Heather Thomas, who turned 66 on September 8, was widely recognized for her leading role alongside Lee Majors in *The Fall Guy*, and was expected to have a flourishing Hollywood career. However, her journey took an unexpected turn during the filming of the show’s finale when, upon hearing about a family emergency, she rushed to the hospital, only to find that her father was fine, but her family and friends were deeply concerned about her well-being.
This marked the beginning of a major turning point for the 28-year-old actress, whose personal and professional life would be forever changed by her hospital visit.
Heather, who was often compared to stars like Farrah Fawcett and Heather Locklear for her natural beauty, had long harbored a passion for acting. She began her career at just 14, hosting *Talking with a Giant* on NBC, a show where she and other teenagers interviewed celebrities. By the time she was in college at UCLA, studying theater and film, she had already started to build a career in television, making her debut in *Co-Ed Fever* (1979).
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 and bounty hunter, Thomas quickly became a sex symbol, a label she has mixed feelings about. She noted that being viewed as a “blonde bimbo” was a stereotype she had to contend with, but she enjoyed the role and the attention it brought her. However, she was also struggling with substance abuse, which began long before her fame on the show.
From an early age, Heather began using drugs to maintain her academic performance, taking acid while in sixth grade. As she got older, her drug use escalated. While at UCLA, she started using cocaine, and by the early ’80s, her drug problems deepened as she starred in *The Fall Guy*. She became obsessed with her weight and began taking Lasix, a diuretic, to keep her figure. In addition to the diuretic, she used cocaine to combat the fatigue caused by the medication.
Her drug use was affecting her career, although she denied it at the time. People close to her observed that her drug use was becoming more obvious, and her health was deteriorating. At one point, her weight plummeted, and she would often pass out on set. It wasn’t until after she fainted in front of Majors that her manager and mother intervened. Her mother, a former teacher, showed up on set to inform Heather that her father was in the hospital, and it was then that Heather was admitted to a three-week drug rehabilitation program.
This marked the beginning of Heather’s road to recovery. She checked into detox with serious health problems, including pneumonia and damaged kidneys, but the intervention from her family saved her life. Doctors later told her that she should have died years earlier from her addiction.
After completing her rehab, Heather sought a fresh start. She married Allan Rosenthal, a co-founder of Cocaine Anonymous, and later divorced him in 1986. That same year, she was involved in a severe accident, hit by a car while crossing the street, which left her with significant leg injuries.
Though her career took a backseat after her rehab and recovery, Heather did continue to appear in smaller TV roles and films such as *Cyclone* (1987) and *Red Blooded American Girl* (1990), starring Christopher Plummer. In the 1990s, she shifted her focus to writing and even married entertainment lawyer Skip Brittenham in 1992. In 2000, she gave birth to her only child, India Rose, and became a stepmother to Skip’s two daughters.
Heather shared that her decision to step away from acting was driven not by a lack of roles but by the harassment she endured from stalkers. She was forced to take out multiple restraining orders and eventually decided to leave acting to focus on her family. In her later years, she found solace in activism, serving on the boards of organizations like the Amazon Conservation Team and the Rape Foundation.
As she reflected on her past, Heather explained that while she once felt compelled to follow others’ expectations, she grew into a woman who sought independence and control over her own life. She still embraces her past as a sex symbol but now identifies as a feminist, believing that being comfortable with one’s body is empowering, not shameful.
Though it’s unfortunate that Heather Thomas never returned to the acting world full-time, we’re grateful that she received the support she needed to overcome her struggles and is now focused on living a fulfilling life. Her role as Jody Banks in *The Fall Guy* remains one of the standout performances of the 1980s, and we continue to admire her strength and resilience.
What do you think about Heather Thomas’ journey and recovery? We’d love to hear your thoughts!