Jay Thomas: Difference between revisions
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==Career== |
==Career== |
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=== Television === |
=== Television === |
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Thomas is perhaps best known for his recurring roles. The first on the [[sitcom]] ''[[Mork & Mindy]]'', on which he played Remo DaVinci, the Italian deli-owner, from 1979 until 1981. He then played the hockey-player-turned-travelling-ice show-skater second husband, [[Eddie LeBec]], of [[Carla Tortelli|Carla]] on ''[[Cheers]]'' ([[1987 in television|1987]]–[[1989 in television|1989]]). He appeared on ''[[Murphy Brown]]'' as a tabloid talk show host, Jerry Gold, who was also one of Murphy's love interests (1989–[[1998 in television|1998]]). Thomas won 2 Emmy Awards in 1990 and 1991 for "Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series" for his portrayal of Jerry Gold on ''Murphy Brown''. |
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He provided the voice of Ares in several episodes of ''[[Hercules: The Animated Series]]''. |
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Thomas starred in the short-lived [[1990 in television|1990]] show ''[[Married People]]'', in the role of Russell Myers, a work-at-home writer married to a high powered lawyer (played by [[Bess Armstrong]]). |
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He has appeared in several TV movies, including ''Husband, Wife, Lover'', with [[Judith Light]], and ''Stranger in the House'' with [[Lindsey Crouse]]. |
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Following his recurring guest role on ''Murphy Brown'', the series' creator, [[Diane English]], would cast Thomas in two of her subsequent TV series. The first was the [[1992 in television|1992]]–[[1995 in television|1995]] sitcom, ''[[Love & War (TV series)|Love & War]]'', and later, Thomas had a guest role on English's short-lived 1996 [[Ted Danson]]-[[Mary Steenburgen]] sitcom, ''[[Ink (TV series)|Ink]]''. In 1994, he co-hosted (alongside [[Lisa Hartman Black]]), a television special celebrating the 30th anniversary of Universal Studios called ''Universal Studios Summer Blast''.<ref>[http://www.hollywood.com/tv/Universal_Studios_Summer_Blast/5194162 ]{{dead link|date=January 2012}}</ref> |
Following his recurring guest role on ''Murphy Brown'', the series' creator, [[Diane English]], would cast Thomas in two of her subsequent TV series. The first was the [[1992 in television|1992]]–[[1995 in television|1995]] sitcom, ''[[Love & War (TV series)|Love & War]]'', and later, Thomas had a guest role on English's short-lived 1996 [[Ted Danson]]-[[Mary Steenburgen]] sitcom, ''[[Ink (TV series)|Ink]]''. In 1994, he co-hosted (alongside [[Lisa Hartman Black]]), a television special celebrating the 30th anniversary of Universal Studios called ''Universal Studios Summer Blast''.<ref>[http://www.hollywood.com/tv/Universal_Studios_Summer_Blast/5194162 ]{{dead link|date=January 2012}}</ref> |
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Revision as of 22:30, 22 October 2012
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Jay Thomas | |
|---|---|
 Thomas at the 1992 Emmy Awards | |
| Born | Jon Thomas Terrell July 12, 1948 Kermit, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, radio talk show host |
| Years active | 1980–present |
Jay Thomas (born July 12, 1948) is an American actor, comedian and radio talk show host.
Personal life
Thomas was born Jon Thomas Terrell in Kermit, Texas, the son of Katharine "Kathy" (née Guzzino) and T. Harry Terrell, Sr.[1] He was raised in his Italian American mother's Catholic religion (his father was Protestant).[2]
He attended Jesuit High School in New Orleans, where he grew up. He holds a masters degree in sociology from Jacksonville University. He also attended and played college football at Central Piedmont Community College. He lives in Southern California and is the father of three sons, Samuel, Jacob and J.T.
Thomas fathered J.T. in an out-of-wedlock relationship and the child was adopted by another family. Jay Thomas and his son, known as John Harding, are reunited and have spoken about their reunion on the Dr. Phil Show. John Harding is the lead singer of the band JTX.[3]
Career
Television
Following his recurring guest role on Murphy Brown, the series' creator, Diane English, would cast Thomas in two of her subsequent TV series. The first was the 1992–1995 sitcom, Love & War, and later, Thomas had a guest role on English's short-lived 1996 Ted Danson-Mary Steenburgen sitcom, Ink. In 1994, he co-hosted (alongside Lisa Hartman Black), a television special celebrating the 30th anniversary of Universal Studios called Universal Studios Summer Blast.[4]
In 2008, Thomas was featured on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? as the "expert" available via Skype for the "Ask the Expert" lifeline. That week he reportedly answered every single question he was asked correctly.
Thomas guest-starred on Celebrity Ghost Stories, Law and Order: SVU, and Cold Case. He is the voice of Travel Channel's Ghost Stories and Mystery of the Museums. He appears often on the late night talk show circuit as well as an opinioned guest of Bill Maher, Jimmy Kimmel, Sean Hannity, Dennis Miller, Fox and Friends, The View, Larry King and "C" and MSNBC. [citation needed]
An annual tradition every Christmas is for Jay to appear on the Late Show with David Letterman where he tells a story about his younger days as a Charlotte DJ and being involved in an auto accident with The Lone Ranger Clayton Moore in his back seat. Then Jay and Dave take turns throwing a football at a tall Christmas tree adorned on top with a pizza and a meat ball. Jay only missed appearing in 2007 during the Writers Guild strike.
Film
Thomas has appeared in such films as Mr. Holland's Opus, Straight Talk, Dragonfly (2002), The Santa Clause 2 and The Santa Clause 3. He starred (opposite Greg Kinnear) in A Smile Like Yours, in Labor Pains (with Lindsay Lohan), and in Monday Night Mayhem (with John Turturro) and National Lampoon's "Pool Boys".
Recent activities
On stage, Thomas co-starred with Bebe Neuwirth and Paul Reiser in the Woody Allen written and directed play, Writer's Block, at the Atlantic Theatre in NYC. He and Paul Shaffer of the Late Show with David Letterman are the national fundraisers for PBS television. [citation needed]
Radio
Thomas began his career as a sports announcer for high school football and college basketball (UNC-Charlotte) while attending Gulf Coast Junior College in Panama City, Florida and Jacksonville University. His expressed goal at that time was to be a stand-up comic. He later worked the 7 p.m.-midnight shift at WBSR in Pensacola. He hit the big time at WAPE ("The Big Ape") in Jacksonville and then moved on to Charlotte, North Carolina, where he was the morning drive DJ at WAYS-AM and WROQ-FM in the 1970s. Thomas then worked as a radio DJ in New York City at WXLO 99X FM. While at 99X, his newsman/sidekick was sportscaster Charley Steiner. He may be best-known on radio for being the morning host on 92.3 WKTU. He was replaced by Howard Stern when the format of WKTU was changed to classic rock and the station took on call letters WXRK and station name K-ROCK. [citation needed]
After WKTU flipped formats, Thomas was hired by then new Rhythmic Top 40 KPWR/Los Angeles as their new morning host, where he enjoyed a successful run. While with KPWR, he got to sub-host American Top 40 . Thomas left KPWR due to a musical shift to gansta' rap. He would return to New York in 2000 to host the morning show on WTJM, which had just changed its format to "Jammin' Oldies" after many years as an adult contemporary station. He would leave the station just before it, like KPWR in Los Angeles, changed formats to hip-hop.
Thomas currently hosts the easiest program to call into in the history of radio, The Jay Thomas Show on Sirius XM Stars Too (Sirius XM Channel 104,), a channel on the SIRIUS XM Satellite Radio service. He has had numerous co-hosts on his show including comics Kevin Meaney, Rodney Lee Conover, Shuli, and Ira the Weatherman, Garrett Andritz, and Cristina Palumbo. On March 5, 2008 Howard Stern announced that Jay would be doing a live morning show on Howard 101 from 7 AM to 10 AM on Friday mornings. In 2011, Jay appeared on Disney's "Shake It Up' and CW's "Retired at 35", and in the final episode of the HBO series "Hung", receiving a guest star credit, and won best actor and best comedy as co-writer and star at the 2011 LA iTV fest for "Talker" his independent pilot with co-writer and director Perry Lang.
He currently resides in Southern California, but owns homes in New Orleans, one of which was destroyed by looting in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and another in Charlotte, North Carolina.
References
- ^ Jay Thomas Biography (1944-)
- ^ http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sptimes/access/54275216.html?dids=54275216:54275216&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Sep+28%2C+1992&author=JERRY+BUCK&pub=St.+Petersburg+Times&desc=Thomas+hopes+%60Love'+will+pave+road&pqatl=google
- ^ Emmy Award-Winning Actor Discovers He Has a Son. Us Magazine. August 14, 2008
- ^ [1][dead link]