The Creative Spark and Benevolent Spirit of Herbie J Pilato

Tammye McDuff

Herbie J Pilato has a refreshing approach to life and work.

“It’s all about taking the high road, “says Pilato. “I believe in kindness and karma. But I try to be kind in all I do, not because I expect kindness in return. But because it’s the healthiest choice.”

A multi-hyphenate creative with a caring spirit, Pilato’s philosophical path has led to his success as a writer, producer, actor, and singer/songwriter. 

Pilato has produced and/or served as a consultant or cultural commentator on various retro-media-geared documentaries. His biographies of pop-culture icons Mary Tyler Moore and Bewitched star Elizabeth Montgomery, have won acclaim from critics and readers, as have his guides to the groundbreaking TV series, Kung Fu, Life Goes On, among others.

Pilato also writes about classic programming for the Television Academy and Emmys.com and has hosted as executive produced his own memory lane TV talk show Then Again with Herbie J Pilato. His future books profile legendary actors Sean Connery and Diana Rigg, historic producer/directors George Lucas and Steven Spielberg.

Pilato is particularly excited about The 12 Best Secrets of Christmas, his first mainstream publication, which will be published in December 2022. “It’s about the truest meaning of Christmas,” he says, “…a book that, literally – on so many levels – can be described as a life-long project.”

A resident of Los Angeles, Pilato was born and raised within a large, welcoming Italian- American family in Rochester, New York, which inspired the Christmas tome.”My parents were wonderful people who taught me to be compassionate and understanding in everything I do, and with everyone I meet. To this day, I try to do exactly that with each step I take…and with every endeavor.”

Endeavors, all, with a nod to the nostalgic, “Like many of us, I have an affectionate affinity for the past,” Pilato says. “With my work, I incorporate my thoughts and perceptions of yesterday’s simpler times for today’s more complicated world.”

“I wake up every day and try to bring a little light and fun into the world,” adds Pilato, who also has a strong social media presence. “I try to tell the stories that people want to hear, and to do so in an uplifting manner…and with dignity.”

For Pilato, ‘even and especially the complex stories” should be told with decency. “We all have our challenges and struggles,” he says. “None of us are perfect. But what keeps us afloat more than we may know is how we respond to those challenges and how we confront and rise above them. That’s what makes our lives interesting and more importantly, productive. And those are the kinds of lives and topics I choose to write about…the people who have made a difference… for the highest good of all concerned.” 

People like Herbie J Pilato. 

For more information, visit www.HerbieJPilato.com