‘The Fall Guy’ Star Heather Thomas Battled Addiction — See What She Looks Like At 66 After Recovery

Jan 24, 2024 by apost team

Heather Thomas was very active in the entertainment industry back in the day as an actress as she was able to appear in countless movies and television programs such as “Zapped!,” “Kiss of the Cobra,” “Red Blooded American Girl,” “Against the Law,” and many more.

She was born on Sept. 8, 1957, in Greenwich, Connecticut. Her mom was Gladdy Lou Ryder, a special education teacher. As for her education, the actress attended Santa Monica High School and later honed her acting skills by enrolling at the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television.

Thomas’ career began early in life at the young age of 14 in the 1970s. She started getting smaller roles until she amassed massive success thanks to her role in “The Fall Guy.”

At the time, the actress secured the role of Jody Banks, and she starred along with major Hollywood actors like Douglas Barr and Lee Majors. The TV show ran for five seasons, which made her more famous.

Not only was Thomas a highly sought after actress, but people also loved seeing her in magazines and posters as she graced some pin-up posters in the 1980s.

Regarding her personal life, Heather Thomas married Allan Rosenthal in August 1985. Unfortunately, their relationship didn’t last, as they divorced just a year later. 

Later on, she met lawyer Harry “Skip” Marcus Brittenham and married him in 1992. They have a daughter named India Rose, who was born in June 2000.

People might look at Thomas’s life as fruitful because of the projects she had as an actress, but little did they know that behind the glitz and glamor, there’s a dark side to her career. Read on below how the actress survived all of her problems and became the woman she is later in life.

At the peak of Heather Thomas’ career, she unfortunately got addicted to drugs, but she admitted in an interview with People Magazine in 1985 that her substance usage dates back to when she was younger.

At the time, the actress said she was only in sixth grade when she started “taking acid,” but at the same time, she was excelling in terms of academics, which led her to the terrible belief the drugs were helpful.

“I was taking acid and making straight A’s… I just thought it was mind expanding,” she recalled. 

When Thomas starred in “The Fall Guy,” the world had no idea that she struggled with drug use as she took doses of Lasix, and on top of that, she also took a lot of cocaine.

During the conversation with the magazine, the actress likened the idea of taking drugs to “honeymoon.”

“At first I was in a honeymoon stage with the drug. I felt that I was getting a lot for my money. It enabled me to stay up all night and then work all the next day,” she explained.

Unfortunately, her addiction got so bad to the point that it took a toll on her physical appearance, health, and even her work as an actress.

At the time, the publication noted that she dropped from 125 to 105 pounds and even fell asleep in between takes. Thomas admitted that she felt like she was in a “mini coma.”

After she passed out in front of Lee Majors, the actor called her manager, and her parents were later alerted to the incident.

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Like most people who struggle with drug addiction, Thomas denied her problems for years, but when her family finally confronted her, she agreed to change for the betterment of her life.

The outlet noted that her family decided to plan an intervention. It started with the actress’ mom calling her to let her know that her father was in the hospital.

When she arrived at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, she was surprised to see family members and her friends. It turned out it was only a plan to confront her about her addiction.

Thomas was thankful for the intervention because if it didn’t happen, she believed that she might’ve lost her job or even died.

It was later found out that she had pneumonia, scarred lungs, and inflamed kidneys by the time when she was confronted. Her drug usage had masked the symptoms.

“The doctors said I should have been dead three years ago,” she said.

Thomas underwent a three-week program at the hospital wherein she received daily shots of vitamins and potassium to restore chemical balance in her body.

The actress survived the treatment and was thankful that her family enrolled her in a drug program.

 “It was a big relief to me,” says Heather. “I’d been on a roller coaster and I wanted to get off,” she said.

Thomas decided to retire from acting in the 1980s because of stalkers, as she explained in a 2009 interview with Reuters that there was a point where a guy climbed over her fence with a knife.

The actress later became an author and a political activist. In 2022, Thomas reunited with Lee Majors at the Fanboy Expo in Orlando, Florida, where they posed for a photo, and she looked better than ever.

What do you think of Heather Thomas’ story? We’d love to hear your thoughts on Heather Thomas’ transformative journey from battling addiction to recovery. And make sure to pass this on to your friends and family.