Bill Klein and Dr. Jen Arnold have been lighting up the small screen since 2009 with "The Little
Couple." But while his wife's career and their adorable kids soak up most of the screen time,
it's Bill's love and support that keeps this family going. Here's more of his story.
Klein and Arnold both have skeletal dysplasia, and they've each spent their share of time
in the hospital. In fact, Klein's very first memory is that of being in an operating room.
But despite the challenges in enduring intensive medical intervention as a kid, young Bill
made the best of it. He told Glamour,
"I used to do laps around the [hospital] hallways, and I was happy as could be. I was cut out
of my cast, I was sitting up, listening to my Walkman, my parents were 200 miles away,
so I couldn't get in trouble by them, so I cruised into [Jen's] room."
While Arnold was initially skeptical about her hubby's alleged couple origin story, eventually
she was convinced. She explained,
"All the details he's telling you, when he first told me, I was like, 'No, you didn't.'
Then he started rattling it off and it was all right."
Klein clearly endured some serious challenges growing up. And, according to his book "Life
is Short," bullying was one of them. He wrote,
"Unfortunately, my unwanted and unearned celebrity transferred from high school to college seamlessly.
I was teased, I was ignored, I was threatened, I was chased [and] I was beaten up."
"The emotional feeling of being, y'know, an outcast, weighs on you, y'know. You feel alone."
Fortunately, Klein had been raised in a stable and loving home. And his parents were active
in his life. In an interview with Dad or Alive, he said about his father,
"He was the kind of dad that wanted to see me grow up to be [...] independent, stubborn
to fix things on my own and focused on achievement."
Klein may have been managing the bullying, but that didn't mean it wasn't taking a toll.
And while he was in college, he struggled with thoughts of self harm. As he shared in
his book,
"I was tired of hearing the word 'midget.' I was tired of being in a group and yet somehow
excluded. I was tired of the stares, the pointing, and the laughing, and I was tired of being
alone."
"My depression drove me to the brink of climbing out on the ledge of my dormitory…" "…And
contemplating taking a jump."
Thankfully, he was soon able to find a bit of hope, when it came to his family. He said,
"I remember thinking my mom would be pissed and my dad disappointed. I thought a bit more
about how I'd miss my brothers. And then I realized I had a lot more to live for."
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide
Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.
Although Klein and Arnold met when they were young kids in the hospital, it wasn't until
years later that they reunited on a dating site and struck up a real romance. Klein joked
with Glamour,
"When Jen and her best friend first registered for the dating website, her best friend said
her radius [to find a guy] was 15 miles, while Jen's was 1,500."
"We met online at a website called DateALittle.com…very apropos."
When the pair set out to meet for their first date, Klein had to get on a plane to do it
— but that didn't weird Arnold out in the least. She said,
"That is a big gesture, but when you're a little person and you meet somebody that happens
often."
As it turned out, Arnold and Klein were destined to be together. The pair tied the knot in
2008 with a beautiful ceremony in Florida.
Fans are well aware of Dr. Arnold's career as a medical director at Johns Hopkins All
Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida. But not as many are clear as to what Klein
does for a living. While he graduated from NYU in '96 with a biology degree, he launched
his career in a completely different direction.
Starting in 2000, Klein worked for two different corporations as the director of sales, before
becoming the COO and owner of a third company. Then, in 2009, he and Arnold co-founded Candu,
the company that manages the couple's motivational speaking and public appearances. And, in 2011,
Klein founded the Houston area pet boutique, Rocky and Maggie's.
"That's just the way it is. I'm the Big Cheese."
And yes, all of that is on top of Klein's work on "The Little Couple" and his credit
as the co-author of two books thus far.
Since "The Little Couple" has been a reality TV staple for over a decade, it's safe to
say that most people know who Bill and Jen are. But one thing that folks don't always
get right is Bill's last name. He recalled to HuffPost,
"I was at Restoration Hardware and the lady came up and said, 'Oh my god, I was hoping
I'd meet you guys, it's very nice to meet you Bill Arnold.'"
Fortunately, Bill Klein understands that it's an easy mistake to make, and he doesn't take
it as an insult in any way. He said,
"It's actually a running joke. [It's] happened so often that people just presume that my
last name is Arnold. It's perfectly fine by me, there's no ego or harm done."
By all accounts, Klein genuinely seems to enjoy starring on a TV show. After all, the
series has provided both him and Jen the chance to educate the public about little people
— dispelling stereotypes and restoring dignity to those who don't happen to have their own
hit show. That's actually the main reason that the couple agreed to go public in the
first place.
"I think for the most part, we take it in stride, try to have a good time with people,
um, hopefully educate them."
But "The Little Couple" hasn't just changed the lives of its fans. Klein says that starring
on the show has sharpened his own communication skills, too. He explained to HuffPost,
"On occasion, [Jen and I] have to expand upon a topic that we otherwise would have skimmed
across because of time, because our days and our jobs are busy. It gives us a chance to
communicate in more detail."
It's one thing to enjoy the spotlight. But it's entirely another, to love watching your
every move, on camera. But when it comes to Klein, he is always game to watch his own
show. He told Glamour,
"I enjoy [watching it] because it's an interesting perspective to see you and your spouse interacting
in a way where you're smiling all the time and happy and all that sort of stuff."
"I don't lose my faith in Jennifer's love for me, or my love for her."
As he tells it, Klein truly relishes seeing himself and Jen get a chance to be themselves
together. And have their whole journey recorded for posterity. He added,
"It's nice to see that we're truly happy and putting a smile on each other's face. I get
a little giddy when I see those things."
"Do you have children?…You will." "When and how many?"
If you've been watching "The Little Couple" since its debut in 2009, then you're no doubt
aware of the struggle Klein and Arnold went through to have a family. As longtime fans
know, they spent years trying to have children, including working with a surrogate who miscarried
twice. They even became pregnant the old-fashioned way, though it was sadly non-viable.
As viewers watched the devastating journey full of hope and tears, it's not surprising
that Klein and Arnold ultimately turned to adoption in order to grow their family. And
as it turned out, that strategy was pure magic. When Klein first met his son Will in China
in 2013, he was feeling very emotional. He shared with Dad or Alive,
"Needless to say, I was nearly in tears. While I wouldn't change a thing, our journey to
parenthood had a lot of difficult moments."
"Today, it's first day of being Dad. Dad, Day 1. I've never done that before."
Indeed, after all of the tears, struggle, and heartbreak, finally becoming a father
was a dream come true for Klein. He said,
"To see our efforts culminate with meeting William in a hotel conference room on the
other side of the world was simply amazing. We fell in love with Will when we saw his
picture — and again when we met him for the very first time."
Another thing that loyal fans of the show already know is that when the couple made
the decision to adopt, Will and their daughter Zoey came home around the exact same time.
While it might not have been the ideal situation, they knew they had to say yes.
"Zoey, this is Will, your big brother, and Will, this is Zoey, your little sister…Awwww."
But once it was time to bring Zoey home from India, their lives were turned upside-down
when Jen was diagnosed with cancer in 2013.
This meant that Arnold could not physically be with her family — due to her compromised
immune system — when Zoey first arrived. And Bill had a lot to manage, handling everything
at home on his own. He recalled in his book,
"I had just introduced Zoey to her new home for the first time, and she didn't want anything
to do with it, and she didn't want to be near her new daddy. Zoey had bonded with Jen, but
not with me, and without her new mommy she was inconsolable."
Fortunately, Zoey soon adjusted to both of her parents and her new home, making the family
complete. And once Season 6 of the show began airing in 2014, Arnold had finished her treatment
and was officially cancer-free.
While Klein has been on TV for years and has enjoyed all of the perks that have come along
with it, he hasn't become jaded about life as a reality star. Instead, there are times
when he's watching "The Little Couple" and he experiences a rush of intense joy. He wrote
in his book,
"I'll suddenly see our family doing something and it will strike me: 'how did I get here?'
I will see Jen's beautiful smile and Will's never-ending joy and Zoey enthusiastically
hopping and skipping along and just think, 'When did I win the Powerball of life?'"
"It's very rare that you get an opportunity to hose down your parents in multiple colors
of powder and liquid." "And it's like, ok."
That wonderful feeling that overcomes Klein is 100% due to the obvious love and appreciation
he has for his wife and kids. And thanks to how well that translates on camera, the show
has been a longtime hit with fans — with no signs of stopping.
While enjoying the luxury of fame might sound like a fun proposition for some, others might
find the constant attention to be overwhelming. And while Klein and Arnold have some truly
devoted fans — including some who drop by their house by surprise — Klein honestly
doesn't mind the attention. He explained to Glamour,
"It's not like people come up to the door and tell us they don't like us. People genuinely
like us, which is very nice."
Still, that's not to say that Klein invites people to stay when they drop by. But no matter
what, he graciously sends them on their way. He said,
"The timing might be off sometimes, so it's hard to tell people, 'Oh, hey, we're having
Christmas dinner.' But sometimes you have to."
What the family patriarch does actually enjoy are the people who come to his pet store,
eager to talk about fertility issues or adoption. That's because he knows fans are looking for
a connection with someone who has a similar story.
With all that Klein has accomplished in life, you might be tempted to think that he's content
to just chill on his boat or spend all of his time kicking back at the beach. But think
again! No matter how far he's come, Klein still has his sights set on the future. And
he hopes his children can learn from his example and look to him for his legacy. That's why
he and Arnold wrote not one, but two books together. He told Glamour,
"I would like for my kids to take a couple of notes from our pages and maybe say, 'You
know what? My dad got bullied too. And my mom got bullied also. We saw obstacles in
their lives and they turned out to be fine.''
"We are all different in our own way. And that is what makes us all awesome." "Awesome."
As every fan knows, the entire family has become an incredible inspiration to many.
So while Klein may be waiting to talk to Will and Zoey about the tough stuff, when the time
is right, his sagely advice will be readily available on the printed page. He joked,
"Chances are, by the time they're old enough to appreciate that, we'll be too old to recall
it otherwise."
Here's hoping this happy family keeps sharing their story for a long time.
Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus, even more List videos about your favorite
reality stars are coming soon. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you
don't miss a single one.