really good for my mental health. I do that and one of his protein shakes. It's tough when you're traveling. I lost 100 pounds before or close to it. Of course, as soon as I lost it, then it was on again with the eating. Like I didn't consider, 'Oh, I should keep it off.' I was like a wrestler, where you're like, you have to make weight. And the moment I made weight, I just started gorging."

Arnold, who is 64, admitted having a family changed his priorities.

"I still have four ex-wives still, but I have these kids," he said. "It's such a life-changing event, becoming a father. It's a very good life. I'm very blessed. I don't take anything for granted. My life is much smaller than it used to be, but it's pretty perfect.

"Before I had the kids, I did a lot of things. I had a lot of fun. I did a lot of partying. I did a lot of exciting things. I traveled, and I'm glad I did that because that's over. It's different. You still travel. Now, you go to Ottumwa, Iowa."

And, yes, Arnold had read about the upcoming nuptials of actor/comedian and former "Saturday Night Live" cast member Chris Kattan and Maria Libri of Springfield, recently posted by People Magazine. The couple is planning to get married in Chicago next summer.

"I'm certainly a fan of his and have enjoyed his ups and downs and it seems like (the upcoming marriage) is a big up," Arnold said. "Chris is a very sweet guy and people root for him and I certainly root for him."

When he was cutting his teeth as a stand-up comedian in L.A., Arnold said he would do sets at the venerable Comedy Store and The Improv for $12.50. Regular touring at clubs like Donnie B's "is where you made your money," Arnold said.

In addition to the stand-up, Arnold does a number of conventions, like ComicCon, along with a number of movie projects and recurring roles on "The Rookie Feds" on ABC and "FUBAR."

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This is the third time Bassford has brought Arnold to Springfield.

"He's great storyteller," Bassford added. "He connects with everybody, which is just as cool as can be."

The comedy club most recently has found a home at the west-side K of C hall. Despite a series of moves, including one necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Bassford has found that laughter, for him and others, really is the best medicine.

"It lifts you up," Bassford said of the comedy. "There are some people who come because it gives them peace for what they're going through, whether it be marital problems, relationship problems, children problems, a death.

"I don't expect to get back in the big money again. It would be nice if I could, but I do it if I can, as long as I'm alive. It's what it brings to people who are feeling bad and for those people who want to feel good."

Arnold said he appreciated a city the size of Springfield for supporting a comedy club.

"Not every city that size has a legacy comedy club that's been around 25 years," he said. "A lot of people start businesses, but rarely do you get to 25 years and you're still doing the same thing. Obviously, the people, Donnie B, and those guys have worked very hard to maintain it and maintain the level of talent they get and working with the community and getting the support."

Contact Steven Spearie: (217) 622-1788; sspearie@sj-r.com; X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Tom Arnold returns to Springfield IL for comedy shows October 13-14