Michelle Thomas
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| Michelle Thomas | |
|---|---|
| File:Michelle Thomas photo.jpg | |
| Born | September 23, 1968 or 1969 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | December 22 or 23, 1998 (aged either 29 years old [1][2] or 30 years old[3]) Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Stomach cancer |
| Resting place | Rosedale Cemetery, Orange, New Jersey |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | West Essex High School |
| Occupation | Actress, comedian |
| Years active | 1985–1998 |
| Known for | Justine Phillips on The Cosby Show Myra Monkhouse on Family Matters |
Michelle Thomas (September 23, 1968 or 1969 – December 22[4][5][6] or 23,[3][7] 1998) was an American actress and comedian. She was best known for her roles as Justine Phillips on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show (1988–90), and Myra Monkhouse, Steve Urkel (Jaleel White)'s girlfriend on the ABC/CBS sitcom Family Matters (1993–98).[3]
Contents
Biography
Early life
Thomas was born in Boston, Massachusetts on September 23, either 1968 or 1969 to Dennis Thomas, a member of music group Kool & the Gang, and Phynjuar Thomas, a stage actress.[3] She grew up in Montclair, New Jersey and was an alumna of West Essex High School.[3] In September 1984, at age 15, Thomas was crowned Miss Talented Teen New Jersey in Hal Jackson's Talented Teen Competition.[8][9] The following year, she competed in the international pageant and won the title of International Queen.[10]
Career
From 1988 to 1990, Thomas portrayed Justine Phillips, the girlfriend of Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show. She later appeared on various television programs during the late 1980s and 1990s including A Man Called Hawk and Thea. She had a role in Dream Date in 1989. In 1991, she had a small role in Hangin' with the Homeboys. Thomas also appeared in music videos for Mint Condition, Dru Hill and Chubb Rock. In 1993, she won the role of Myra Monkhouse in Family Matters.[3] After the series ended in 1998, Thomas portrayed Callie Rogers Stark, an aspiring singer on The Young and the Restless. In October 1998, Thomas left the series.
Health and death
In August 1997,[7] Thomas was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, intra-abdominal desmoplastic small-round-cell tumor.[10] She underwent surgery to remove a lemon-sized tumor shortly before landing her The Young and the Restless role in the spring of 1998. In October 1998, she underwent surgery after a second cancerous growth ruptured. After being released from the hospital, Thomas flew home to New Jersey to spend Thanksgiving with her family.[citation needed]
On December 22[11] or 23,[3] 1998, Thomas died surrounded by her family and friends in New York City at Manhattan's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center,[12] aged 29[2][11][13] or 30.[3][5][7][10][12] On December 26, 1998, a Muslim funeral service was held, as per her request. She was buried in Montclair, New Jersey, near her home.[7]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Dream Date | Sally Palmer | Television film |
| 1991 | Hangin' with the Homeboys | Telemarketing Operator | |
| 1998 | The Young and the Restless | Callie Rogers Stark | |
| 1999 | Unbowed | Anna | Released posthumously |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988-1990 | The Cosby Show | Justine Phillips | 8 episodes |
| 1989 | A Man Called Hawk | Ruthie Carver | Episode: "Choice of Chance" |
| 1993-1998 | Family Matters | Myra Monkhouse | 55 episodes |
| 1994 | Thea | Keanda | 2 episodes |
| 1996 | Duckman | Voice role Episode: "Exile in Guyville" |
|
| 1997 | Malcolm & Eddie | Brooke Bellamy | Episode: "Roofless People" |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Title of work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series | The Young and the Restless | Nominated |
References
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- ↑ Chambers, Cheehsa. December 29, 1998, Variety, Michelle Thomas; accessed 2009-05-03.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Entertainment Weekly, January 8, 1999, Monitor; accessed 2009-05-03.
- ↑ The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, December 26, 1998, Michell Thomas, Television actress".
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Los Angeles Sentinel, January 6, 1999, "Michelle Thomas Succumbs To Cancer"; accessed 2009-05-03.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- Pages with reference errors
- Wikipedia pages with incorrect protection templates
- Pages with broken file links
- Articles with hCards
- Articles with unsourced statements from September 2015
- 1960s births
- 1998 deaths
- American actresses
- American film actresses
- American television actresses
- American soap opera actresses
- American women comedians
- Actresses from New Jersey
- African-American actresses
- Cancer deaths in New York
- Deaths from stomach cancer
- People from Essex County, New Jersey
- People from Montclair, New Jersey
- 20th-century American actresses
- Burials at Rosedale Cemetery, Orange, New Jersey
- Age controversies
