Herbie J Pilato | |
|---|---|
 Pilato in 2025 | |
| Born | (1960-10-09)October 9, 1960 (age 64) |
| Occupation | Actor/Writer/Producer |
| Years active | 1984–present |
Herbie J Pilato (born October 9, 1960) is a classically-trained American actor, and an award-winning writer and producer.
Herbie J Pilato was born Herbert James Pilato on October 9, 1960, inRochester, New York, to Frances Mary Pilato (née Turri) and Herbert Pompeii Pilato.[1][2] His parents were of Italian descent.[3] He completed a bachelor's degree in Theatre Arts fromNazareth University, and also studied Television and Film at theUniversity of California, Los Angeles.[1] Pilato served his internship in Television from May 1984 to December 1985 as an NBC Page at the network's facility in Burbank, California.
Herbie J Pilato began acting in his hometown of Rochester, New York, with early appearances in live stage productions ofYou're A Good Man, Charlie Brown,Santa Claus is Comin' to Town, andJesus Christ Superstar, among others.
In the 1980s, he moved to Los Angeles and was soon cast in bit roles on daytime soaps likeGeneral Hospital,The Bold and the Beautiful, and primetime fare likeHighway to Heaven, andThe Golden Girls,The New Leave It To Beaver, and more.
During this time, Pilato was also a stand-in dancer on TV’s music-variety series,Solid Gold, and acted and sang in clubs along the Sunset Strip.
In 1992, Pilato published his first book,The Bewitched Book, about the classic 1960s TV series. From there, he published other classic TV literary companions and began producing and appearing on classic TV documentaries for Bravo, A&E, and TLC, among others. He also consulted on and appeared in some DVD and Blu-ray packages of classic TV shows for Sony, Warner Bros., and NBCUniversal.
In 2013, Pilato established the Classic TV Preservation Society (CTVPS), a formal 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that celebrates and advocates for the positive social effect of classic TV shows.
In 2015, Pilato began his popular live weekly events,Throwback Thursdays with Herbie J Pilato, at the Burbank Barnes and Noble.
In 2019, Pilato hosted, co-created, and co-executive-produced his own TV talk show,Then Again With Herbie J Pilato[1], which began streaming onShout TV[2] andAmazon Prime[3].
In October 2022, the Reelz Channel aired the documentary,Elizabeth Montgomery: A Bewitched Life[4], for which Pilato presented with AMS Pictures as a co-executive producer, co-director, and co-writer. Pilato was also the primary on-screen cultural commentator for this production.
In December of 2022, Pilato publishedThe 12 Best Secrets of Christmas: A Treasure House of December Memories Revealed[5], a holiday memoir of his youth growing up in Rochester during the 1960s and ’70s. Featuring a Foreword by TV icon Dean Butler, ofLittle House on the Prairie, and an Introduction by actor/voiceover star Jerry Houser (The Summer of ‘42),The 12 Best Secrets of Christmas universalizes the messages of kindness and unity for all cultures.
In early 2023, Pilato publishedRetro Active Television: An In-Depth Perspective of Classic TV’s Social Circuitry[6], which explores the positive impact of classic TV. The Los Angeles Book Festival recently named Retro “Book of the Year,” and subsequently, Pilato, “Author of the Year.” With a Foreword by actor Eric Scott, of TV'sThe Waltons,Retro Active Television[7] has received additional high praise, including endorsements from those like Marc Wade of the Television Academy, and Emmys.com[8].
In his blurb on the back cover ofRetro Active Television, Wade says the book “connects the dots between the medium’s origins and milestones, between the past and the present…and how we can utilize it productively for the future.”
In the fall of 2023, Pilato had two new books published:Connery, Sean Connery: Before, During and After His Most Famous Role[9], a biography of the Oscar-winning star, and a Special Commemorative Edition ofThe Bionic Book: The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman Reconstructed[10].
The Connery biography features a Foreword by actress Barbara Carrera, Connery’s co-star fromNever Say Never Again, his final film bow as James Bond 007 — and which recently celebrated its 40th Anniversary. The book was also released with the 60th Anniversary ofFrom Russia With Love, which was Connery’s favorite of his Bond movies.
The new edition ofThe Bionic Book[11] was released in tandem with the 50th Anniversary ofThe Six Million Dollar Man’s debut (and features exclusive commentary from Bionic stars Lee Majors and Lindsay Wagner).
Additionally, 2023 saw the audiobook release of Pilato'sRetro Active Television[12], along with his celebrity biographies,Mary: The Mary Tyler Moore Story[13], andTwitch Upon a Star: The Bewitched Life and Career of Elizabeth Montgomery[14]. Furthermore, his Sean Connery biography[15] also became available in audiobook form.
In other news for 2023,Closer Magazine[16] featured Pilato's Sean Connery biography and Pilato's commentary in their October 9, 2023 issue;ReMind Magazine[17] published Pilato'sBewitched cover story in their October 2023 issue.
Meanwhile, 2024 marked the 40th Anniversary of Pilato being an NBC Page, which he wrote about inNBC & ME: My Life As a Page In a Book, which has recently been released in hardcover.[18]
In its March 2024 issue,Retro Fan Magazine[19] published Pilato'sMagical Memories of Elizabeth Montgomery article as aBewitched 60th Anniversary Celebration cover story.
In its June 2024 issue,Retro Fan Magazine published Pilato's cover story tribute toThe Six Million Dollar Man andThe Bionic Woman[20] .
In its July/August 2024 issue,Retro Fan Magazine[21] published Pilato's cover story tribute toCHiPs[22], the classic TV series starring Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox.
In the fall of 2024, the University Press of Mississippi published Pilato's new celebrity bio,One Tough Dame: The Life and Career of Diana Rigg[23], his book about the 1960s TV female icon. Rupert Macnee, son of Patrick Macnee (Rigg’s former TVAvengers co-star) has written the Foreword, whileAvengers director Ray Austin has penned the Introduction.One Tough Dame is also available in audiobook form.
Additionally, Applause Books has published his new Christmas book,Christmas TV Memories: Nostalgic Favorites of the Small Screen[24], for which Marlo Thomas has written the Foreword. (LikeOne Tough Dame, it's also available as an audiobook.)
In 2024, Pilato established his YouTube Channel, HJP-TV (Herbie J Pilato Television).[25]
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