Its a luxury and a curse, says Tom Arnold of his famous name, forever associated with his rocky early-90s marriage to Roseanne Barr. He can laugh about it now in his stand-up act, since his career has proven surprisingly durable. Say what you will about the guy, but hes still working on TV, movies, radio basically anyplace that will have him. And its worth remembering he was a successful stand-up, pre-Roseanne, in the 80s. I feel good that Ive survived, period, says Arnold by phone. I feel very lucky that for 25 years Ive been working. Thats crazy. Ive been on some death lists for 25 years. So many times people said, Hell never work again. Its weird that some people who work for me now were born in the 80s. Thats fucking crazy. What forms the gist of his stage routine these days? My personal life, as always, he chuckles. I talk a lot about relationships. Dr. Phil has only been married once. What does he know about pain and suffering? Unless youve been down that trail, which Ive been down several times, youre pretty flip about the information youre giving. I have such a fear of being abandoned and divorced. Men that have been married before are the best candidates [for remarriage], because they have such a fear of failure. And does Arnold, now on his fourth marriage, ever dispense such advice to his Hollywood neighbors? He laughs. A few years ago, Britney Spears lived next door with me, when she was with Kevin Federline. And I tried to talk to her and him about Ive been down this road before, but nobody wants to listen. BRIAN MILLER
Fri., March 4, 7:30 & 10 p.m.; Sat., March 5, 7:30 & 10 p.m., 2011
