Marlo Thomas is an American actress, producer, author, and social activist, who is best known for starring on the popular sitcom, “That Girl”. Thomas is widely recognized for her appearance on award-winning children’s franchise, “Free to Be… You and Me” and for her children’s album, “Marlo Thomas and Friends: Thanks & Giving All Year Long”, the latter for which she received a Grammy Award as well.
Throughout her career of over 4 decades, she has won four Emmys, a Golden Globe, a Peabody Award, a Grammy Award, and also was awarded the “Presidential Medal of Freedom” in 2014. Thomas also has been inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame. Besides, Thomas is quite active in social media sites with her Instagram account: @marlothomas and Twitter account: @MarloThomas.
What is Marlo Thomas Famous for?
- Famous for her role as Ann Marie in a sitcom, “That Girl”.
- Also known as the daughter of popular comedian, Danny Thomas.
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Where was Marlo Thomas Born?
Marlo Thomas was born on November 21, 1937, in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Her birth name is Margaret Julia Thomas. Her nationality is American. Thomas belongs to White ethnicity while Scorpio is her zodiac sign.
Marlo was in a renowned well-to-do family as the eldest child of Roman Catholic Lebanese American comedian Danny Thomas(1912 – 1991) and his wife, the former Sicilian American Rose Marie Cassaniti(1914 – 2000). Her father, Danny was a popular comedian, singer, actor, producer, and philanthropist who was honored with several awards throughout his 5-decade long career including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
She grew up in Beverly Hills, California, along with her two younger siblings: a sister, Terre, and a brother, Tony Thomas, who now is a television and film producer.
Marlo attended Marymount High School in Los Angeles, after which she joined the University of Southern California and got graduated earning a teaching degree.
She also studied drama at HB Studio in Greenwich Village, New York City. Besides, she was a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. She began working first as a school teacher but later she ended up becoming an actress.
Marlo Thomas’s Career Highlights
- Marlo Thomas made her TV debut with CBS’s Dick Powell’s “Zane Grey Theatre” in the late 1950s.
- Thomas then appeared in many television programs including “Bonanza”, “McHale’s Navy”, “Ben Casey”, “Arrest and Trial”, “The Joey Bishop Show”, “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis”, “My Favorite Martian”, “77 Sunset Strip”, and “The Donna Reed Show”.
- Thomas got her first breakout with her appearance in the London production of Neil Simon’s “Barefoot in the Park” in 1965.
- The same year, she starred in an ABC pilot called “Two’s Company”. She then played the role of Ann Marie in a sitcom, “That Girl” in 1966. She remained in the sitcom for 5 years till 1971.
- Thomas then attended the Actors Studio, then after, in 1972, she released a children’s book titled “Free to Be… You and Me”.
- In 1987, she began to appear as a host in the show, “Free to Be… A Family”, with Christopher Cerf.
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- In 1972, she served as a California delegate to the Democratic National Convention. Thomas became one of the founding members of the first women’s fund in the US, “Ms. Foundation for Women” in 1973.
- In 1976, Thomas made a guest appearance on the NBC comedy, “The Practice” where she appeared as a stubborn patient of her father Danny Thomas’s character. Their chemistry flourished all scenes.
- She even played the role of Jennifer Aniston’s mother, Sandra Green, on the TV show, “Friends” for 6 years from 1996 till 2002.
- Thomas made her first film debut starring as the title role in the film, “Jenny” in 1970.
- She appeared in several films including “Thieves”(1977), “In The Spirit”(1990), “The Real Blonde”(1997), “Starstruck”(1998), “Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo”(1999), “Playing Mona Lisa”(2000), “LOL”(2012), and “Cardboard Boxer”(2014).
- For her appearance in the television film, “Nobody’s Child”, she won the Best Dramatic Actress Emmy in 1986.
- She has appeared in other off-broadway films including, “The Guys”, “The Exonerated”, “The Vagina Monologues” and “Love, Loss, and What I Wore”.
- Thomas has published seven best-selling books to date including “Free to Be… You and Me”, “Free to Be… A Family”, “The Right Words at the Right Time”, “The Right Words at the Right Time, Volume 2: Your Turn”, and “Marlo Thomas and Friends: Thanks & Giving All Year” for which she even won the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children.
- In 2008, she starred in Arthur Laurents’s last play, “New Year’s Eve” along with Keith Carradine.
- Thomas serves as the National Outreach Director for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, which was founded by her late father, Danny Thomas.
- In 2010, Thomas created MarloThomas.com, a website for women aged 35+.
Awards and Honors
- 4 Emmy Awards
- 1 Golden Globe Award
- 1 Grammy Award
- 1 Jefferson Award
- 1 Peabody Award
- Women in Film Lucy Award
- Presidential Medal of Freedom(the highest honor an American civilian can receive)
Source: @closerweekly
Who is Marlo Thomas Married to?
Marlo Thomas was previously in a long relationship with late playwright Herb Gardner. They were dating from the late 1960s till their relation came to an end in the early 1970s.
In 1977, she met her future husband, Phil Donahue, a popular media personality and writer, while she appeared as a guest on the television talk show, “Donahue” hosted by Phil himself. Thomas fell in love at first sight with Phil, who was a divorcee at the time.
After they dated for 3 years, they got married on May 21, 1980, in a beautiful wedding. They decided their marriage date as per their birth date as Marlo’s was November 21 and Phil’s was December 21 so specifically on 5/21. The couple is celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary this month, May 2020 in the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19.
Thomas is the step-mother to Donahue’s five children: Michael, Kevin, Daniel, Mary Rose, and James from his first marriage. However, they never had their child together. Previously, she dated Ron DeBlasio and Henry Kissinger.
How Tall is Marlo Thomas?
Marlo Thomas is a gorgeous lady in her 80s. Thomas has a maintained slim body physique even in her mid-80s. Her body measurement of 35-28-36 inches. She stands tall with a height of 5ft. 4inch.(1.63 m) while her body weighs around 56kg (123 lbs). She has a fair complexion with blonde hair and brown eyes.
What is the Net Worth of Marlo Thomas?
Marlo Thomas has quite great earnings from her professional career as an actress, producer, and writer. Working in this field for over 5 decades, she has managed to amass a million worth fortune from her several films, TV shows, and her books. Her estimated net worth is around $35 million.
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