Philip Michael Thomas

Philip Michael Thomas was born on May 26, 1949, in Columbus, Ohio, and grew up in San Bernardino, California. He began his entertainment career on Broadway in 1971 with the Pulitzer Prize-winning play “No Place to Be Somebody.” Throughout the 1970s, Thomas appeared in various television productions, including “Good Times,” “Police Woman,” “Medical Center,” “Wonder Woman,” “Starsky and Hutch,” and “Trapper John, M.D.” His early film roles included “Coonskin” (1975) and “Sparkle” (1976), where he starred opposite Irene Cara. This period established his presence in both stage and screen.

The defining role of his career came in 1984 when he was cast as Detective Ricardo Tubbs in “Miami Vice.” His performance in this series earned him widespread recognition, including a People’s Choice Award and a Golden Globe Award nomination. Beyond acting, Thomas is also a passionate musician, having written his first song at age 11. He released two albums, “Livin’ the Book of My Life” (1985) and “Somebody” (1988), both on his own Starship Records label with distribution by Atlantic Records. He also co-composed “My, My, My, Miam…I,” which became the city of Miami’s theme song in 1993.

Following “Miami Vice,” Thomas continued to work in television, starring in the six-part miniseries “Extralarge” with Bud Spencer in 1991, and reuniting with Spencer for “We Are Angels” in 1997. He also made two guest appearances in “Nash Bridges” (1997-2001), once again alongside Don Johnson. In 2002 and 2006, Thomas lent his voice to the character Lance Vance in the popular video games “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City” and “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories,” expanding his reach into interactive entertainment. Throughout his diverse career, Thomas has maintained a positive outlook, attributing it to a vegetarian diet, regular exercise, and continuous learning.