Heather Thomas became a household name with her role alongside Lee Majors in the popular TV show, The Fall Guy. As she celebrated her 66th birthday on September 8, her journey in Hollywood has been quite the rollercoaster.
While the show’s finale marked a significant milestone, it also introduced her to a new chapter in life. Upon arriving at a Santa Monica hospital, she quickly learned that the visit had little to do with her father’s health but everything to do with her own well-being.
This pivotal moment marked a turning point for Heather, who at the young age of 28, embarked on a journey of personal transformation that changed the course of her life and career.
Heather’s fascination with the entertainment world began at a tender age. By 14, Heather was no stranger to the limelight, hosting an NBC series Talking with a Giant, where she and other teens interviewed famous personalities. Driven to make her mark as an actress, director, and writer, she pursued film and theater studies at UCLA.
Before even graduating, Heather landed a role in the comedy series Co-Ed Fever in 1979. However, it was her portrayal of Jody Banks, a stuntwoman-bounty hunter, that endeared her to audiences, particularly men who saw her as a sex symbol—a label she greeted with mixed feelings.
Heather once told People magazine about the stereotypes she faced: “There’s obligatory condescension that goes with that.” Despite the challenges, she was just having fun at that point in her life.
Unfortunately, part of her ‘fun’ involved drugs, a path she had embarked on much earlier during her school years. Heather started using drugs in the sixth grade to sustain high academic performance, describing her initial experiences with substances as mind-expanding. “I was taking acid and making straight A’s,” she recalled.
As time progressed, Heather’s drug usage evolved significantly. During her time at UCLA, she moved on to cocaine, and by 1981, a year into The Fall Guy, her substance problems had intensified.
The pressure to maintain her sex symbol status led Heather down a dangerous path regarding her weight. She began using diuretics like Lasix, resulting in severe lethargy, which she then countered with more cocaine.
She mentioned feeling like cocaine initially provided a good return for the cost. “It enabled me to stay up all night and work the next day,” she said, though not on film sets, as cocaine was frowned upon there. “It’s not clubby,” she added; it’s a private hell.
A source close to Heather told People that her substance issues were beginning to affect her career. Heather was visibly losing weight, falling asleep on set, and once even passed out in front of Lee Majors, which prompted a call to her manager and later her mother.
Heather’s mother, Gladdy Ryder, a former special education teacher, appeared on the show’s set, saying her father was hospitalized, which led Heather to rush off set only to find out her family had staged the intervention.
Heather’s time at the hospital was transformative. With pneumonia, scarred lungs, and inflamed kidneys, she was admitted into a three-week drug program. Reflecting on that time, she expressed relief and acknowledged her family’s intervention in saving her life.
Post-recovery, Heather met and married Allan Rosenthal, co-founder of Cocaine Anonymous, but they parted ways in 1986. Unfortunately, the same year, she suffered a severe accident, getting hit by a car, which injured both her legs.
Recovering from her injuries and divorce, Heather returned to smaller television roles and films like Cyclone and Red Blooded American Girl through the late 80s and early 90s. She married entertainment lawyer Skip Brittenham in 1992, becoming a stepmother and giving birth to her daughter India Rose in 2000.
Heather then shifted to writing, citing privacy invasions by stalkers as a reason for stepping away from acting. She humorously noted having many restraining orders during her earlier years as a pin-up girl.
The 2017 film Girltrash: All Night Long marked a brief return to acting for Heather. Her focus now is mainly on writing because of the stalkers who intruded on her privacy. She’s also active as an advocate, contributing to causes such as the Rape Foundation and the Amazon Conservation Team.
Heather warmly embraces feminism, merging it with the confidence of a former sex symbol. Heather shared, “I wanted power and freedom. There is nothing horrible in letting people see your body. Being a feminist means you shouldn’t be ashamed of your body,” she stresses.
In retrospect, though Heather didn’t rekindle her acting during her later years, her life reflects resilience and recovery’s triumph. Her role as Jody Banks remains a beloved part of the nostalgic 1980s television era. Today, Heather continues to inspire, illustrating that life beyond the screen can be as impactful as any role in front of the camera.