Jay (I) Thomas filmography and biography
Date of birth: 12 July 1958, Kermit, Texas, USA
Jay (I) Thomas biography
Jon Thomas Terrell was born in the small town of Kermit, Texas to T. Harry Terrell Sr. (a World War II Veteran) and Katharine "Kathy" Guzzino Terrell. His only other sibling was an older brother named Timothy Terrell, Jr. He attended Bienville Elementary, Francis Gregory Junior High and graduated from Jesuit High School in New Orleans. Jon won his first award for being an emcee at a Jesuit High School talent show. He attended Gulf Coast Junior College where he had an interest in radio. He later went to Jacksonville University which he graduated from. His early career began in radio. He got his first DJ job in Pananma City, Florida. Jay went to NYC as a DJ/actor/comic. He performed at the Improve in NYC, Catch A Rising Star in LA and had an active off Broadway acting career before finally landing his first TV role in Mork and Mindy as Remo Divinci. He is best known for his role on "Cheers" as Carla's ice hockey playing husband. He won two Emmy award for portraying Jerry Gold in TV's "Murphy Brown." He had two TV shows "Married People" with Beth Armstrong and "Love and War" with Susan Dey and later Annie Potts. Jay currently works as a talk show host on SiriusXM.
Jay (I) Thomas trivia
- He briefly played professional football in the old World Football
League.
- Every holiday season since 1998, he is asked by David Letterman to knock
off the meatball atop the "Late Show" Christmas tree. The tradition
began when quarterback Vinny Testaverde had trouble doing it, and
Thomas said he could do it instead.
- Starred with Richard Dreyfuss in
Mr. Hollands Opus. He later appeared in two episodes of
Dreyfuss' TV series The Education of Max Bickford.
- Was the Morning man at New York City radio station WXRK just prior to
Howard Stern.
- He currently resides in California with his wife Sally, and his two sons
Sam 15, and Jake 13.
- He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Radio at 6161
Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.