Heather Thomas, who turned 66 on September 8, once seemed destined for a thriving Hollywood career after her breakout role as Jody Banks in the hit 1980s action series The Fall Guy. However, what appeared to be the start of lasting success soon took an unexpected turn that reshaped her life forever.
Following the show’s finale, an unforeseen event changed everything. After wrapping up her final scenes, Thomas’s mother arrived on set with unsettling news—her father, Leon, had been hospitalized. Rushing to his side, she was relieved to find him stable, but her family’s real concern was for her well-being. This moment marked a turning point in her journey, leading to profound personal and professional changes.
From a young age, Thomas was drawn to the spotlight. With talent and striking beauty often compared to Farrah Fawcett and Heather Locklear, she quickly made her mark. At just 14, she co-hosted NBC’s Talking with a Giant, interviewing celebrities alongside other teens. By the time she graduated from UCLA with a degree in film and theater, she had already appeared in the short-lived sitcom Co-Ed Fever (1979). Her ambitions were clear—she wanted to act, direct, and write.
Her big break came in 1980 when she landed the role of Jody Banks in The Fall Guy, starring alongside Lee Majors. As a stuntwoman-turned-bounty hunter, she became a fan favorite and a cultural icon. While she embraced the fame, being labeled a sex symbol came with challenges. Reflecting on that time, she admitted, “There’s an obligatory condescension that comes with that label. I fit the blonde bimbo stereotype, but I was having fun.”
Behind the scenes, however, Thomas was battling addiction. Her struggles began in middle school when she started taking medication to maintain high grades. By the time she was at UCLA, recreational drug use, including cocaine, had become part of her life. As The Fall Guy gained popularity, her substance use intensified, driven by the pressure to maintain her image. She relied on a mix of diuretics and stimulants to balance exhaustion and the demands of stardom. “I felt I got good value,” she later admitted. “It let me stay up all night and work the next day.”
Despite her attempts to manage her addiction, those around her noticed its impact. Her declining health, fainting spells, and erratic behavior raised concerns. Eventually, after collapsing in front of Lee Majors, her mother intervened, leading her to a three-week drug treatment program at St. John’s Hospital. Looking back, she recognized the intervention as life-saving: “Without my family, I probably would have kept going until I lost my job or worse.”
Following her recovery, Thomas sought stability. She married Allan Rosenthal, co-founder of Cocaine Anonymous, in 1984, though the marriage ended two years later. In 1986, she suffered another setback when she was struck by a car while crossing the street, injuring both legs. Despite this, she returned to acting in smaller film roles, including Cyclone (1987) and Red Blooded American Girl (1990).
In 1992, she remarried entertainment lawyer Skip Brittenham and shifted her focus to family life. She welcomed her daughter, India Rose, in 2000, and embraced her role as a stepmother to Kristina and Shauna. During this period, Thomas found new purpose in writing and activism, serving on the boards of the Rape Foundation and the Amazon Conservation Team.
As she reflected on her past, she grew more comfortable with her legacy. “When I was younger, I did what others told me, but as I got older, I refused to compromise,” she shared. “Being a feminist doesn’t mean being ashamed of your body.”
Thomas eventually stepped away from acting, citing concerns for her safety after experiencing multiple instances of stalking. “One man even climbed a barrier with a knife,” she revealed. “I had young children to raise, so I had to walk away.”
Although she briefly returned to the screen in 2017’s Girltrash: All Night Long, she has since focused on her family, advocacy work, and personal well-being. Heather Thomas’s journey is one of resilience, proving that while fame may fade, strength and reinvention can lead to a life of greater fulfillment beyond Hollywood’s spotlight.