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Michelle Thomas

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This article is about the actress. For the polyglot linguist and language teacher, see Michel Thomas.
Michelle Thomas
Michelle Thomas in 1996
Born
Michelle Doris Thomas

(1968-09-23)September 23, 1968
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedDecember 22, 1998 (1998-12-23) (aged 30)
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
New York City, U.S.
Resting placeRosedale Cemetery, Orange, New Jersey, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Actress, comedian
Years active1985–1998
Known for

Michelle Doris Thomas (September 23, 1968 – December 23, 1998)[1][2] was an American actress and comedian. She was known for her roles as Justine Phillips on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show (1988–90), as Myra Monkhouse on the ABC/CBS sitcom Family Matters (1993–98), and as Callie Rogers on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless (1998).[3]

Early life and education

Michelle Thomas was born in Boston, Massachusetts,[4] on September 23, 1968, to mother Phynjuar "Penwah" Thomas,[5] a stage actress, and musician father Dennis Thomas, a saxophonist and founding member of the band Kool & the Gang.[3] Thomas grew up in Montclair, New Jersey, and graduated from West Essex High School in 1987.[1][6]

As a child, she would accompany her mother at her theater rehearsals and performances.[7] Her mother was her first acting coach, and coached her throughout the course of her career.[3] Thomas was crowned Miss Talented Teen New Jersey at the state's Hal Jackson's Talented Teen pageant, and then in July 1984, at the age of 15, she was crowned Miss Talented Teen International in Montego Bay, Jamaica from among 35 state and national representatives.[8][9][10]

Career

In 1983, she appeared in her first television commercial.[11] From 1988 to 1990, Thomas portrayed Justine Phillips, the girlfriend of Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show. She later appeared on various television programs, including A Man Called Hawk in 1989 and Thea in 1994. Thomas had a role in Dream Date in 1989 and had a small role in Hangin' with the Homeboys in 1991.

Thomas had appeared in music videos for Mint Condition,[12] Chubb Rock,[13] Dru Hill,[14] and Boyz II Men.[15] Her publicist was Kahdijah Bell, daughter of Ronald Bell of Kool & the Gang.[11] In 1997, Thomas served as a guest host of the weekly music series Soul Train.

From 1993 to 1998, Thomas portrayed the role of Myra Monkhouse, the girlfriend of Steve Urkel, in Family Matters. After the sitcom ended in 1998, Thomas portrayed Callie Rogers, an aspiring singer on the daytime soap The Young and the Restless. In October 1998, Thomas took a medical leave due to her ill health.[3]

Health and death

In August 1997, Thomas was diagnosed with a rare cancer, an intra-abdominal desmoplastic small-round-cell tumor.[11][16] Thomas never smoked or drank alcohol, and was a vegetarian.[11] Her mother added that "they’d give her a sedation that was supposed to put her out for 20 minutes and she’d be asleep for four days. Her body couldn’t take it."[17] Thomas underwent surgery to remove a lemon-sized tumor shortly before landing her The Young and the Restless role in the spring of 1998. She underwent surgery again in October 1998 after a second cancerous growth ruptured. After being released from the hospital, Thomas flew home to New Jersey to spend Thanksgiving with her family in Weehawken, New Jersey.[1][11]

On December 23, at age 30, Thomas died surrounded by her family and friends in New York City at Manhattan's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.[1][11][16][18] Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Thomas' longtime friend and former boyfriend, was among those at her bedside. On December 26, 1998, a Muslim funeral service was held, per her request. She was buried in New Jersey.[2]

Filmography

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1988–90 The Cosby Show Justine Phillips 8 episodes
1989 A Man Called Hawk Ruthie Carver Episode: "Choice of Chance"
1993–98 Family Matters Myra Monkhouse 55 episodes
1994 Thea Keanda 2 episodes
1996 Duckman (Voice role) Episode: "Exile in Guyville"
1997 Malcolm & Eddie Brooke Bellamy Episode: "Roofless People"
1998 The Young and the Restless Callie Rogers 38 episodes

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1989 Dream Date Sally Palmer Television film
1991 Hangin' with the Homeboys Telemarketing Operator
1999 Unbowed Anna Released posthumously

Music videos

Year Title Artist
1996 "What Kind of Man Would I Be" Mint Condition
1997 "Beef" Chubb Rock
1997 "Never Make a Promise" Dru Hill
1998 "Doin' Just Fine" Boyz II Men

Honors

Year Award Category Title of work Result
1999 NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series The Young and the Restless Nominated

References

  1. ^ a b c d Pace, Eric (December 28, 1998). "Michelle Thomas, 30, Actress On TV Soap Opera and Sitcoms". New York Times. p. 8. Retrieved 2012-03-30. Michelle Thomas [...] died on Wednesday at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan. She was 30 and lived in Los Angeles, though she had been staying with her family in Weehawken, N.J., since November [...] She was born in Boston, Mass., grew up in Montclair, N.J., and graduated from West Essex High School in North Caldwell, N.J.
  2. ^ a b Dougherty, Steve (January 11, 1999). "Forever Young". People. Retrieved September 25, 2019. On the following morning, Wed., Dec. 23, Thomas [...] died at age 30 in a private room at Manhattan's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center [...] The day after Christmas, Thomas was buried in Montclair following a Muslim funeral service, as she had requested.
  3. ^ a b c d Pace, Eric (December 28, 1998). "Michelle Thomas, 30, Actress On TV Soap Opera and Sitcoms". New York Times. p. 8. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
  4. ^ Campaniolo, Jennifer (2014-09-15). Legendary Locals of Brookline. Arcadia Publishing. p. 23. ISBN 9781439647226.
  5. ^ http://www.penwah.com/#aboutme-section
  6. ^ "Classmates - Find your school, yearbooks and alumni online". Classmates.com. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  7. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8io5dg3Icg
  8. ^ "Our Proud History-Hal Jackson's Talented Teens!". TalentedTeens.com. Retrieved 2017-12-14.
  9. ^ Ross, Pinnie (September 8, 1984). "2000 at Miss Talented Teen Pageant". Baltimore Afro-American. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
  10. ^ "A pint-sized Michelle looms large". Kingston Gleaner. August 4, 1984. p. 6.
  11. ^ a b c d e f Dougherty, Steve (January 11, 1999). "Forever Young". People. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  12. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORva1mGyyJ0
  13. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuExvhr5w30
  14. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAnA6c7Jql4
  15. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Koz393gAwjQ
  16. ^ a b Michelle Thomas, 'Family Matters' TV Star, Dies of Cancer At 30. Johnson Publishing Company. January 18, 1999. Retrieved June 7, 2010. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  17. ^ Sy Savané, Erickka (2015-10-26). "Mom of Late Actress Michelle Thomas on Grieving the Loss of a Child". MadameNoire. Archived from the original on 2021-06-21. Retrieved 2021-06-21. {{cite magazine}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 2021-06-22 suggested (help)
  18. ^ "Boston-born actress Michelle Thomas, dead at 29". Bay State Banner. February 11, 1999. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved June 3, 2016. ... has died as a result of a desmoplastic small round tumor, a rare form of cancer, at age 29.
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