Heather Thomas, best known for her role alongside Lee Majors in The Fall Guy, seemed destined for a successful Hollywood career. However, behind the glamorous facade, she faced a battle with addiction that nearly derailed her life. Now at 66, Thomas has come full circle, having overcome personal struggles to build a new life beyond the silver screen.
After The Fall Guy wrapped, Thomas received a shock when her mother unexpectedly arrived on set. Assuming it was an emergency involving her father, Leon, she rushed to the hospital, only to realize that the intervention was for her. Surrounded by concerned family and friends, she embarked on a transformative journey that would change the course of her life forever.
From a young age, Thomas was destined for the entertainment industry. By the time she was 14, she was hosting Talking with a Giant, an NBC series where she and other teens interviewed celebrities. Determined to advance her career, she studied film and theater at UCLA. While still a student, she landed a role in Co-Ed Fever (1979), a short-lived comedy series that marked her entry into television.
In 1980, she got her big break as Jody Banks, a stuntwoman-turned-bounty hunter in The Fall Guy. Playing the sidekick to Lee Majors, who was already a household name from The Six Million Dollar Man, Thomas quickly gained fame. While she became an 80s icon and a favorite among male audiences, she had mixed feelings about being labeled a sex symbol. “There’s obligatory condescension that goes with that,” she told People. “You fill that archetype, the blonde bimbo. But at that point, I was just having fun.” Unfortunately, that fun came with a dangerous price.
Thomas had begun experimenting with drugs as early as the sixth grade, initially using them to maintain high grades. “I was taking acid and making straight A’s. I just thought it was mind-expanding,” she admitted. By the time she entered UCLA, her drug use had escalated to cocaine. In 1981, one year into The Fall Guy, her addiction spiraled out of control.
Struggling with the pressure of her sex-symbol image, Thomas became obsessed with staying thin. She started using Lasix, a diuretic that left her feeling weak and lethargic, leading her to rely on cocaine for energy. “At first, I was in a honeymoon stage with the drug,” she explained. “It enabled me to stay up all night and work all the next day.” Despite claiming she never used cocaine on set, insiders revealed that her drug problem was affecting her career. “Word was out on Heather,” a source told People. “People knew she had a problem.”
Thomas’ weight dropped from 125 to 105 pounds, and she began falling asleep between takes. Eventually, she collapsed in front of Majors, prompting him to call her manager, who then contacted her mother. This led to the staged intervention that brought her to St. John’s Hospital, where she entered a three-week drug program. “It was a big relief to me,” she later admitted. At the time, she was suffering from pneumonia, scarred lungs, and inflamed kidneys. “If my family hadn’t intervened, I probably would have gone on my merry way until I lost my job or I died.”
Determined to turn her life around, Thomas surrounded herself with a supportive network of people committed to sobriety. She married Allan Rosenthal, co-founder of Cocaine Anonymous, though the marriage ended in divorce in 1986. That same year, she suffered severe injuries when she was hit by a car while crossing the street.
Following her recovery, she resumed her career, taking on smaller roles in TV shows and films like Cyclone (1987) and Red Blooded American Girl (1990). By the early 90s, Thomas had moved on to a new chapter. In 1992, she married entertainment lawyer Skip Brittenham, becoming a stepmother to his daughters, Kristina and Shauna. In 2000, she welcomed her only biological child, India Rose.
With her family as her priority, Thomas stepped away from acting, though not due to a lack of roles. Instead, she cited persistent stalking incidents as her reason for leaving Hollywood. “I was getting so stalked,” she revealed. “I had one guy climb over the fence with a knife. I had these two little girls who needed me, so I gave it up and focused on writing.”
Though she made a brief return in Girltrash: All Night Long (2017), Thomas has primarily focused on activism and writing. She has served on the boards of the Rape Foundation and the Amazon Conservation Team, advocating for causes close to her heart. Despite her former status as a sex symbol, she embraces feminism, stating, “When I was young, I did what people told me to do, but when I got older, I didn’t compromise myself. I wanted power and freedom.”
Although Thomas never fully revived her acting career, she found fulfillment in her personal life. Her journey from Hollywood stardom to addiction and, ultimately, recovery is a testament to resilience. Looking back, it’s evident that she emerged stronger, proving that reinvention is always possible. While she may no longer be in the limelight, her story continues to inspire those who have faced their own battles with addiction and self-discovery.
