Jay Thomas

Jon "Jay" Thomas Terrell (July 12, 1948 – August 24, 2017) was an American actor, comedian, and radio personality. He was heard in New York from 1976 to 1979 on top-40 station 99X, and later on rhythmic CHR station 92KTU, and in Los Angeles beginning in 1986 on KPWR "Power 106", where he hosted the station's top-rated morning show until 1993. His notable television work included his co-starring role as Remo DaVinci on Mork & Mindy (1979–1981), the recurring role of Eddie LeBec, a Boston Bruins goalie on the downside of his career, on Cheers (1987–1989), the lead character of newspaper columnist Jack Stein on Love & War (1992–1995), and a repeat guest role as Jerry Gold, a talk-show host who becomes both an antagonist and love interest of the title character on Murphy Brown. He won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series in 1990 and 1991 for portraying Gold. He was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for radio in 1989.

In 1997, he starred in the television film Killing Mr. Griffin, based on the eponymous novel. In films, he co-starred in Mr. Holland's Opus (1995) as a high-school coach with a flair for theatrics, and portrayed the Easter Bunny in The Santa Clause 2 (2002) and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006).

He was also an annual guest on the Late Show with David Letterman during the Christmas season, where he told a story about how he met Clayton Moore, who portrayed the title character on The Lone Ranger. Beginning in 2005, he hosted The Jay Thomas Show on SiriusXM Satellite Radio channel 94 comedy greats Monday through Thursday afternoons and Friday mornings on Howard 101.

Early life and education Thomas was born in Kermit, Texas, to Katharine (née Guzzino) and Timothy Harry Terrell. He was raised in his Italian-American mother's Catholic religion; his father was Protestant. Thomas was raised in New Orleans, where he attended and graduated from Jesuit High School. He went on to attend and graduate from Jacksonville University. Thomas was the quarterback on his high-school football team and also quarterbacked in college, a skill he later used on The Late Show with David Letterman.

Appearances on Late Show with David Letterman Thomas made annual Christmas appearances on David Letterman's CBS late night show, beginning in December 1998. Letterman and one of his other guests that evening, then-New York Jets quarterback Vinny Testaverde, took turns throwing footballs trying to knock a large meatball off the top of a Christmas tree at the other end of the stage. As the two took turns futilely attempting to knock off the meatball, Thomas came back out to join in the festivities, and promptly knocked the meatball from the tree. Thomas was scheduled to make an appearance at a local Dodge dealership alongside actor Clayton Moore, who would be appearing in character as The Lone Ranger as he would do regularly for Dodge's then-parent, Chrysler Corporation. Thomas and his colleague, Mike Martin, repeatedly stepped away from the festivities to smoke marijuana. After they had wrapped up their broadcast and appearances for the afternoon, both men noticed that Moore was still at the dealership with them as his ride back to his hotel never arrived.

According to Thomas, who described himself and Martin as being dressed like hippies with tie dyed shirts and long hair (Thomas claimed his was styled in a "white man's Afro"), the two offered Moore a ride back to the hotel in Thomas's dilapidated, early 1960s vintage Volvo, which Moore accepted. While stuck in traffic, with Moore sitting quietly in the back seat, an impatient, middle-aged man backed his full-sized Buick into the front end of Thomas's Volvo, broke one of its headlights and switched lanes to exit the freeway.

Thomas and Martin then also exited the freeway and began chasing the driver of the Buick and eventually caught up to the man outside a restaurant, blocked his Buick with the Volvo, and confronted him about the broken headlight. The indignant driver denied all; when Thomas threatened to call police, the man exclaimed, "Who do you think they'll believe? Me, or you two hippie freaks?" Moore then emerged from the car in full Lone Ranger regalia and said, in character: "They'll believe me, citizen!" The stunned driver apologized and drove off.

For every year thereafter except 2013, Thomas appeared to repeat the Lone Ranger story, which Letterman called, "The best talk show story, ever", and once again attempt what Letterman would refer to as the "Late Show Quarterback Challenge". For his final appearance in December 2014, Thomas was again successful in knocking the meatball off the top of the tree. Thomas missed the 2013 Late Show Christmas episode due to throat surgery; John McEnroe took his place and told the Lone Ranger story, then tried, unsuccessfully, to knock the meatball off the tree by hitting tennis balls at it.

Thomas married Sally Michelson in 1987. They had two sons, Samuel and Jacob.

Death Jay Thomas died of throat cancer on August 24, 2017, surrounded by his family in Santa Barbara, California, at the age of 69.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1979–1981 Mork & Mindy Remo DaVinci 20 episodes 1981 The Love Boat Paul Harris Episode: "First Voyage, Last Voyage" 1984 Master of the Game Levy Television miniseries 1984 C.H.U.D. Cop in diner 1985 Spenser: For Hire Tony Broz Episode: "Discord in a Minor" 1985 The Gig Rick Valentine 1986 Legal Eagles Waiter 1986 The Park Is Mine TV Reporter 1987 Family Ties Jerry DiNello Episode: "Super Mom" 1987 A Year in the Life Scott Spenser Episode: "What Do People Do All Day?" 1987–1989 Cheers Eddie LeBec 9 episodes 1988 Monkey Business Tedesco 1988 The Adventures of Ragtime Lester Waylin 1988 Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color Delivery Man Episode: "Justin Case" 1989 Almost Grown Unknown Episode: "Take It Slow" 1989 The Golden Girls Sy Ferber Episode: "High Anxiety" 1989 Freddy's Nightmares Stan Brooks Episode: "Dream Come True" 1989–1998 Murphy Brown Jerry Gold 9 episodesPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series (1990–91)Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series(1989) 1990 Miracle Landing Ed Meyer Television movie 1990 Open House Evan Gimbel 2 episodes 1990 Where's Rodney? Lou Barnes Television movie 1990 Little Vegas Bobby 1990–1991 Married People Russell Meyers 18 episodes 1992 Straight Talk Zim Zimmerman 1992 Batman: The Animated Series Guard 1 Episode: "The Forgotten" 1992–1995 Love & War Jack Stein 67 episodes 1995 Cybill Jay Episode: "Zing!" 1995 Bless This House Ted Episode: "If It Ain't Broken, Break It" 1995 Mr. Holland's Opus Coach Bill Meister 1996 A Strange Affair Eric McKeever 1996 Dirty Laundry Joey Greene 1996–1997 Ink Jack Stein 3 episodes 1997 Killing Mr. Griffin John Griffin Television movie 1997 A Smile Like Yours Steve Harris 1997 Aaahh!!! Real Monsters Disembodied Voice Episode: "Spy vs. Monster" 1997 Working Mr. Peyser Episode: "Lost Weekend" 1998 My Date with the President's Daughter Charles Fletcher Television movie 1998 The Simple Life Joel Campbell Episode: "Sara's Ex" 1998 The Adventures of Ragtime Lester Waylin 1998 Monkey Business Tedesco 1998 Last Chance Artie 1998–1999 Hercules Ares Voice, 6 episodes 1999 Stranger in My House Ray Young 1999 Katie Joplin Glen Shotz 1999 Fantasy Island Carl Harbin Episode: "The Real Thing" 1999 Dead Man's Gun Emil Kosar Episode: "The Good Chef" 1999 The Wild Thornberrys Bull Seal Voice; episode: "Tamper Proof Seal" 1999 The Big Tease Tony Bolero Uncredited 2000 Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire? Himself Host, TV special 2000 An American Daughter Timber Tucker Television movie 2001 Surfacing: AKA A Letter from My Father Tom 2001–2002 The Education of Max Bickford Jerry Zibowski 2 episodes 2002 Ed Gary Siringo Episode: "Small Town Guys" 2002 Monday Night Mayhem Pete Rozelle Television movie 2002 Dragonfly Hal 2002 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Joe Sherman Episode: "Vulnerable" 2002 The Santa Clause 2 Easter Bunny Cameo 2003 Run of the House Bob Melman Episode: "Twas the Night Before Homecoming" 2004 Teacher's Pet Barry Anger Voice 2004 Joan of Arcadia Obnoxious Investor at Spa Episode: "Recreation" 2006 The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause Easter Bunny 2007, 2010 American Dad! Brett Morris Voice, 2 episodes 2008 Boston Legal Ian Hoberman Episode: "Happy Trails" 2009 The Pool Boys Marty 2009 Labor Pains Garth 2010 Cold Case Lance Katrola Episode: "One Fall" 2010 Sex Tax: Based on a True Story Charles Taylor 2010 Mysteries at the Museum Narrator 12 episodes 2011 Snatched Roger Byamm 2011 Horrorween Two Headed Monster 2011 Retired at 35 Mr. Jenkins Episode: "Workin' Man" 2011 Hung Sandee's father Episode: "The Whole Beefalo" 2012 Shake It Up Dan Gold Episode: "Copy Kat It Up" 2013 The Haunting of… Himself Episode: "Jay Thomas" 2013 Life Tracker Attorney General 2013 Underdogs Mike Mayhew 2013 The Trials of Cate McCall Loncraine 2013–2017 Ray Donovan Marty Grossman 5 episodes (his final role) 2015 NCIS: New Orleans Marc Maslow Episode: "Confluence" 2015 Bones Lenny Jay Episode: "The Promise in the Palace"