Heather Anne Thomas (born September 8, 1957)
[ is an American actress, author, and political activist, who co-starred as Jody Banks on the TV series '']The Fall Guy
''The Fall Guy'' is an American action/adventure television series produced for ABC and originally broadcast from November 4, 1981, to May 2, 1986. It starred Lee Majors, Douglas Barr, and Heather Thomas as Hollywood stunt performers who moonli ...
.''
Early life
Thomas was born in Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich (, ) is a New England town, town in southwestern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the town had a total population of 63,518. The largest town on Connecticut's Gold Coast (Conne ...
, to Gladdy Lou Ryder, a special education teacher in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District
Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a Legend, legendary figure originating in Western Christianity, Western Christian culture who is said to Christmas gift-bringer, bring ...
. She graduated from Santa Monica High School
Santa Monica High School, officially abbreviated to SaMoHi, is located in Santa Monica, California. Founded in 1891, it changed location several times in its early years before settling into its present campus at 601 Pico Boulevard. It is a part o ...
in 1975 and went on to attend UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television
The UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television (UCLA TFT), is one of the 12 schools within the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) located in Los Angeles, California. Its creation was groundbreaking in that it was the first time a leadi ...
, graduating in 1980. While at UCLA, she was a member of the Chi Omega
Chi Omega (, also known as ChiO) is a women's fraternity and a member of the National Panhellenic Conference, the umbrella organization of 26 women's fraternities.
Chi Omega has 181 active collegiate chapters and approximately 240 alumnae chapte ...
sorority
Fraternities and sororities are social organizations at colleges and universities in North America.
Generally, membership in a fraternity or sorority is obtained as an undergraduate student, but continues thereafter for life. Some accept gradua ...
.
Career
Thomas started acting at age 14, when she was one of the hosts of a series on NBC called ''Talking with a Giant,'' in which she interviewed celebrities.[ In 1978, she began acting in small television roles; she appeared in the series '']Co-Ed Fever
''Co-Ed Fever'' is an American sitcom that aired on CBS in 1979. The series attempted to capitalize on the success of the motion picture ''National Lampoon's Animal House''. It was the third of three "frat house" comedy series to air in early 1 ...
,'' of which she later said, "It was cancelled after the third commercial."[
After ''Co-Ed Fever's'' cancellation, Thomas was chosen for the role of Jody Banks in ''The Fall Guy,'' which starred ]Lee Majors
Lee Majors (born Harvey Lee Yeary; April 23, 1939) is an American actor. Majors portrayed the characters of Heath Barkley in the American television Western series ''The Big Valley'' (1965–1969), Colonel Steve Austin in the American television ...
and was produced by Glen Larson
Glen Albert Larson (January 3, 1937 – November 14, 2014) was an American musician, television producer, writer, and director. His best known work in television was as the creator of the television series ''Alias Smith and Jones'', ''Battlestar ...
, from its 1981 premiere to its 1986 cancellation. Thomas became addicted to cocaine during her run in the program, and entered rehabilitation
Rehabilitation or Rehab may refer to:
Health
* Rehabilitation (neuropsychology), therapy to regain or improve neurocognitive function that has been lost or diminished
* Rehabilitation (wildlife), treatment of injured wildlife so they can be retur ...
for that addiction in the mid-1980s.[ She appeared in several movies, the first of which was '']Zapped!
''Zapped!'' is a 1982 American teen sex comedy film directed by Robert J. Rosenthal and co-written with Bruce Rubin. The film stars Scott Baio as a high school student who acquires telekinetic powers.
Plot
At Ralph Waldo Emerson High School, b ...
'' in 1982, but she gave up acting in 1998. Thomas appeared on numerous pin-up posters during the 1980s.
Following her acting career, Thomas wrote a screenplay called ''School Slut'' and sold it to Touchstone Pictures
Touchstone Pictures, Inc. was an American film production label of Walt Disney Studios, founded and owned by The Walt Disney Company. Feature films released under the Touchstone label were produced and financed by Walt Disney Studios, and featu ...
for a figure reported as "mid-six-figure."[ Touchstone did not make the film, however, and Thomas acquired the rights to produce it herself.][
In April 2008, Thomas's first novel, ''Trophies,'' was published by William Morrow.]
Personal life
Thomas married Allan Rosenthal in August 1985; Rosenthal is one of the founders of Cocaine Anonymous Cocaine Anonymous (C.A.) is a twelve-step program formed in 1982 for people who seek recovery from drug addiction. It is patterned very closely after Alcoholics Anonymous, although the two groups are unaffiliated. While many C.A. members have been ...
;[ they divorced in September 1986.][ In that same month, Thomas was struck by a car while crossing San Vicente Boulevard, and she sustained serious injuries to both of her legs.][ In October 1992, Thomas married entertainment attorney Harry Marcus "Skip" Brittenham. Their daughter, whom they named India Rose, was born on June 19, 2000.
Thomas left acting in part due to stalkers, as well as a desire to focus on her family and to explore writing.] When asked by Reuters in 2009, "Was it really so bad in the 1980s that you had to quit?", Thomas replied, "Yes, I was getting so stalked. I had one guy climb over the fence with a knife one time. I had these two little girls and they desperately needed raising so that was that. But I think now I have gotten so old that people won’t bother me much."
Activism
Thomas and Brittenham became joint hosts of a monthly fund-raising breakfast gathering at their home in Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...
, which became known in Washington as the "L.A. Cafe".[ Thomas has served on the advisory boards of the Rape Foundation and ]Amazon Conservation Team
The Amazon Conservation Team (ACT) is a non-profit organization that works in partnership with indigenous people of tropical South America in conserving the biodiversity of the Amazon rainforest, as well as the culture and land of its indigenous ...
. According to newsmeat.com, Thomas contributed over US$280,000 to political candidates since 1992, mostly to Democratic and special-interest groups, such as Sens. Barbara Boxer
Barbara Sue Boxer (née Levy; born November 11, 1940) is an American politician and lobbyist who served in the United States Senate, representing California from 1993 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served as the U.S. ...
(D-CA), Elizabeth Warren
Elizabeth Ann Warren ( née Herring; born June 22, 1949) is an American politician and former law professor who is the senior United States senator from Massachusetts, serving since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party and regarded as a ...
(D-MA), and Al Franken
Alan Stuart Franken (born May 21, 1951) is an American comedian, politician, media personality, and author who served as a United States senator from Minnesota from 2009 to 2018. He gained fame as a writer and performer on the television comed ...
(D-MN), with $2,400 towards supporting Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
Mary Bono
Mary Bono (née Whitaker and formerly Mary Bono Mack, born October 24, 1961) is an American politician, businesswoman, and lobbyist who served Palm Springs and most of central and eastern Riverside County, California, in the U.S. House of Repres ...
.
Filmography
References
External links
*
Heather Thomas
at Harper Collins
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Heather
1957 births
Living people
Actresses from California
Actresses from Greenwich, Connecticut
American film actresses
American television actresses
People from Greater Los Angeles
UCLA Film School alumni
21st-century American women