Heather Thomas

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Heather Anne Thomas (born September 8, 1957^[1]) is an American actress, screenwriter, author and political activist, best known for her co-starring role of Jody Banks on the TV series The Fall Guy.

Early life

Thomas was born in Greenwich, Connecticut to Gladdy Lou Ryder, who was a special education teacher in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. She graduated from Santa Monica High School in 1975 and went on to attend UCLA Film School, graduating in 1980. While at UCLA, she was a member of the Chi Omega sorority.

Career

Thomas started acting in 1978 in small television roles; at age 14, she was one of the hosts of a series on NBC called "Talking with a Giant," where she interviewed celebrities.^[2] She appeared in the series Co-Ed Fever, of which she later said "It was cancelled after the third commercial."^[3] She got her biggest part as "Jody Banks" in 1981 in Lee Majors' The Fall Guy television series and held that role until 1986, when the show was canceled. She appeared in several movies and quit acting in 1998. Thomas was a popular pin-up girl during the 1980s, appearing on numerous posters.

Following her acting career, Thomas tried her hand at screenwriting, and after writing some 40 screenplays finally sold a script called School Slut to Touchstone Pictures for a "mid-six-figure sum."^[4] Touchstone didn't make the film, however, and Thomas acquired the rights to produce it herself.^[2]

In April 2008, Thomas' first novel, Trophies, was published by William Morrow.

Personal life

Thomas married Allen Rosenthal, one of the co-founders of Cocaine Anonymous in August 1985;^[5] they divorced around September 1986.^[6] Thomas then married entertainment attorney Skip Brittenham in October 1992.^[7] Their daughter, India Rose, was born on June 19, 2000. Thomas and her husband host a monthly breakfast gathering at their home to act as a fundraiser for liberal causes, which has become known in Washington as the "L.A. Cafe".^[8][9]

In 1984, she entered rehab to help overcome an addiction to cocaine.^[2] In 1986 she was hit by a car while crossing San Vincente Boulevard and suffered fractures to both legs;^[10] she was hospitalized for nearly a month recuperating.^[11]

Filmography

References

External links

• Heather Thomas at the Internet Movie Database
• Heather Thomas at TV.com
• Heather Thomas at Harper Collins