Heather Thomas, known for her role alongside Lee Majors in *The Fall Guy*, turned 66 on September 8. She was on track for a very successful Hollywood career.
However, after the show’s finale, her mother appeared on set, and Thomas rushed to the hospital, thinking her father had an emergency. But when she arrived at the Santa Monica hospital, her family and friends told her that her father, Leon, was fine—it was her they were worried about.
This marked the start of a new chapter in the 28-year-old’s life, which would change both her personal life and career.
Read on to find out what happened to the famous 1980s pinup girl!
Heather Thomas had talent and natural beauty that compared to stars like Farrah Fawcett and Heather Locklear. She was born to be in the spotlight.
At just 14, she hosted an NBC show called *Talking with a Giant*, where she and other teens interviewed celebrities.
Wanting more, Thomas studied film and theater at UCLA, aiming to be an actor, director, and writer. Before she graduated, she appeared in a short-lived comedy series called *Co-Ed Fever* in 1979.
In 1980, Thomas, who was born in Connecticut, landed her first major role in *The Fall Guy*. She played Jody Banks, a stuntwoman and bounty hunter, alongside Lee Majors, who was famous for his role in *The Six Million Dollar Man*.
Her role made her popular, especially among male viewers, who saw her as a sex symbol. Thomas had mixed feelings about this label.
“There’s a kind of condescension that comes with it,” she told *People*. “You fit the stereotype of the blonde bimbo. But at the time, I was just having fun.”
Unfortunately, Thomas’s fun also involved drugs, a habit that began before her role as Jody Banks.
She revealed that her drug use started in sixth grade to help keep her grades up. “I was taking acid and getting straight A’s. I thought it was mind-expanding,” Thomas said.
As Heather Thomas grew older, the drugs she used also changed.
While studying at UCLA, Thomas started using cocaine. By 1981, just one year into her role on *The Fall Guy*, her drug problems got worse.
Feeling pressure to live up to her image as a sex symbol, the 5-foot-7 actress became obsessed with her weight. She began taking Lasix, a diuretic that can cause extreme tiredness.
To fight the tiredness, she used more cocaine to stay energized.
“At first, I loved the drug. I felt like I was getting a lot out of it. It kept me awake all night, and I could still work the next day,” she said, but claimed she never used it on set. “Cocaine isn’t accepted on sets. It’s no longer cool. It’s just a personal nightmare.”
However, a source close to Thomas told *People* that her drug use was hurting her career. “People knew Heather had a problem,” the source said.
Thomas’s weight dropped from 125 to 105 pounds, and she began falling asleep between scenes. She admitted, “Sometimes, I was in a mini coma.”
One day, she passed out in front of her co-star, Lee Majors. He contacted her manager, who then called her mother.
After the final episode of *The Fall Guy* was filmed, Thomas’s mother, Gladdy Ryder, showed up on set and told her that her father was in the hospital.
Thomas rushed to St. John’s Hospital, but when she arrived, she was met by her family and friends. They were there to admit her into a three-week drug rehabilitation program.
“That day was a big relief for me,” Thomas said. When she checked into detox, she had pneumonia, scarred lungs, and inflamed kidneys. “I’d been on a roller coaster, and I wanted to get off. If my family hadn’t stepped in, I probably would have kept going until I lost my job or died.”
She also said, “The doctors told me I should have been dead three years ago.”
Determined to recover, Thomas surrounded herself with people who supported her goal of staying drug-free. That’s when she met Allan Rosenthal, co-founder of Cocaine Anonymous, and married him when she was 28. They divorced in September 1986.
That same month, Thomas was hit by a car while crossing the street, leaving her with serious injuries to both legs.
After detox, divorce, and surgery to repair major damage in one of her legs, Heather Thomas returned to acting with smaller roles in TV series. She also appeared in movies like *Cyclone* in 1987 and the 1990 Canadian film *Red Blooded American Girl* with Christopher Plummer.
With her struggles behind her, Thomas started fresh in the 1990s. While working to revive her career, she married entertainment lawyer Skip Brittenham in 1992. She became a stepmother to his two daughters, Kristina and Shauna, and gave birth to her only biological child, daughter India Rose, in June 2000.
Talking about her decision to step away from acting, Thomas said, “I had about 45 restraining orders, and I was on everything from a toilet seat cover to an ashtray. Then I fell in love, had two little girls, and decided to give up acting to write for a while.”
In 2017, Thomas made a brief comeback in the movie *Girltrash: All Night Long*, one of her 26 acting credits.
However, Thomas has focused mostly on writing. She said it wasn’t a lack of roles that drove her away from acting but the constant threat of stalkers invading her privacy. “One guy climbed over the fence with a knife. I had two little girls who needed raising, so that was that. Now, I think I’m old enough that people won’t bother me as much.”
Today, Thomas is also involved in activism. She has served on the boards of the Rape Foundation and the Amazon Conservation Team.
Identifying as a feminist, which some find surprising for a former sex symbol, Thomas explained how she embraced both roles.
“When I was younger, I did what people told me. But as I got older, I didn’t compromise myself. I wanted power and freedom, and my career gave me that. I don’t think being a feminist means you should be ashamed of your body,” she said.
It’s unfortunate that Heather Thomas wasn’t able to fully revive her acting career, but we’re glad she got the help she needed and is now on a lifelong journey of recovery.
The 1980s had so many great shows, and we loved watching her as Jody Banks in *The Fall Guy* alongside Lee Majors, the Six Million Dollar Man!
We’d love to hear your thoughts about Heather Thomas and her journey to recovery!
Mother births 3rd set of twins, but when she sees birth certificate she can’t believe her eyes
In a whirlwind of astonishing occurrences, a Wisconsin couple found themselves caught in the enigmatic thread of fate as they welcomed twins for the third time, all born on the exact same date.
Back in 2013, Carrie and Craig Kosinski were approached by a woman faced with the weighty decision of finding a loving home for the twins she was carrying. She confided: “I’m unable to provide the life these infants deserve”.
Sharing their journey with NBC’s “Today”, Carrie revealed that despite their initial aspirations for biological children, they embraced the prospect of adoption wholeheartedly.
In a testament to their unwavering faith, Carrie expressed: “We believed this was meant to be. We wholeheartedly embraced God’s plan, choosing adoption over our initial hopes for biological parenthood”.
Adalynn and Kenna made their entrance into the world via an emergency cesarean on February 28, 2014, the same date that marked the birthdays of their biological siblings, JJ and CeCe, born the year before.
Exactly a year after legally embracing Adalynn and Kenna, fate made another turn as the twins’ birth mother approached the Kosinskis once more, this time seeking adoption for JJ and CeCe. The couple embraced this opportunity without hesitation.
Surprising the Kosinskis yet again, September 2015 brought news of an unexpected pregnancy, twin babies. Carrie underwent an emergency cesarean on a date that stunned them, February 28, 2016. Though the due date was set for three months later, unforeseen circumstances led to an early water break, resulting in six weeks of hospital bed rest before the eventual surgery.
Despite the peculiar coincidence of all six children sharing the same birthdate, Carrie emphasized their individuality. Reflecting on this, she remarked: “Each child’s unique personality is a profound delight. Their differences lead us in six distinct directions, each revealing its own charm”.
Sharing their story, the Kosinski family aimed to broaden perspectives on adoption. Carrie elaborated: “Our belief in divine adoption into God’s family predisposed us to interpret this as a divine plan. These children are an immense blessing, equally and boundlessly loved. We seek no other existence”.
Their narrative swiftly circulated online, evoking a torrent of well-wishes and heartfelt sentiments. One reader wrote: “Heartiest congratulations to your remarkable family! May divine blessings light your path forever”. Another remarked: “Astounding, a profoundly moving tale that speaks volumes about destiny. Sharing a birthdate across different years, an authentically astonishing spectacle”.
Kindly be advised: The initial entreaty sought a reconfiguration of the text, infusing the elements of bewilderment and burstiness. The ensuing composition has undergone substantial rephrasing, featuring an elevated lexicon and structural enhancements, all while preserving the essential context and reference to the individuals mentioned.
Leave a Reply