Paramount Television Actor Jay Thomas, known for his roles on "Murphy Brown" and "Cheers," died Thursday following a battle with . 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. Jay Thomas died on Thursday at 69 after a battle with cancer. Levine and his writing partner David Isaacs killed Eddie off-screen in a freak Zamboni accident, and then revealed at his funeral that hed been a polygamist all along. As it turns out, it appears Thomas' own big mouth got himself kicked off of the show. 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. "Jay was one of a kind, never at a loss for words and filled with so. 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). 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). His first TV role was in "Mork and Mindy". 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. 1,313, This story has been shared 1,267 times. 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. That was it for Eddie LeBec. (1987 -. He played Rhea Perlman's husband, Eddie LeBec, on "Cheers," and won the best guest actor Emmy in 1990 and 1991 for his portrayal of the character Jerry Gold on "Murphy Brown." It resulted in him getting his own show in Seattle years later. "But there was a point where they [thought] maybe we would live together, and I didn't like the idea of Carla being with somebody because that would make you feel like [you're] not part of the people in the bar.". 2:25 PM EDT, Fri August 25, 2017, Jay Thomas' Lone Ranger Story Letterman Dec 2014. Eddie, by then, was working as a penguin in an ice show so we arrived at a Zamboni machine accident. However, I think it is fair to say a leading cause in Thomas' dismissal had to do with comments he made on his radio program (Thomas still kept his disc jockey job even while acting). photos, However, after his less than pleasant comments on a radio show he was hosting . "Cheers" is one of the most famous sitcoms of all-time, and has maintained its relevance over the years, following its series finale in 1993. | And the Jay Thomas talk show airs daily on SiriusXM. My e-mail address is bcronin@legendsrevealed.com. As a comedian and a person, Thomas was always unfiltered, hilarious and unafraid to cross the line, which explains how he got himself written off of Cheers. He's acted here and there ever since (including a memorable supporting role in Mr. Holland's Opus). Jay Thomas, 'Murphy Brown' and 'Cheers' Actor, Dies at 69 - NBC News 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. In 2013, John McEnroe filled in for Thomas, who was recovering from surgery. Michael Loccisano/Getty Images Sitcom veteran Jay Thomas, best known for his roles on Cheers and Murphy Brown, passed away on Thursday. Biological father of musician and songwriter, The Jay Thomas Show was heard for a number of years on Sirius Satellite Radio Monday through Fridays, 3:00PM to 6:00PM on Sirius Stars Too, Channel 108. Instead, his character was killed off-screen in Season 8. Best Picture Nominee Triangle of Sadness Is Now Streaming on Hulu, When Does 'Black Girl Missing' Premiere on Lifetime? Feel free (heck, I implore you!) Always had a smile and a kind word for me, a lowly board op at KIQQ. Both Rhea Perlman and James Burrows deny it had anything to do with writing off Eddie. Actor Jay Thomas, who cut his teeth in the entertainment business as a legendary DJ for Charlotte radio station Big WAYS in the 1970s, has died at 69. . on CBS' Murphy Brown from 1989-98 winning a pair of Emmys after his stint as Rhea Perlman's husband Eddie LeBec, a French-Canadian goalie with the . (@norm.of.cheers), Where everybody knows ur name (@welcome.to.cheers) . 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 first told the story in 1998 and returned almost every year to tell it again until Letterman retired. Returning to the stage he starred in plays written and directed by Wendy Wasserstein and Woody Allen. As it turns out, it appears Thomas' own big mouth got himself kicked off of the show. He said something to the effect of Its brutal. Ive always wanted to be one of those guys on late-night talk shows who everybody wants to see. She said, "I want him off the show.". Jay Thomas and Rhea Perlman : r/Cheers - reddit So why do I lean toward it being true? — -- Actor Jay Thomas has died, ABC News has confirmed. He got his start on television in 1979 as Remo DaVinci, the co-owner of a New York deli, on ABCsMork & Mindy. Kelsey Grammer, who played Frasier Crane, was also not a lock to remain on the show long-term. The comedy, about a bar in Boston, lost one of its main characters after the third season when Nicholas Colasanto, who played the beloved bartender Coach, passed away. And I love football, so my two big dreams were totally realized.. Jay Thomas and Rhea Perlman were in Cheers(1982) together. to write in with your suggestions for future installments! No question about it, as Frasier literally got a spinoff show from his success on Cheers. 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. He boxed, wrestled, played football, and ran track. He crossed the family." 'Cheers': Here's Why Jay Thomas Left the Show - Outsider All Rights Reserved. I have to kiss Rhea Perlman. Updated The show actually aired longer without its original female lead than it did with her, a remarkable achievement for any television show. Kissing Rhea Perlman Was "Brutal," "Cheers" Cast Member Said - Best Life Rhea Perlman and Jay Thomas - Dating, Gossip, News, Photos list. 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. Triangle of Sadness Ending Explained: Does Abigail Kill Yaya? He insulted Rhea, which meant he insulted all of us. Heres how show writer Ken Levine tells it, per his blog: He was terrific in the episodes, he and Rhea made a very cute couple and so he was brought back periodically as her boyfriend. Season 6 saw the show change dramatically with the addition of the aforementioned Kirstie Alley, and in that season, LeBec and Carla got married. The answer was at the funeral Carla learned that he was a polygamist, and had a second wife (who looked just like Carla).. | 'Cheers' actor Jay Thomas dead at 69 | Page Six Jay Thomas - Biography - IMDb One of the greatest strengths of the classic show is itsensemble cast, who portrayed the gang of compelling characters from the ladies' man bartender Sam Malone (Ted Danson) to his on-and-off academic girlfriend Diane Chambers (Shelley Long) who are still celebrated today. So, the decision was made to write him out of the show, to the dismay of the fans as folks seemed to like the on-screen chemistry of Thomas and Perlman. 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. Actor Jay Thomas, Jesuit High School graduate, dies at 69 He recalled: I'm doing Cheers, having the greatest time of my life, and one day I get a phone call from Jimmy. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. Well, it may have stemmed from a radio spot by Thomas where he was asked to talk about his role on the show. Survivors include his wife Sally and sons Sam, Max and J.T. Actor Jay Thomas has died at 69. Cocktail waitress Carla Tortelli, played by Rhea Perlman, meets ice hockey player. His other wife, it turned out, looked just like Carla. Jay Thomas was doing a radio interview and he was insulting toward having to kiss Rhea Perlman. Login 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. Folks came and went on the sitcom, its how things go for the most part. Jay Thomas, Actor on 'Murphy Brown' and 'Cheers,' Is Dead at 69 and more from FamousFix.com. Cheers Actors You May Not Know Passed Away - Looper.com Thomas also portrayed Carla's (played by Rhea Perlman) hockey player . 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. Thomas went on to have a recurring role on Murphy Brown and then a starring role on the sitcom Love and War (from Murphy Brown creator Diane English). in which he played Rhea Perlman's . He guest starred in an episode of "Hung" on HBO.