Heather Thomas, who celebrated her 66th birthday on September 8, was once poised for a flourishing Hollywood career after starring as Jody Banks, the sidekick to Lee Majors in the popular 1980s action series The Fall Guy. But what seemed like the perfect beginning to a successful career soon took a turn that would alter the course of her life forever.Following the series finale, an unexpected event changed everything for Thomas. After finishing the show, her mother arrived on set to deliver unexpected news: her father, Leon, had been hospitalized. Worried for her father’s well-being, Thomas rushed to the hospital, but was quickly reassured by her family and friends at the Santa Monica facility that he was stable and that their real concern was her health. This visit marked a pivotal moment in her life—one that would lead to a profound transformation both personally and professionally.
Heather Thomas had always been destined for the spotlight. With a striking combination of talent and beauty that rivaled icons like Farrah Fawcett and Heather Locklear, she made her mark early on. At just 14, she hosted NBC’s Talking with a Giant, a show where she and four other teens interviewed celebrities. By the time she graduated from UCLA, where she studied film and theater, Thomas had already appeared in the short-lived comedy series Co-Ed Fever (1979). Her ambition was clear: she aspired to be an actress, director, and writer.
In 1980, Thomas landed her breakout role on The Fall Guy, starring opposite Lee Majors, famous for his role in The Six Million Dollar Man. As Jody Banks, a stuntwoman turned bounty hunter, Thomas became a fan favorite and a cultural icon. Men adored her, and she was often seen as a sex symbol—a label she had complicated feelings about. In a candid interview, Thomas shared her thoughts on the stereotype: “There’s obligatory condescension that goes with that. You fit the blonde bimbo stereotype. At that time, I was having fun.”
However, beneath the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, Thomas was struggling with a deepening addiction. She had started taking medication in middle school to maintain high grades and later turned to recreational drugs, including cocaine, while attending UCLA. By the time The Fall Guy was in full swing, her drug use had escalated, and it was taking a serious toll on her health and career. She became obsessed with maintaining her sex symbol status, resorting to using Lasix, a diuretic that made her sleepy, and cocaine to counteract the fatigue. “I honeymooned with the medication,” she admitted. “I felt I got good value. It let me stay up all night and work the next day.”
Despite her claims, sources close to Thomas revealed that her drug use was negatively affecting her career. “Word was out on Heather,” one person said. “People knew she was troubled.” Her physical health declined rapidly, and at one point, she fainted in front of Lee Majors, prompting him to contact her manager, who then called her mother. Thomas’s weight dropped drastically, and she began fainting between takes, often describing herself as being in a “minicoma.”
It wasn’t until after the series finale of The Fall Guy that her family intervened. Her mother, Gladdy Ryder, took action and helped Thomas check into a three-week drug treatment program at St. John’s Hospital. It was there that Thomas realized just how far her addiction had taken her. “It was a big relief to me,” she said of her detox experience. “I wanted to get off a roller coaster. Without my family’s intervention, I probably would have continued until I lost my job or died.”
After her treatment, Thomas found support in fellow addicts and eventually married Allan Rosenthal, the co-founder of Cocaine Anonymous, in 1984. They divorced two years later, but by then, she had already begun to rebuild her life. Unfortunately, in 1986, while crossing the street, she was struck by a car, injuring both legs. Despite this setback, she returned to acting with smaller roles in films like Cyclone (1987) and Canadian Red Blooded American Girl (1990), starring opposite Christopher Plummer.
In 1992, she remarried entertainment lawyer Skip Brittenham and focused on restarting her career. She also embraced her new role as a mother, giving birth to her only biological child, India Rose, in 2000. Alongside being a mother, she became a stepmother to two daughters, Kristina and Shauna. It was during this period of her life that Thomas found solace in writing and activism, serving on the boards of the Rape Foundation and the Amazon Conservation Team.
Thomas, who once struggled with the pressures of being a sex symbol, reflected on her evolution: “When I was young, I did what others told me, but as I got older, I didn’t compromise. For power and freedom, this provided me a house and the fame to enter. Showing your body is fine. Don’t think I betrayed myself. Feminists shouldn’t be ashamed of their bodies.”
Despite facing challenges, including being stalked by fans and needing to take multiple restraining orders out against individuals, Thomas took a step back from acting. She explained that her decision was driven by the need to protect her family and her own well-being. “I was stalked. One man climbed the barrier with a knife. I had two tiny children that required raising, so that was it,” she said.
Heather Thomas made a brief return to acting in 2017 with Girltrash: All Night Long, but she has since shifted her focus to her family, activism, and personal recovery. Her journey has been one of resilience, and while her acting career may have slowed down, she remains an influential figure in the entertainment industry for her work both on and off the screen. Heather’s story is a powerful reminder of the importance of support, personal growth, and the courage it takes to overcome life’s challenges.
