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Michelle Thomas

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This article is about the actress. For the polyglot linguist and language teacher, see Michel Thomas.

Michelle Thomas
Thomas in 1996
Born
Michelle Doris Thomas

(1968-09-23)September 23, 1968
Brookline, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedDecember 23, 1998(1998-12-23) (aged 30)
New York City, U.S.
Resting placeRosedale Cemetery, Orange, New Jersey, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actress, comedian
Years active1983–1998
Known for
FatherDennis Thomas

Michelle Doris Thomas (September 23, 1968 – December 23, 1998)[1][2] was an American actress. She was known for her roles as Justine Phillips on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show (1988–1990), as Myra Monkhouse on the ABC/CBS sitcom Family Matters (1993–1998), and as Callie Rogers on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless (1998).[3]

Early life and education

Michelle Doris Thomas was born in Brookline, Massachusetts,[4] on September 23, 1968, to Phynjuar "Penwah" Thomas,[5] a stage actress, and musician father Dennis "Dee Tee" Thomas (1951–2021), a saxophonist and founding member of the band Kool & the Gang.[3] Thomas grew up in Montclair, New Jersey, and graduated from West Essex High School in 1987.[1][6]

As a child, she would accompany her mother to her theater rehearsals and performances.[7] Her mother was her first acting coach, and coached her throughout the course of her career.[3] A friend of her mother who had heard Thomas sing before had requested that she enter Miss Talented Teens.[8] Thomas was crowned Miss Talented Teen New Jersey at the state's Hal Jackson's Talented Teen pageant, and then in July 1984, at the age of 15, she was crowned Miss Talented Teen International in Montego Bay, Jamaica from among 35 state and national representatives.[9][10][11]

Career

In 1983, Thomas appeared in her first television commercial.[12] In December 1984, she appeared with Hal Jackson on Soul Train after having won the Miss Talented Teen International pageant earlier in the year.[8]

From 1988 to 1990, Thomas portrayed Justine Phillips, the girlfriend of Theo Huxtable, on The Cosby Show. She appeared on various television programs, including A Man Called Hawk in 1989 and Thea in 1994. Thomas had a role in Dream Date in 1989 and had a small role in Hangin' with the Homeboys in 1991.

Thomas appeared in music videos for Mint Condition,[13] Chubb Rock,[14] and Dru Hill.[15] Her publicist was Kahdijah Bell, daughter of Ronald Bell of Kool & the Gang.[12] Thomas was a guest host of the weekly music series Soul Train in May 1996 and March 1997.[16][17]

From 1993 to 1998, she portrayed the role of Myra Monkhouse, the girlfriend of Steve Urkel, on Family Matters. After the sitcom ended in 1998, Thomas portrayed Callie Rogers, an aspiring singer and love interest of Malcolm Winters, on the daytime soap The Young and the Restless. In October 1998, Thomas took a medical leave from the series due to her ill health.[3] Thomas had been in the studio recording music before her sudden turn in health.[18] She appeared posthumously in the role of Anne in the film Unbowed in 1999.[19]

Health and death

In August 1997, Thomas was diagnosed with a rare cancer, an intra-abdominal desmoplastic small-round-cell tumor (DSRCT).[12][20] Thomas never smoked or drank alcohol, and was a vegetarian.[12] Her mother added that "they'd give her a sedation that was supposed to put her out for 20 minutes and she'd be asleep for four days. Her body couldn't take it."[18] Thomas underwent surgery to remove a lemon-sized tumor in early 1998, and subsequently was cast on The Young and the Restless. She underwent surgery again in October 1998 after a second cancerous growth ruptured. After being released from the hospital, Thomas flew home to Weehawken, New Jersey to spend Thanksgiving with her family.[1][12]

On December 23, 1998 at the age of 30, Thomas died as a result of a desmoplastic tumor, in New York City at Manhattan's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.[1][12][20][21] Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Thomas' longtime friend and former boyfriend, was among those at her bedside. On December 26, 1998, a Muslim funeral service was held, per her request. She was buried in New Jersey.[2]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1991 Hangin' with the Homeboys Telemarketing Operator
1999 Unbowed Anna Released posthumously

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1988–1990 The Cosby Show Justine Phillips 8 episodes
1989 A Man Called Hawk Ruthie Carver Episode: "Choice of Chance"
Dream Date Sally Palmer Television film
1993–1998 Family Matters Myra Monkhouse 55 episodes
1994 Thea Keanda 2 episodes
1996 Duckman (Voice role) Episode: "Exile in Guyville"
1997 Malcolm & Eddie Brooke Bellamy Episode: "Roofless People"
1998 The Young and the Restless Callie Rogers 38 episodes

Music videos

Year Title Artist
1996 "What Kind of Man Would I Be" Mint Condition
1997 "Beef" Chubb Rock
"Never Make a Promise" Dru Hill

Honors

Year Award Category Title of work Result
1999 NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series The Young and the Restless Nominated

References

  1. ^ a b c d Pace, Eric (December 28, 1998). "Michelle Thomas, 30, Actress On TV Soap Opera and Sitcoms". New York Times. p. 8. Retrieved March 30, 2012. Michelle Thomas [...] died on Wednesday at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan. She was 30 and lived in Los Angeles, though she had been staying with her family in Weehawken, N.J., since November [...] She was born in Boston, Mass., grew up in Montclair, N.J., and graduated from West Essex High School in North Caldwell, N.J.
  2. ^ a b Dougherty, Steve (January 11, 1999). "Forever Young". People. Retrieved September 25, 2019. On the following morning, Wed., Dec. 23, Thomas [...] died at age 30 in a private room at Manhattan's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center [...] The day after Christmas, Thomas was buried in Montclair following a Islamic funeral service, as she had requested.
  3. ^ a b c d Pace, Eric (December 28, 1998). "Michelle Thomas, 30, Actress On TV Soap Opera and Sitcoms". New York Times. p. 8. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  4. ^ Campaniolo, Jennifer (September 15, 2014). Legendary Locals of Brookline. Arcadia Publishing. p. 23. ISBN 978-1439647226.
  5. ^ "Penwah: About Me". Penwah.com. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  6. ^ "Classmates - Find your school, yearbooks and alumni online". Classmates.com. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  7. ^ Me & Michelle by Phynjuar. Tuesday Tuesday. January 17, 2021. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2021 – via YouTube.
  8. ^ a b Michelle Thomas December.15.1984 Interview. Zeke62 Nostalgia. January 5, 2016. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2021 – via YouTube.
  9. ^ "Our Proud History-Hal Jackson's Talented Teens!". TalentedTeens.com. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  10. ^ Ross, Pinnie (September 8, 1984). "2000 at Miss Talented Teen Pageant". Baltimore Afro-American. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
  11. ^ "A pint-sized Michelle looms large". Kingston Gleaner. August 4, 1984. p. 6.
  12. ^ a b c d e f Dougherty, Steve (January 11, 1999). "Forever Young". People. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  13. ^ Mint Condition - What Kind Of Man Would I Be (Official Video). MintConditionVEVO. June 16, 2009. Archived from the original on February 2, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2021 – via YouTube.
  14. ^ Chubb Rock ft. PMD & Das EFX - Beef (Explicit). UPROXX Video. March 9, 2012. Archived from the original on February 18, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2021 – via YouTube.
  15. ^ Dru Hill - Never Make A Promise. DruHillVEVO. October 5, 2009. Archived from the original on February 7, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2021 – via YouTube.
  16. ^ Soul Train Closing Credits May 4,1996. Tracy G. Jackson TV. April 29, 2013. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2021 – via YouTube.
  17. ^ Soul Train Opening Credits May 4,1996. Tracy G. Jackson TV. August 4, 2016. Archived from the original on July 11, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2021 – via YouTube.
  18. ^ a b Sy Savané, Erickka (October 26, 2015). "Mom of Late Actress Michelle Thomas on Grieving the Loss of a Child". MadameNoire.com. Archived from the original on June 22, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  19. ^ Welsch, Janice R.; Adams, J. Q. (March 30, 2005). Multicultural Films: A Reference Guide. Greenwood Press. p. 193. ISBN 978-0313319754. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  20. ^ a b "Michelle Thomas, 'Family Matters' TV Star, Dies of Cancer At 30". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. January 18, 1999. Retrieved June 7, 2010.
  21. ^ "Boston-born actress Michelle Thomas, dead at 29". Bay State Banner. February 11, 1999. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved June 3, 2016. ... has died as a result of a desmoplastic small round tumor, a rare form of cancer, at age 29.
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