Jay Thomas
Jay Thomas | |
---|---|
Emmy Awards | |
Born | Jon Thomas Terrell July 12, 1948 Kermit, Texas, U.S. |
Died | August 24, 2017 , U.S. | (aged 69)
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1979–2017 |
Spouse |
Sally Michelson (m. 1987) |
Children | 3, including J. T. Harding |
Jay Thomas (born Jon Thomas Terrell;
In 1997, he starred in the television film Killing Mr. Griffin, based on the eponymous novel. In films, he co-starred in Mr. Holland's Opus (1995) as a high-school coach with a flair for theatrics, and portrayed the Easter Bunny in The Santa Clause 2 (2002) and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006).
He was also an annual guest on the
Early life and education
Thomas was born in
Letterman appearances
Thomas made annual Christmas appearances on David Letterman's CBS late night show, beginning in December 1998. Letterman and one of his other guests that evening, then-New York Jets quarterback Vinny Testaverde, took turns throwing footballs trying to knock a large meatball off the top of a Christmas tree at the other end of the stage. As the two took turns futilely attempting to knock off the meatball, Thomas came back out to join in the festivities, and promptly knocked the meatball from the tree.[9]
Beginning on a subsequent visit to Letterman's show, Thomas told a story about when he was a young disc jockey (around 1972) at WAYS 610 AM in Charlotte, North Carolina.[10] Thomas had been making a promotional appearance at a local Dodge dealership, which had also booked a personal appearance by actor Clayton Moore, best known as the Lone Ranger on television and in films; Moore appeared at the event dressed in his Lone Ranger costume.[9]
According to Thomas, he and his colleague Mike Martin, both clad in the hip fashion of the day (including tight jeans, tie-dyed shirts and their hair, which Martin wore long while Thomas himself sported what he called a "White Man's Afro"), had secretly gotten "herbed up" (smoked marijuana) several times throughout the day behind a dumpster. After the broadcast had ended and the crowd had left, while packing up their equipment, Thomas and Martin discovered that Moore was still there, as the car that was supposed to drive him back to his hotel never arrived; Thomas then offered Moore a ride in his own car, an old, decrepit Volvo, which Moore accepted.
While stuck in traffic, with Moore sitting quietly in the back seat, an impatient, middle-aged man backed his full-sized Buick into the front end of Thomas's compact Volvo, broke a headlight, and then drove off. An angry Thomas chased the Buick down Morehead Street weaving through heavy traffic and forgetting all about Moore still sitting quietly in his back seat. Thomas finally caught up to the man, blocked his Buick with the Volvo, and confronted him about the broken headlight. The indignant driver denied all; when Thomas threatened to call police, the man exclaimed, "Who do you think they'll believe? Me, or you two hippie freaks?" At that moment, Moore, still in costume as the Lone Ranger, stepped out of the Volvo, approached the man and said "They'll believe me, citizen!" The man, incredulous, exclaimed "I didn't know it was you!"[11]
For every year thereafter except 2013, Thomas appeared to repeat the Lone Ranger story, which Letterman called, "The best talk show story, ever", and once again attempt what Letterman would refer to as the "Late Show Quarterback Challenge". For his final appearance in December 2014, Thomas was again successful in knocking the meatball off the top of the tree. Thomas missed the 2013 Late Show Christmas episode due to throat surgery; John McEnroe took his place and told the Lone Ranger story, then tried, unsuccessfully, to knock the meatball off the tree by hitting tennis balls at it.[9]
Personal life
Thomas fathered
Thomas married Sally Michelson in 1987. They had two sons, Samuel and Jacob.[13]
Death
Jay Thomas died of
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1979–1981 | Mork & Mindy | Remo DaVinci | 20 episodes[1] |
1981 | The Love Boat | Paul Harris | Episode: "First Voyage, Last Voyage" |
1984 | Master of the Game |
Levy | Television miniseries |
1984 | C.H.U.D. | Cop in diner | |
1985 | Spenser: For Hire | Tony Broz | Episode: "Discord in a Minor" |
1985 | The Gig | Rick Valentine | |
1986 | Legal Eagles | Waiter | |
1986 | The Park Is Mine |
TV Reporter | |
1987 | Family Ties | Jerry DiNello | Episode: "Super Mom" |
1987 | A Year in the Life | Scott Spenser | Episode: "What Do People Do All Day?" |
1987–1989 | Cheers | Eddie LeBec | 9 episodes[1] |
1988 | Monkey Business | Tedesco | |
1988 | The Adventures of Ragtime | Lester Waylin | |
1988 | Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color |
Delivery Man | Episode: "Justin Case" |
1989 | Almost Grown | Unknown | Episode: "Take It Slow" |
1989 | The Golden Girls | Sy Ferber | Episode: "High Anxiety" |
1989 | Freddy's Nightmares | Stan Brooks | Episode: "Dream Come True" |
1989–1998 | Murphy Brown | Jerry Gold | 9 episodes Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series (1990–91) Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series(1989)[1] |
1990 | Miracle Landing | Ed Meyer | Television movie |
1990 | Open House | Evan Gimbel | 2 episodes |
1990 | Where's Rodney? | Lou Barnes | Television movie |
1990 | Little Vegas | Bobby | |
1990–1991 | Married People | Russell Meyers | 18 episodes |
1992 | Straight Talk | Zim Zimmerman | |
1992 | Batman: The Animated Series | Guard 1 | Episode: "The Forgotten" |
1992–1995 | Love & War | Jack Stein | 67 episodes[1] |
1995 | Cybill |
Jay | Episode: "Zing!" |
1995 | Bless This House | Ted | Episode: "If It Ain't Broken, Break It" |
1995 | Mr. Holland's Opus | Coach Bill Meister | [1] |
1996 | A Strange Affair | Eric McKeever | |
1996 | Dirty Laundry | Joey Greene | |
1996–1997 | Ink | Jack Stein | 3 episodes |
1997 | Killing Mr. Griffin | John Griffin | Television movie |
1997 | A Smile Like Yours | Steve Harris | |
1997 | Aaahh!!! Real Monsters | Disembodied Voice | Episode: "Spy vs. Monster" |
1997 | Working | Mr. Peyser | Episode: "Lost Weekend" |
1998 | My Date with the President's Daughter | Charles Fletcher | Television movie |
1998 | The Simple Life | Joel Campbell | Episode: "Sara's Ex" |
1998 | The Adventures of Ragtime | Lester Waylin | |
1998 | Monkey Business | Tedesco | |
1998 | Last Chance | Artie | |
1998–1999 | Hercules | Ares | 6 episodes |
1999 | Stranger in My House | Ray Young | |
1999 | Katie Joplin | Glen Shotz | |
1999 | Fantasy Island | Carl Harbin | Episode: "The Real Thing" |
1999 | Dead Man's Gun | Emil Kosar | Episode: "The Good Chef" |
1999 | The Wild Thornberrys | Bull Seal | Episode: "Tamper Proof Seal" |
1999 | The Big Tease | Tony Bolero | Uncredited |
2000 | Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire? | Himself | Host, TV special |
2000 | An American Daughter | Timber Tucker | Television movie |
2001 | Surfacing: AKA A Letter from My Father | Tom | |
2001–2002 | The Education of Max Bickford | Jerry Zibowski | 2 episodes |
2002 | Ed | Gary Siringo | Episode: "Small Town Guys" |
2002 | Monday Night Mayhem | Pete Rozelle | Television movie |
2002 | Dragonfly | Hal | |
2002 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Joe Sherman | Episode: "Vulnerable" |
2002 | The Santa Clause 2 | Easter Bunny | Cameo[1] |
2003 | Run of the House | Bob Melman | Episode: "Twas the Night Before Homecoming" |
2004 | Teacher's Pet | Barry Anger | Voice |
2004 | Joan of Arcadia | Obnoxious Investor at Spa | Episode: "Recreation" |
2006 | The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause | Easter Bunny | [1] |
2007, 2010 | American Dad! | Brett Morris | 2 episodes |
2008 | Boston Legal | Ian Hoberman | Episode: "Happy Trails" |
2009 | The Pool Boys | Marty | |
2009 | Labor Pains | Garth | |
2010 | Cold Case | Lance Katrola | Episode: "One Fall" |
2010 | Sex Tax: Based on a True Story | Charles Taylor | |
2010 | Mysteries at the Museum | Narrator | 12 episodes |
2011 | Snatched | Roger Byamm | |
2011 | Horrorween | Two Headed Monster | |
2011 | Retired at 35 | Mr. Jenkins | Episode: "Workin' Man" |
2011 | Hung | Sandee's father | Episode: "The Whole Beefalo" |
2012 | Shake It Up | Dan Gold | Episode: "Copy Kat It Up" |
2013 | The Haunting of… | Himself | Episode: "Jay Thomas" |
2013 | Life Tracker | Attorney General | |
2013 | Underdogs |
Mike Mayhew | |
2013 | The Trials of Cate McCall | Loncraine | |
2013–2017 | Ray Donovan |
Marty Grossman | 5 episodes (his final role) |
2015 | NCIS: New Orleans | Marc Maslow | Episode: "Confluence" |
2015 | Bones | Lenny Jay | Episode: "The Promise in the Palace" |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Elber, Lynn (August 24, 2017). "Jay Thomas, 'Murphy Brown' and 'Cheers' actor, radio host, dies at 69". Chicago Tribune. Associated Press. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
- ^ "It's Wouldn't Be the Holidays Without Jay Thomas' Lone Ranger Story". Animalnewyork.com. December 24, 2009. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
- ^ "Talk and Entertainment - Program Schedule". Sirius XM. Archived from the original on August 25, 2017. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
- ^ "Jay Thomas profile". Filmreference.com. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
- ^ "Thomas hopes 'Love' will pave road". Tampa Bay Times. September 28, 1992. Retrieved June 20, 2014.[dead link]
- ^ "Famous People from New Orleans". Experience New Orleans. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
- ^ Massa, Dominic (August 24, 2017). "Actor Jay Thomas, Jesuit High School graduate, dies at 69". The New Orleans Advocate. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
- ^ "Actor, DJ and Jacksonville University alumnus Jay Thomas dies at 69". The Florida Times-Union. Jacksonville. Associated Press. August 24, 2017. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Jay Thomas takes one more shot at David Letterman's Christmas-tree meatball". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans. December 18, 2014. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
- ^ Bodson, Laurent (December 31, 2009). "Jay Thomas on Letterman.2009.12.23 - The 'Lone Ranger' Story". Archived from the original on December 21, 2021 – via YouTube.
- ^ Late Show (airdate December 19, 2014).
- ^ "Emmy Award-Winning Actor Discovers He Has a Son". Us Weekly. Archived from the original on August 15, 2008. Retrieved November 28, 2008.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Genzlinger, Neil (August 24, 2017). "Jay Thomas, Actor on 'Murphy Brown' and 'Cheers,' Is Dead at 69". The New York Times. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
- ^ Blistein, Jon (August 24, 2017). "'Cheers,' 'Murphy Brown' Character Actor Jay Thomas Dead at 69". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
- ^ Niemietz, Brian (August 24, 2017). "Comic actor Jay Thomas is dead at 69". New York Daily News. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
External links
- Jay Thomas at IMDb
- Official site at the Wayback Machine (archived September 30, 2019)
- TV.com entry Archived June 29, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- Ten Questions with Jay Thomas