Heather Thomas, who celebrated her 66th birthday on September 8, was once poised for a flourishing Hollywood career after starring as Jody Banks, the sidekick to Lee Majors in the popular 1980s action series The Fall Guy. But what seemed like the perfect beginning to a successful career soon took a turn that would alter the course of her life forever.
Following the series finale, an unexpected event changed everything for Thomas. After finishing the show, her mother arrived on set to deliver unexpected news: her father, Leon, had been hospitalized. Worried for her father’s well-being, Thomas rushed to the hospital, but was quickly reassured by her family and friends at the Santa Monica facility that he was stable and that their real concern was her health. This visit marked a pivotal moment in her life—one that would lead to a profound transformation both personally and professionally.
Heather Thomas had always been destined for the spotlight. With a striking combination of talent and beauty that rivaled icons like Farrah Fawcett and Heather Locklear, she made her mark early on. At just 14, she hosted NBC’s Talking with a Giant, a show where she and four other teens interviewed celebrities. By the time she graduated from UCLA, where she studied film and theater, Thomas had already appeared in the short-lived comedy series Co-Ed Fever (1979). Her ambition was clear: she aspired to be an actress, director, and writer.
In 1980, Thomas landed her breakout role on The Fall Guy, starring opposite Lee Majors, famous for his role in The Six Million Dollar Man. As Jody Banks, a stuntwoman turned bounty hunter, Thomas became a fan favorite and a cultural icon. Men adored her, and she was often seen as a sex symbol—a label she had complicated feelings about. In a candid interview, Thomas shared her thoughts on the stereotype: “There’s obligatory condescension that goes with that. You fit the blonde bimbo stereotype. At that time, I was having fun.”
However, beneath the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, Thomas was struggling with a deepening addiction. She had started taking medication in middle school to maintain high grades and later turned to recreational drugs, including cocaine, while attending UCLA. By the time The Fall Guy was in full swing, her drug use had escalated, and it was taking a serious toll on her health and career. She became obsessed with maintaining her sex symbol status, resorting to using Lasix, a diuretic that made her sleepy, and cocaine to counteract the fatigue. “I honeymooned with the medication,” she admitted. “I felt I got good value. It let me stay up all night and work the next day.”
Despite her claims, sources close to Thomas revealed that her drug use was negatively affecting her career. “Word was out on Heather,” one person said. “People knew she was troubled.” Her physical health declined rapidly, and at one point, she fainted in front of Lee Majors, prompting him to contact her manager, who then called her mother. Thomas’s weight dropped drastically, and she began fainting between takes, often describing herself as being in a “minicoma.”