"Since he was no longer on the show, Eddie also had to go. And, according to the co-creator of the series, Thomas could have appeared on even more episodes of the popular show if he hadn't insulted Perlman during a radio show. As it turns out, it appears Thomas' own big mouth got himself kicked off of the show. Famous last words and two seconds later Jay Thomas was a "dead Cheers actor" walking. Jay Thomas was a popular radio personality for years before he began receiving acting opportunities on television. Although grew up in the south he most played "New Yorky" characters. and more from FamousFix.com, See I have to kiss Rhea Perlman." 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He recurred on Mork & Mindy as deli owner Remo DaVinci, played the love interest of Rhea Perlmans Carla Tortelli on Cheers, and played tabloid talk show host Jerry Gold on Murphy Brown.. Jay was one of a kind, never at a loss for words and filled with so much fun and wonderfully whacky thoughts and behavior, wrote Buchwald. [January 2005]. A native of Kermit, Texas, who was raised in New Orleans, Thomas got his start in radio as a high school football announcer for the Rutherford High Rams in Panama City, Fla. Click the AdBlock Plus button on your browser and select Disable on Observer.com. That was it for Eddie LeBec. Click the AdBlock Plus button on your browser and select Enabled on this site. What We Know About Her Continued 'Today Show' Absence, Joy Behar Scolds Co-Hosts for Texting 'The View' EP With Their Problems: "He's a Producer, Not a Gynecologist". I loved Jay Thomas as Eddie LeBec. But odds are if you know Jay Thomas, who passed away today at the age of 69, you know him from his recurring role on Cheers as Carla Tortelli's hockey-playing husband Eddie LeBec. For years, Thomas appeared on David Lettermans late-night talk show during Christmas season and told an entertaining, never-gets-old story centered on Clayton Moore, star of TVs The Lone Ranger. He insulted Rhea, which meant he insulted all of us. Here is where things get a bit disputed. It's likely all going to be paraphrase since it was a radio show. He was an actor, he was a radio host and he was a comedian. She said, 'I want him off the show,'" Levine claimed. In the same oral history, Levine claimed that Perlman was upset about Thomas' radio show comment. Jay Thomas was doing a radio interview and he was insulting toward having to kiss Rhea Perlman. All Rights Reserved. Jay broadcast from California, New York, and New Orleans. However, Jay Thomas, who played ice hockey player Eddie Lebec on the show, was killed off not too long after marrying one of the main characters in the show to Carla. photos, (1982) after making a comment during a radio show in which he made fun of Rhea Perlman's looks. How to Stream Garcelle Beauvais' New Lifetime Movie Online, Stream It Or Skip It: 'Gulmohar' on Hulu, a Hindi Family-Ties Drama Marking the Return of Sharmila Tagore, Steven Spielberg Broke Down in Tears Seeing Paul Dano and Michelle Williams as His Parents in 'The Fabelmans', Is Brendan Frasers The Whale Based on a True Story? When this actor insulted his co-star, he evidently couldn't foresee the consequences he would face. In fact, plenty of younger viewers have found the series through streaming services (all 11 seasons are currently available to watch on Hulu). Updated Born Rhea Jo Perlman on 31st March, 1948 in Brooklyn, New York, she is famous for Cheers. Cheers: Heres Why Jay Thomas Left the Show. He said something to the effect of Its brutal. Jay Thomas was known for his TV roles, most notably as Jerry Gold on Murphy Brown in the 1990s. Follow him on Twitter at @Brian_Cronin and feel free to e-mail him suggestions for stories about comic books that you'd like to see featured at brianc@cbr.com! During the panel discussion for the 200th episode of Cheers that aired in Season 9, Thomas heckled the cast and crew (presumably as a joke) over being written off the show. His zodiac sign is Cancer. Actor Jay Thomas, who won two Emmys for his guest role on Murphy Brown, died Thursday after a battle with cancer, The Daily News reports. He is most remembered for Mr. Holland's Opus. Sitcom vet Jay Thomas, best known for his recurring roles on Cheers and Murphy Brown, has died. See In a statement to the NY Daily News, Thomas' rep, Don Buchwald, said, "Jay was one of . He won two Emmy awards for portraying Jerry Gold on"Murphy Brown". Jay Thomas was born in Kermit, Texas, to Katherine (Guzzino), a tap-dancing South Louisiana belle of Italian descent, and T. Harry Terrell, Sr., an oil man. Official Sites. When Thomas joined Cheers, he was already known for his starring role as Remo on Mork&Mindy and for appearing on other shows including Family Ties and The Love Boat. Her zodiac sign is Aries. At 16 he started as a stand-up on Bourbon St. And, according to the co-creator of the series, Thomas could have appeared on even more episodes of the popular show if he hadn't insulted Perlman during a radio show. His writing has been featured at ESPN.com, the Los Angeles Times, About.com, the Huffington Post and Gizmodo. Help us build our profile of Rhea Perlman and Jay Thomas! Actor Jay Thomas has died at 69. READ THIS NEXT:The Most Hated TV Couples of All Time. And Other Comic Book Legends Revealed author Brian Cronin tackles whether the character played by Jay Thomas on Cheers was killed off because the actor insulted Rhea Perlman. And he goes, 'Look, we're not going to have you back on the show. He was 69. The episode Death Takes a Holiday on Icegot rid of Eddie for good (as Deciders Joe Reid recalled in a recent list). 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And it has nothing to do with Rhea. Thomas first picked off the meatball in 1998 when then-New York Jets quarterback Vinny Testaverde tried the stunt but failed. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. I have to kiss Rhea Perlman., Well, guess who happened to be listening. And my joke what that I got combat's pay to kiss her." He first told the story in 1998 and returned almost every year to tell it again until Letterman retired. To read our full stories, please turn off your ad blocker.We'd really appreciate it. Thats exactly what it looked like was going to happen with Jay Thomas' character, Eddie LeBec, who joined the show in Season 5 as the boyfriend to Rhea Perlman's character, the perpetually pregnant waitress Carla. When asked about kissing Carla on Cheers, Thomas noted he received combat pay for doing so. His character was not just dropped but killed off - death by . She said, "I want him off the show.". 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Mark King & Rhea Perlman 1983 Press Photo 7x9 Cheers TV Show *P69a at the best online prices at eBay! Jay Thomas died on Thursday at 69 after a battle with cancer. I mean, he got angry once, pretty late in the game about something that I wish he had told me about long before, because I made every effort to change it. 'The Mandalorian' Season 3 Episode Guide: How Many Episodes of 'Mandalorian' Will There Be on Disney+? TV URBAN LEGEND: Jay Thomas' character on Cheers was killed off because he called Rhea Perlman ugly. CBR Senior Writer Brian Cronin has been writing professionally about comic books for over fifteen years now at CBR (primarily with his Comics Should Be Good series of columns, including Comic Book Legends Revealed). This story has been shared 4,038 times. Jay Thomas, a comic and character actor whose credits include roles on Cheers and Murphy Brown, has died after a battle with cancer, according to his publicist Tom Estey. Paramount Television Actor Jay Thomas, known for his roles on "Murphy Brown" and "Cheers," died Thursday following a battle with . And The Lone . Eddie, by then, was working as a penguin in an ice show so we arrived at a Zamboni machine accident. His most recent credits include appearances on Bones, NCIS: New Orleans, and Ray Donovan.. Jay Thomas, the good-natured comic actor who starred on the sitcoms Murphy Brown and Cheers, died Thursday. On the way, a car backed into their Volvo during a traffic jam and fled. 1,313, This story has been shared 1,267 times. Best Picture Nominee Triangle of Sadness Is Now Streaming on Hulu, When Does 'Black Girl Missing' Premiere on Lifetime? Instead, his character was killed off-screen in Season 8. Now obviously, when you have a cast as large as Cheers, while they were able to add characters more easily than other shows, it was still not an easy thing to do, so there were plenty of reasons why the show would not be willing to add Thomas to the actual cast. Always had a smile and a kind word for me, a lowly board op at KIQQ. He and Letterman also took turns throwing a football, trying to dislodge a meatball from the top of a Christmas tree. jay thomas, Other Works Cheers was an iconic show from decades ago starring Ted Danson and friends. photos, And I think I did a pretty good job, although maybe it wasnt good enough for him.. | However, Jay would try out his stand-up comic routines on the rest of the staff. In addition, Levine wrote about the incident on his amazing blog here, explaining how he came up with the episode where they killed off Eddie. In this weeks installment, Was Superman a Spy? She heard this interview and Eddie was written off the show. Eddie showed up a few more times in Season Six and Seven, but then something major happened off-camera in between April and November of 1989. Eddie is killed off (off-screen) in Season 8's "Death Takes a Holiday on Ice," where we also learn he was married to another woman. Jay Thomas was one of the funniest and kindest men I have had the honor to call both client and friend for 25 years plus. He became a sports announcer and DJ in college. A Warner Bros. It seemed like Thomas was going to become a regular character. He briefly played professional football in the old World Football League. Hilariously, though, the writers made his demise rather humorous as they revealed he had another wife who looked just like Carla on the show. He worked at stations in Panama City; Pensacola, Fla.; Knoxville, Tenn.; Nashville; Jacksonville, Fla.; and Charlotte, N.C., where he earned nicknames like The Mouth of the South, The Scorpion and The Prince of Darkness.. He had a few small roles during the early 1980s, popping up on big shows like Family Ties and The Golden Girls, and in 1987 (in the middle of Season 5) he joined Cheers as Boston Bruins goalie Eddie LeBec. Long said, We never fought. On the big screen, Thomas played the Easter Bunny in the Santa Clause movies released in 2002 and 2006 and appeared in such films as Legal Eagles (1986), Straight Talk (1992),A Smile Like Yours (1997), Mr. Hollands Opus (1995) as football coach Bill Meister Dragonfly (2002) and Labor Pains (2009). Jay Thomas and Rhea Perlman were in an on-screen matchup.. On Screen Matchups. Finally we decided to marry them. The same writer wrote about Kelsey on the show, Quite simply, he was retained because he was terrific and once everyone saw the dynamics between his character and the others in the bar it was clear that Frasier Crane was a keeper. Cheers was an iconic show of the time, but it certainly had a lot going on behind the scenes. Feel free (heck, I implore you!) He starred in his own TV shows "Married People" with Beth Armstrong and "Love and War" with Susan Dey and later Annie Potts. He was a regular guest on "The Late Show with David Letterman.". '", Thomas explained of what he said on the radio show, "[Listeners] would go, 'What's it like to kiss Carla?' But odds are if you know Jay Thomas, who passed away today at the age of 69, you know him from his recurring role onCheers as Carla Tortellis hockey-playing husband Eddie LeBec. Most recently, he appeared in the Showtime series Ray Donovan. He guest starred in an episode of "Hung" on HBO. Appearing as an annual Christmas guest alongside Letterman has been fun, hesaid in 2014. As it turns out, though, one notable actor dealt with some off-screen drama that affected her character's arc. He got his start on television in 1979 as Remo DaVinci, the co-owner of a New York deli, on ABCsMork & Mindy. (1987 -. And the Jay Thomas talk show airs daily on SiriusXM. Heck, note that in the quote above, Thomas even says he was specifically told Perlman was not the reason. Maybe we should have. TIL actor Jay Thomas got his character, Eddie LeBec, killed off of the TV show "Cheers" when he talked about how horrible it was to kiss his character's wife, Rhea Perlman, on his radio show. Thomas has been telling the story for years, but hes not exactly the best source, as people always tend to come up with reasons for why they didnt get a particular job. Survivors include his wife Sally and sons Sam, Max and J.T. Thomas won two Emmy awards for outstanding guest actor in a comedy series for his portrayal of Gold. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. He won his first award as emcee of the Jesuit High School talent show. Well, it may have stemmed from a radio spot by Thomas where he was asked to talk about his role on the show. Reared in New Orleans, he was always active in sports and performing. Has three sons in total, Jake and Sam, with wife Sally Michelson, plus another son, During the summer of 1967, Jay (then Jon Terrell) worked as an apprentice at the Ivoryton Playhouse in Ivoryton, Connecticut. He's acted here and there ever since (including a memorable supporting role in Mr. Holland's Opus). I became that guy. For more celebrity news delivered right to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. In his new book, Directed by James Burrows, Cheers co-creator James Burrows tells his version ofthe story. to global superstars), there is something that is almost more amazing, which is to join one of these shows after it has become a hit and become accepted as part of the show's DNA. He was on the cast of Mork and Mindy for a time (20 episodes in total between 1979 and 1981). He was 69. The post, titled "The kiss of death for Eddie LeBec" reports that Jay Thomas made some negative comments about the show and about Perlman on his radio show: A caller asked him what his experience working on "Cheers" was like, Levine explained in the post, and Thomas "said something to the effect of 'It's brutal. (@norm.of.cheers), Where everybody knows ur name (@welcome.to.cheers) . He is most remembered for Mr. Holland's Opus. Don Buchwald, his longtime agent and friend, said Thomas died at his home in Santa Barbara after a battle with cancer. 'Mandalorian' Funko Pops up to 77% Off Baby Yoda and More for Season 3, Who Plays the Armorer in 'The Mandalorian'? Jay Thomas was a popular radio personality for years before he began receiving acting opportunities on television. Thomas popped up 9 times between 1987 and 1989, starting with the Season Five two-parter Never Love a Goalie.Carla (Rhea Perlman) and Eddie, the goalie for the Boston Bruins, hit it off immediately, even if their love affair put a temporary jinx on the Bruins wining streak. While obviously one of the most amazing things that can happen to an actor working in television is to be part of a show that turns out to be a major hit (look at the ways that, say, the cast of Friends went from an assortment of mostly no-names, and "Hey, that's the girl from the Bruce Springsteeen video!" Subscribe to our newsletter for new stories, tips & events. Jay Thomas, the good-natured comic actor who starred on the sitcoms Murphy Brown and Cheers, died Thursday. Rhea Perlman is a 74 year old American Actress. He was 69. 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Thomas appeared on nine episodes altogether. In Season 6, they got married and it seemed like Thomas would be sticking around. Ive always wanted to be one of those guys on late-night talk shows who everybody wants to see. Recently he has hosted shows at Carolines in NYC and the Bellagio in Vegas. Questions and whispers remained about why she ultimately left the show, but she was not alone in questions. CNN Jay Thomas, a comic and character actor whose credits include roles on "Cheers" and "Murphy Brown," has died after a battle with cancer, according to his publicist Tom Estey. And Other Amazing Comic Book Trivia! Thomas began his career in entertainment as a radio DJ before trying his hand at stand-up comedy and acting. The show actually aired longer without its original female lead than it did with her, a remarkable achievement for any television show. He boxed, wrestled, played football, and ran track. Plus, nobody could throw a football like Jay. One of his biggest roles was as loudmouth TV host Jerry Gold . I knew they were deciding [about] whether to add me or Bebe to the cast full-time, and I thought he was calling with good news. First off, we needed a funny demise. The biggest surprise exit from the program came from Shelley Long. . A few episodes of recurring bliss and then one day on Jays radio show a caller asked him what it was like to be on Cheers? Levine also notes that this episode ended up earning them an Emmy nod, making the whole situation a win for everyone involved except Thomas, of course. No question about it, as Frasier literally got a spinoff show from his success on Cheers. Jay Thomas and Rhea Perlman were in Cheers(1982) together. He was replaced by a young hayseed named Woody Boys, played by Woody Harrelson (amazingly enough, the character was named Woody before Harrelson was cast), who improbably became even more popular than Coach! His zodiac sign is Cancer. Originally intended for just a short story arc, Diane's new boyfriend, Kelsey Grammer's Frasier Crane, ended up sticking with the show for the rest of its run (plus 11 more seasons in his own spinoff series). In 2013, John McEnroe filled in for Thomas, who was recovering from surgery. Not Rheathey were talking about Carla. Jay Thomas attends "Hateship Loveship" film premiere at the Cinema Society in New York, April 8, 2014. Jay Thomas kissed and told too much Between 1987 and 1989, the late Jay Thomas played the recurring role of hockey player Eddie LeBec on the hit sitcom Cheers. The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Cookies help us deliver our Services. A notable exception was Cheers. Thomas often played loud, sleazy types: He recurred on ShowtimesRay DonovanasMarty Grossman, the operator of a salacious TMZ-like website. Jay Thomas was axed after he dissed Rhea Perlman publicly. I loved Jay, Letterman told CNN in a statement. Jay Thomas was born in Kermit, Texas, to Katherine (Guzzino), a tap-dancing South Louisiana belle of Italian descent, and T. Harry Terrell, Sr., an oil man. I have to kiss Rhea Perlman. Thomas also had a turn on "Cheers" as Rhea Perlman's TV-husband Eddie LeBec, a Boston Bruins hockey player who was killed by a Zamboni. I don't see it, so I'm willing to believe that, at the very least, Thomas' insult of Perlman was a notable cause in his removal from the show. Eventually, she became pregnant with twins, and the pair got married. On the latter, his character winds up appearing in an ice show and gets killed by a Zamboni. When Will 'Attack on Titan' Season 4, Part 4 Air? Jay now hosts a daily talk show on Sirius "Stars" channel and is selling high end real estate in Santa Barbara. But, Perlman remembers the situation differently. Contract disputes, on-set conflicts, or characters just not working out: Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Paramount Television/Courtesy Everett Collection, Chris Rock Jokes About Watching Emancipation to See Will Smith Getting Whipped In Advance of Netflix Special: Report, 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved, Jay Thomas, 'Cheers' And 'Murphy Brown' Actor, Dead at 69, Killed Off: A History of TV Shows That Violently Rid Themselves of Core Characters, Will There Be A 'Sex/Life' Season 3 on Netflix? SinceCheers was primarily set at a bar, we only saw Carlas home life when it pulled up a stool. Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. Eventually, Carla finds out she is pregnant with Eddie's twins, and the pair decide to get married. But advertising revenue helps support our journalism. And it has nothing to do with Rhea. More recently, he appeared as tabloid journalist Marty Grossman on "Ray Donovan. 2:25 PM EDT, Fri August 25, 2017, Jay Thomas' Lone Ranger Story Letterman Dec 2014. What about Long and Ted Danson? My e-mail address is bcronin@legendsrevealed.com. Jay Thomas may not be a name many kids know now, but he was a constant comedic presence for those that came of age in the 80s and 90sespecially if you were a sitcom superfan. He also found time to put in three years of small college football as a QB. He also hosted a radio show in Los Angeles and, most recently, had a daily gig with SiriusXM. American Actor Jay Thomas was born Jon Thomas Terrell on 12th July, 1948 in Kermit, Texas and passed away on 24th Aug 2017 Santa Barbara, California aged 69. He was also a radio DJ and continued to host a radio show while he was on Cheers. A representative for the actor said Thomas had been battling cancer. As it turns out, though, one notable actor dealt with some off-screen drama that affected her character's arc. The actor, who went on to have a recurring role onMurphy Brown,added, "Look, I made jokes about kissing Murphy Brown [too]. videos Thomas and the producer had just gotten stoned, he said. He was 69. In our world, you don't wind up sleeping with the fishes; you die a violent yet comedic death.". Thanks Brian Raftery's excellent Cheers oral history in GQ for the Perlman, Thomas and Levine quotes. ", Naturally, Perlman didn't react well to Thomas' comments, and the writers decided to get rid of Eddie by killing him off. Help keep Rhea Perlman and Jay Thomas profile up to date. In an oral history of Cheers published by GQ in 2012, Thomas, Perlman, and writer Ken Levine spoke about Thomas being written out of the show. ", The Sirius radio host also had roles in films including "Mr. Holland's Opus," "The Santa Clause 2" and "The Santa Clause 3." So Cheers had clearly established itself as a series where notable characters could be added to the ensemble. Discovery Company. Soon after, rather than being added as a cast member like Bebe Neuwirth (who also made recurring appearances in seasons 6 and 7 before being officially joining the cast in Season 8), Thomas was done for good. Triangle of Sadness Ending Explained: Does Abigail Kill Yaya? In the late '80s, actor Jay Thomas appeared on several episodes of Cheers as the love interestand eventual husband ofCarla Tortelli, who was played by Rhea Perlman. After kicking off his TV career with a supporting role in Robin Williams Mork & Mindy,Thomas became the go-to guy for sitcoms needing a pinch hitter (Family Tiesone week,The Golden Girls the next). He was 69. to write in with your suggestions for future installments! quotes, Thomas also had small but memorable parts in films such as Mr. Hollands Opus and the latter two Santa Clause movies. Later, Bebe Neuwirth joined the cast as Frasier's wife Lilith. He said, like in a movie, "Are you sitting down?" "It's brutal, I have to kiss Rhea Perlman". 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Rhea Perlman's on-screen hockey player husband was played by Jay Thomas, a somewhat lesser-known (at least these days) actor who probably should've considered himself lucky to act alongside Rhea. Jay Thomas was never seen on Cheers again. Folks came and went on the sitcom, its how things go for the most part. Rhea Perlman and Jay Thomas - Dating, Gossip, News, Photos list.