Marlo Thomas

Marlo Thomas was born Margaret Julia Thomas in Detroit, Michigan, and was raised in Beverly Hills, California. She was the eldest of three children of entertainer Danny Thomas and Rose Marie Cassaniti, a singer. Her childhood nickname, Margo, became Marlo after a childhood mispronunciation that remained part of her name.

Thomas graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in education. She initially considered teaching before turning to acting in the early 1960s.

Thomas began appearing on television in the early 1960s, with roles on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, 77 Sunset Strip, Thriller, Zane Grey Theatre, Bonanza, My Favorite Martian, McHale's Navy, The Donna Reed Show, and Ben Casey. She also had a recurring role as Stella on The Joey Bishop Show during the 1961-1962 season. In 1961, she appeared with her father on The Danny Thomas Show and in an episode of Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre.

Her first major stage breakthrough came in 1965, when Mike Nichols cast her in the London production of Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park. The following year, she starred as Ann Marie on ABC's That Girl, a sitcom about an aspiring actress and model who moves to New York City to pursue a career. The series ran for five seasons, produced 136 episodes, and earned Thomas a Golden Globe for Best Female TV Star in 1967, along with four Emmy nominations.

Thomas was also an executive producer on That Girl, making her one of the early women to produce her own television series. She ended the show in 1971 rather than accept a proposed wedding finale for Ann Marie, objecting to the idea that marriage should be presented as the character's only happy ending. Ted Bessell played Ann Marie's boyfriend, Donald Hollinger, and remained a significant professional association from the series.

After That Girl ended, Thomas broadened her work through children's entertainment, writing, producing, and advocacy. Inspired by reading bedtime stories to her niece Dionne, she created the children's album Free to Be... You and Me in 1972. The project challenged conventional ideas about gender roles and encouraged children to imagine a wider range of possibilities for themselves.

Thomas produced and starred in the television special Free to Be... You and Me, which aired in 1974. The project featured performers including Alan Alda, Harry Belafonte, Mel Brooks, Roberta Flack, Michael Jackson, and Kris Kristofferson. It won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Special, while the album received the Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children.

A sequel, Free to Be... a Family, aired in 1988 and continued the franchise's themes of inclusion and belonging. Thomas received another Emmy for the special. She also published books connected with the franchise, including Free to Be... a Family: A Book About All Kinds of Belonging.

Thomas pursued dramatic roles in film and television after That Girl. She played the title character in Jenny (1970), portraying an unwed pregnant woman, and appeared in the film adaptation of Herb Gardner's play Thieves (1977). She also produced and starred in the television film It Happened One Christmas (1977), a remake of It's a Wonderful Life.

Her television films included The Lost Honor of Kathryn Beck (1984), Consenting Adult (1985), Nobody's Child (1986), Held Hostage: The Sis and Jerry Levin Story (1991), Reunion (1994), Ultimate Betrayal (1994), and Deceit (2004). Her performance as Marie Balter in Nobody's Child earned her the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie.

Thomas continued to work in theater, appearing on Broadway in Social Security, The Shadow Box, and George Is Dead. Her later screen appearances included Sandra Green, Rachel Green's mother, on Friends, as well as roles on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Ugly Betty, The New Normal, Ballers, and Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later. Her film credits include The Real Blonde, Playing Mona Lisa, LOL, The Female Brain, and Ocean's 8.

In 1973, Thomas joined Gloria Steinem, Letty Cottin Pogrebin, and Patricia Carbine in founding the Ms. Foundation for Women. The organization provided funding and resources to groups working on women's equality and related issues involving race and class. Thomas also served as a California delegate to the 1972 Democratic National Convention and participated in George McGovern's presidential campaign.

Thomas became the National Outreach Director for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, which her father founded in 1962 in Memphis, Tennessee. In 2004, she created the Thanks & Giving campaign to support the hospital. She donated royalties from Marlo Thomas and Friends: Thanks & Giving All Year Long and her Right Words at the Right Time books to St. Jude.

Her honors include multiple Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe, a Grammy, and a Peabody Award. She was inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame, received the Women in Film Lucy Award in 1996, and was inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame in 2009. President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014.

Thomas met television host Phil Donahue in 1977 when she appeared as a guest on The Phil Donahue Show. They married on May 21, 1980, and remained married until Donahue died on August 18, 2024.

Thomas and Donahue collaborated on What Makes a Marriage Last: 40 Celebrated Couples Share with Us the Secrets to a Happy Life, a 2020 book featuring interviews with couples including Billy and Janice Crystal and Elton John and David Furnish.