This actress rose to fame as a significant character in an action-packed TV series that ran from 1981 to 1986. Her on-screen allure made her a household name during the 1980s. But as the show ended, her life changed. After struggling with personal demons, she decided to step away from Hollywood’s glare.
The actress, circa 1980s | Source: Getty Images
The Rise of a Star — and the Dark Side of Fame
The celebrity became a breakout star in 1981 when she landed the role
of Jody Banks on “The Fall Guy,” alongside Lee Majors
. Her portrayal of a daring stuntwoman captivated audiences, making her one of the decade’s most popular faces. The star’s rise to fame was swift, but the pressures of life in the spotlight took a toll.
Lee Majors and the actress in “The Fall Guy,” in 1981 | Source: Getty Images
Even before her acting career took off, the celebrity had struggled with substance use, experimenting with drugs as early as middle school. “I was taking acid and making straight A’s,” she once admitted.
The actress posing for a portrait in the 1980s | Source: Getty Images
Her substance abuse escalated after she began working in Hollywood. Playing Jody Banks added new pressures to maintain a picture-perfect image, fueling an obsession with being thin.
She turned to the diuretic Lasix to stay slim, but its draining effects only pushed her deeper into the use of illegal substances to keep up with the demands of long filming days. “It enabled me to stay up all night and then work all the next day,” she recalled.
The actress posing for a photograph in 1981 | Source: Getty Images
The star insisted she never used the substance on set, so her addiction remained a secret battle. “Cocaine is not approved of on sets,” she explained. The pressures eventually became too much, forcing her family to intervene in a way she never saw coming.
The actress in “The Fall Guy,” in 1981 | Source: Getty Images
A Drastic Intervention and Finding Love in Rehab
By 1985, the actress’ substance abuse had reached a critical point, prompting her family to step in with a dramatic intervention. After wrapping the season finale of “The Fall Guy,” her mother arrived on set with troubling news: her father, Leon, a dean in the California State University system, was in the hospital.
Panicked, the star rushed to St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, only to discover that the emergency had been a ruse. Instead, she was met by a group of family and friends, urging her to seek help. Caught off guard, the celebrity immediately checked into the hospital’s detox program.
The actress, circa 1980s | Source: Getty Images
It marked a turning point in her life. At a dinner party soon after entering treatment, she met Allan Rosenthal, a psychotherapist specializing in addiction and co-founder of Cocaine Anonymous.
The two fell in love and married just four months later in Las Vegas. “I’m infinitely happier,” the actress shared
at the time. “I have someone who totally supports me and loves me unconditionally.”
The actress and Lee Majors in “The Fall Guy,” in 1983 | Source: Getty Images
Rosenthal’s support didn’t end with her sobriety. Under his influence, the star quit caffeine and cigarettes, habits she described as harder to break than illegal substances. He also introduced her to spirituality and encouraged her to take charge of her personal finances for the first time.
“I would let the business manager do it,” the celebrity admitted. “I’d just go out and buy furs and Jaguars and things.” With Rosenthal by her side, she found a sense of stability—at least for a time. But life had more twists in store, and her next chapter would see even greater changes.
The actress in 1983 | Source: Getty Images
Marriage, Setbacks, and New Beginnings
Despite the initial happiness in her marriage to Rosenthal, their relationship eventually ended. Following their divorce, the actress found love again with entertainment lawyer Harry M. Brittenham.
Harry Brittenham and his daughter India Rose in Brentwood, California on April 28, 2005 | Source: Getty Images
They married in 1992 and she raised two stepdaughters
along with a daughter they welcomed together. By then, she had already begun shifting her focus away from Hollywood, spurred by frightening incidents during the height of her fame.
The actress with Harry Brittenham and daughter India in Beverly Hills on May 6, 2008 | Source: Getty Images
The 1980s had been turbulent. Following the cancellation of “The Fall Guy,” she was hit by a car while jaywalking across San Vicente Boulevard in Los Angeles. The accident
broke both her legs, requiring six hours of plastic and orthopedic surgery. Recovery from the injury was a slow, painful process, and though she eventually regained her mobility, the experience was a turning point.
Harry Brittenham and the actress in Los Angeles, California, on May 12, 1988 | Source: Getty Images
By the time she entered her second marriage, the star’s priorities had shifted. Fears for her safety—particularly after a stalker scaled her fence with a knife—played a significant role in her decision to step away from acting.
“I was getting so stalked,” she later explained
. “I had these two little girls, and they desperately needed raising, so that was that.” The actress withdrew from the public eye, focusing instead on writing.
The actress with her stepdaughters on March 22, 2009 | Source: Getty Images
With acting no longer a priority, writing helped the celebrity redirect her creative energies. “I yearn for acting,” she admitted
, “but I wanted to write something without anyone sticking their fingers in it for a while.”
She penned screenplays and even published the novel “Trophies,” though she acknowledged the uncertainty of whether her scripts would ever make it to production.
The actress and Harry M. Brittenham in Beverly Hills, California on April 9, 1997 | Source: Getty Images
The star found contentment in this quieter life, building a family and nurturing her creativity away from the public eye.
The actress and Harry M. Brittenham in West Hollywood, California, on November 10, 1990 | Source: Getty Images
But after decades of absence, she would eventually return to the spotlight—and fans weren’t prepared for what they saw.
The actress in Beverly Hills, California, on October 14, 2012 | Source: Getty Images
Returning to the Spotlight After Decades
After decades away from acting, Heather Thomas made a surprising return
in 2024 with a cameo in the film adaptation of “The Fall Guy,” starring Ryan Gosling
. Although her role was small, it marked an unexpected re-entry into the industry she had stepped away from years earlier.
Heather Thomas seen on February 27, 2018, in Los Angeles, California | Source: Getty Images
Thomas also graced the red carpet
at the movie’s premiere, where she reflected on her experiences working on the original series. For fans who remembered her as the bold and beautiful stuntwoman, seeing her after all these years was a shock—and not everyone welcomed the change.
Heather Thomas at the Chiller Theatre Expo Spring on April 30, 2022, in Parsippany, New Jersey | Source: Getty Images
Many took to social media to express their disappointment with her new appearance.
“Sad… she destroyed her face,”
one commenter wrote, while another lamented,
“In season 1, she was the prettiest woman in the world. Now you don’t recognize her. How sad.”
Heather Thomas at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Fall Guy” in Hollywood, California on April 30, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
The harsh comments continued,
“It looks like some mad scientist worked on her face. What a shame.”
One begged, “OH MY GOD STOP SURGERY THAT’S HORRIBLE… She was so beautiful when she was young.”
Heather Thomas at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Fall Guy” in Hollywood, California, on April 30, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
Some netizens who saw a video of the actress on the red carpet premiere of her movie also had negative reactions, with one person
claiming,
“This is what happens when you over do [sic] the plastic surgery. A couple [of] years ago, she still looked amazing.”
Heather Thomas at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Fall Guy” in Hollywood, California, on April 30, 2024 | Source: YouTube/ScreenSlam
Another netizen wrote,
“What a shame. Heather was my crush back in the day and i wish she would have just let herself age naturally.”
But some people had positive things to say as one person
stated, “She hasn’t aged.” Another person
added, “Heather is awesome, glad she had a little involvement in the new movie.”
Heather Thomas at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on April 30, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
The intense public reaction highlighted how much Thomas’ image had become a part of her legacy, leaving many fans struggling to reconcile their memories of her past with her present appearance.
Heather Thomas at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Fall Guy” in Hollywood, California on April 30, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
But the star’s focus today is far from Hollywood—her personal life and outspoken political activism have taken center stage.
Heather Thomas and Hannah Waddingham at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Fall Guy” in Hollywood, California, on April 30, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
Thomas’ life today looks very different from her days in Hollywood. Though she rarely steps into the spotlight, she stays active on social media,
particularly on X (formerly Twitter), where she frequently shares her thoughts on politics.
Engaging in public discourse seems to be a passion for the celebrity, and her posts reflect her outspoken nature.
Heather Thomas at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Fall Guy” in California on April 30, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
Her journey from Hollywood stardom to a quieter, more private life shows that not all stars crave the limelight forever. And while her fans may hold on to memories of the past, Thomas has moved forward—choosing a path that reflects who she is today.