Jeffrey Thomas

Jeffrey Thomas (born 1945) is a Welsh-born New Zealand actor and writer, best known for his film, television and stage roles.

Early life Thomas was born in Llanelli, Wales, to a fluent Welsh-speaking family. His grandmother's interest in drama awakened an early interest in acting. After leaving school he trained as a quantity surveyor, but grew bored with office work. He attended Liverpool University, completing a BA in English Literature and in Celtic Studies and English Literature. While at university he began writing and acting in university revues. He continued his studies at Oxford University, gaining a Master of Letters (M.Litt) degree.

While at Oxford, Thomas met and married a New Zealander, and after completing his studies they moved initially to Australia (where he lectured at La Trobe University) and then, in 1976, to Wellington. Here he taught romantic and Victorian poetry at Victoria University, before becoming a fulltime actor and writer the following year. In 2015 Thomas starred in The Dead Room as Scott Cameron, a sceptical scientist investigating paranormal activity in a New Zealand farmhouse.

Plays that Thomas has appeared in include The Balcony by Jean Genet for Downstage Theatre (1977) and Mauritius by Theresa Rebeck at Circa Theatre (2010).

Writing Thomas has written several plays, both in English and in Welsh. His first success came with Playing the Game, which premiered at Circa Theatre and was eventually throughout Wales and in London's West End. Thomas was the co-winner of the 1981 Play for Wales competition, run by the Welsh Academy, with Men of Steel.