Gina Heslop
Heather Thomas, who turned 66 on September 8, was a popular actress in the 1980s, best known for her role in The Fall Guy alongside Lee Majors. With her beauty and acting talent, she was seen as a rising star. However, despite her success, Heather’s journey in Hollywood wasn’t easy; she faced serious struggles, including addiction and personal challenges.
Her problems first became visible on the set of The Fall Guy. During filming, Heather’s mother told her that her father was in the hospital. Rushing to see him, Heather learned that her father was fine and that her family was actually worried about her. This moment marked the start of a big change for Heather.
Heather’s battle with addiction had started young. In sixth grade, she began using drugs, even taking acid while still getting top grades. Later, at UCLA, she turned to cocaine. By 1981, a year after joining The Fall Guy, her drug use worsened.
As she became known as a “sex symbol,” Heather felt pressure to maintain a perfect image, leading her to take diuretics for weight loss. These pills made her extremely tired, and she used more cocaine to stay energized. The drugs began to take a toll—she often felt weak, lost weight rapidly, and sometimes even fainted on set.
Heather’s mother and friends recognized the danger she was in. After her mother brought her to the hospital, Heather entered a three-week drug recovery program. By then, her health had declined significantly; she had pneumonia, kidney issues, and lung scars. Heather later said the intervention was a relief and likely saved her life, as doctors told her she could have died from her drug use.
Determined to stay clean, Heather found support from people who shared her goals, including Allan Rosenthal, a founder of Cocaine Anonymous, whom she briefly married. However, her struggles didn’t end there; soon after their divorce in 1986, Heather was hit by a car, injuring her legs. Despite this setback, she pushed forward with her career, taking on smaller roles in movies like Cyclone (1987) and Red Blooded American Girl (1990).
In the 1990s, Heather found stability. She married attorney Skip Brittenham in 1992, became a mother to their daughter, India Rose, in 2000, and took on the role of stepmother to Skip’s two daughters. Around this time, she decided to step away from acting and focus on writing, partly due to constant harassment from stalkers.
Today, Heather is an activist and has served on the boards of the Amazon Conservation Team and the Rape Foundation. She also identifies as a feminist and believes in embracing her past as a sex symbol without feeling ashamed of her body. She shared that she no longer wants to compromise or be controlled by others, a strength she didn’t always have when she was younger.
Though Heather Thomas never fully returned to acting, she has found peace and fulfillment in other areas of life. Looking back, she has grown stronger and is dedicated to living a healthy, meaningful life. Her fans remember her fondly as Jody Banks on The Fall Guy, and many
