Jay Thomas Biography
Born: July 12, 1948
A character actor who specialized in upbeat, energetic everymen (often with a strong romantic angle), Jay Thomas made his most enduring mark on U.S. television sitcoms during the mid- to late '80s and early '90s. A native of Kermit, TX, Thomas kick-started his career as a standup comedian in the American South, with a particularly strong emphasis on French Quarter comedy clubs in New Orleans, LA. He achieved his big television break in the late '70s thanks to Mork & Mindy show creator Garry_Marshall, who cast him as deli owner Remo DaVinci on that blockbuster program just as its ratings were beginning to slide; Thomas remained with it for two seasons, from 1979-1981. Following little-seen movie roles in films such as 1984's C.H.U.D. and 1985's The_Gig (a particularly colorful part as an obnoxious entertainer), Thomas returned to series television in a big way, first with a recurring role on Cheers, as Eddie LeBec, the ne'er-do-well, washed-up hockey player husband of saucy barmaid Carla (Rhea_Perlman) -- a role he held from 1987-1989 (which ended with the character being run over by a Zamboni machine!).
Thomas followed up his Cheers part with two additional key sitcom roles: the lead role of New York Post columnist Jack Stein -- the romantic sparring partner of Wally Porter (Susan_Dey) -- on Love & War (1992-1995), and (in a less frequently seen but equally memorable performance) Jerry Gold, one of the paramours of Candice_Bergen's acerbic title character, on Murphy_Brown -- a role that lasted for nine years. (Both programs were produced by Diane_English.) When Brown folded in 1998, Thomas moved back into features, essaying supporting roles in such films as Last_Chance (1999), Dragonfly (2002), and The_Santa_Clause_3:_The_Escape_Clause (2006). Nathan Southern, Rovi
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