Philip Michael Thomas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Philip Michael Thomas
Born	(1949-05-26) May 26, 1949 (age 76) Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Alma mater	University of California, Riverside
Occupation	Actor, musician
Years active	1972–2006
Spouse(s)	Kassandra Thomas

Philip Michael Thomas (born May 26, 1949) is an American actor and musician who is now retired. He is most famous for playing Detective Ricardo Tubbs in the popular 1980s TV show Miami Vice. He first became well-known in movies like Coonskin (1975) and Sparkle (1976), where he acted alongside Irene Cara. After Miami Vice, he appeared in many made-for-TV movies. He also lent his voice to the character Lance Vance in the video games Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002) and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (2006).

Early Life and Beginnings

Philip Michael Thomas was born in Columbus, Ohio. He grew up in San Bernardino, California. He has a mixed background, including African American, Native American, Irish, and German roots. His father, Louis Diggs, was a manager at a factory. Philip's mother was Lulu McMorris. He and his seven half-siblings used the last name Thomas, which was his mother's first husband's name.

As a child, he acted in his church's theater group. At age 15, he sang in the Pentecostal Delman Heights Four Square Gospel Church choir. This made him interested in becoming a minister. He finished San Bernardino High School in 1967. He worked briefly as a janitor to save money for college.

Thomas earned a scholarship to Oakwood College in Alabama. This college is historically Black. There, he studied religion and philosophy. After two years, he moved to the University of California, Riverside. While there, he tried out for and got a part in the San Francisco show of Hair. This was the start of his acting career. Thomas eventually left school to act full-time. He appeared in several movies during the 1970s, including the musical drama Sparkle (1976). His biggest opportunity came in 1984. He got a main role in the popular TV show Miami Vice with Don Johnson.

Acting Career

What Was His Role in Miami Vice?

In 1984, Thomas started playing Ricardo Tubbs. Tubbs was a former NYPD officer from the Bronx. He came to Miami to get revenge on the person who killed his brother. In Miami, he met another undercover cop, Sonny Crockett. They were both looking for the same person.

Thomas reportedly earned $25,000 per episode for the first two seasons. This amount would be worth about $74,000 today. In 1986, his pay increased to $50,000 per episode for seasons 3-5. This would be about $148,000 today. His co-star, Don Johnson, earned $30,000 per episode for seasons 1-2. This was about $89,000 today. Johnson's pay went up to $90,000 per episode for seasons 3-5. This would be about $267,000 today.

Thomas created the word "EGOT". This means winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony award. He hoped to win all four. As of 2025, he has not been nominated for any of these awards. However, he has received a People's Choice Award and a Golden Globe nomination.

Other TV Shows and Movies

Thomas starred in a six-part TV mini-series called Extralarge in 1991. He acted with Bud Spencer. Thomas was replaced by Michael Winslow for the second series. Thomas worked with Spencer again in another mini-series. This show was called We Are Angels and came out in 1997.

In 1997, Thomas reunited with Don Johnson on the police drama Nash Bridges. He played Cedrick "Rick" Hawks. This character was a Deputy United States Marshal from Miami. He visited Bridges (Johnson) in San Francisco. His first appearance was in the episode "Wild Card". His last appearance was in "Out of Miami" in 2001.

Voice Acting in Video Games

In 2002, Thomas did a voice-over for the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. He voiced Lance Vance, a supporting character. Lance helps the main character, Tommy Vercetti, on missions. He also wants to get revenge for his brother, Victor Vance, who was killed. Thomas played Lance Vance again in the 2006 prequel, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. This game is about Lance arriving in Vice City. It also shows how his relationship with Victor began.

Music Career

In 1985, Thomas released a music album. It was called Living the Book of My Life. He released it on his own record label, Spaceship Records. The album did not sell well and had no hit songs. However, Thomas made a music video for his song "Just the Way I Planned It." He sang the album's title song on a 1985 Miami Vice episode called "The Maze." Another one of his songs, "La Mirada," was featured in the episode "Trust Fund Pirates." His Miami Vice co-star Don Johnson also recorded an album soon after.

In 1987, Thomas recorded a song called "Ever and Forever." He sang it with Argentine singer Lucía Galán from the group Pimpinela. Thomas released a second album, Somebody, in 1988. It also did not have any hits and sold poorly. In 1993, Thomas worked with Kathy Rahill. They wrote "My, My, My, Miam...I." This song was chosen to be the theme song for the city of Miami.

That same year, Thomas worked with Sandi Morais. She is a fitness instructor from Jamaica. They wrote songs for a family-friendly musical called Sacha. This musical was performed in south Florida and New York. The two formed the Magic Cookie Production Company. Thomas also produced music for Morais' fitness videos in 2001 and 2006.

Psychic Reader's Network

In 1994, Thomas signed a deal with Psychic Reader's Network. This company was later called Traffix, Inc. He became the spokesperson for the Philip Michael Thomas International Psychic Network. He appeared in TV commercials. He claimed to have met the best psychics through his "world travels." He dressed like his Miami Vice character. He even started the ads by saying, "From Miami Vice to world advice!" He appeared in longer commercials with Eileen Brennan and Todd McKee. His daughter, Sacha Nicole, also promoted the psychic line. Thomas released a music cassette related to his psychic business. It was called PMT Psychic Connection, Volume I.

Traffix later replaced Thomas with Miss Cleo. Thomas sued the company. He said they broke their contract. He won the lawsuit. In 2002, a New York arbitrator decided Thomas should get $1.48 million. This was for them improperly using his name and image. He also received an extra $780,000 in interest.

Personal Life

Philip Michael Thomas is a vegetarian. In 1986, he was sued for child support. This was by Dhaima Mathews, the mother of his two young children. Thomas later married model Kassandra Green. Green filed a complaint against Thomas in 1997. At that time, she was described as the mother of 5 of his 12 children. Thomas said the complaint was "an absolute, blatant lie."

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Video Game Roles

See Also

• EGOT – Philip Michael Thomas created the word "EGOT."