'The Fall Guy' star Heather Thomas says stalkers forced her out of Hollywood: 'I had tons of restraining orders'
There's a good reason why audiences didn't see much of Heather Thomas, star of The Fall Guy, after the show went off the air in the '80s. The actress, who costarred with Lee Majors on all five seasons of the ABC show that aired from 1981 to 1986, made fewer and fewer appearances in Hollywood before leaving altogether.
"I actually did some work after The Fall Guy," Thomas said on a recent episode of Still Here Hollywood hosted by Steve Kmetko. "I did a lot of movies and then I was just getting so many stalkers and really, really bad. Really bad — at least two a week. I had tons of restraining orders."
The action-comedy series told the story of a film stuntman who worked as a bounty hunter at night. It was the basis of the 2024 movie that starred Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, with Blunt portraying the character of Jody Moreno. Thomas made a cameo as her character from the series, Jody Banks, alongside Majors as Colt Seavers.
"I had two little girls, and a guy's jumping our gate with a giant buck knife," she explained. "In those days — I don't know if this is true now — but people would fixate. You could be in a soap commercial, and they would fixate on you, and there weren't a lot of stalker laws. And I just needed to be home anyway. There was one year where I was home two months, and that's not gonna raise kids."
Related: The Fall Guy turns the summer blockbuster into an earnest love letter to the movies
As for the laws against stalking, the 1989 death of My Sister Sam actress Rebecca Schaeffer and the 1991 trial of the man who hunted her down and killed her at her apartment in West Hollywood, Calif., spurred anti-stalking laws that wouldn't have been in place yet during the time Thomas described."Mine was scary. Mine was really scary," Thomas said. "I remember someone sent me a box of bullets."
She also recalled receiving funeral wreaths. She said she kept a bodyguard at her house because she didn't want to come home to darkness.
"I know I had one guy, one night cut my screen in my bedroom and got in," Thomas said. "I shot him with rock salt and birdshot."
Related: Jewel says she 'went gray overnight' after harrowing stalker experience, supports Chappell Roan's fan boundaries
When asked, Thomas said she didn't know if the man had gone to jail.
Now 67, Thomas said she stayed away "for a while." She's made three appearances since 1998, according to IMDb.
Listen to the full interview below, with the conversation about stalkers beginning about 6:50.
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
37 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Motor City Pride celebrates 53 years of uplifting LGBTQ+ community
Motor City Pride celebrated 53 years of LGBTQ+ community and revelry this weekend in downtown Detroit's Hart Plaza, bringing together people of every ethnicity and type from near and far to live their truths and honor those who made it possible. Jai Rodriguez, an Emmy-winning original cast member of reality show 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,' served as celebrity grand marshal during the annual parade along Griswold on Sunday afternoon. The parade attracted thousands of participants and spectators. Rodriguez, who spent 10 days in Detroit in 2011 for a guest role on ABC's 'Detroit 1-8-7,' spoke fondly of the Motor City and the importance of Pride. 'I grew up very Evangelical,' he said. 'No TV, no secular music. I didn't have any access or knowledge of what it was like to be authentically myself in the late 1990s. The internet was new and for rich people, in my mind, and so I really had to rely on family of choice. Five years later, I got this massive TV show, 'Queer Eye,' and a lot of folks forget that we weren't always welcomed in every space. In season one, a lot of major brands didn't want to work with us because we had the word 'queer' in our title. 'But I had this crazy experience of the world celebrating us at large. We had no social media at that time, so what we saw was a lot of positivity, especially from conservative folks who thoroughly enjoyed our program – they just didn't think it was OK for us to marry. Difficult conversations launched during the first Trump presidency, and we saw a lot of rhetoric build against the community. I think we all got really comfortable during the Obama presidency, when the White House was lit up rainbow and we had marriage equality. It seemed like the fight had been won, but there's still so much more to do.' Rodriguez said the only grooming he experienced as a child was through the church drilling into him how to be 'a good, straight, Christian man.' 'Queer people have never been a threat,' he said. 'We are not innately dangerous. We are just as magical and just as flawed as anyone else.' Attendees of all ages beamed from ear to ear when asked about their experience at the festival. More: How a flag on a pole became a turning point for Hamtramck Opinion: I'm a gay man in Detroit. Celebrating Pride feels more important than ever. 'It's been nice,' said Mandy Ware, an African American senior citizen using a walker who only described her age as 'much older than I look.' 'It's been nice just being with people that are friendly, and just being themselves, and not judging.' Young couple Stephanie Roberson and Tyler Danielak called the experience 'fantastic.' 'Everyone's been so great, so welcoming, so expressive,' said Danielak, 'and it's so nice to see everyone from different walks of life and different experiences and cultures. You've got furries, you've got the gay community, just everyone coming together.' The pair took advantage of free 'chosen family' portraits that were offered at the Rocket Mortgage booth. Rocket Companies creative director Joy Crocker talked about why it was important for the company to present a chosen family photo op this year. 'At Rocket,' she said, 'our mission is to help everyone home, and that means everyone − all of our communities, including the LGBTQ+ community. Last year, here at Pride, we asked the community what means home to them, and we … learned that home is belonging. It's acceptance, and ultimately, chosen family, the people who support you for all the parts of you. And we know chosen family is particularly important for this community, because blood family doesn't always show up. 'However, chosen family is something everyone can relate to, not just this community, and we think that's beautiful. So this is our way of showing up and letting the community know that we believe it deserves the same amount of respect and honor and documentation as blood family. It's so common that we'll see family portraits hanging in someone's home, but you don't always see chosen family portraits, even though that feeling is exactly the same.' JP, aged 76, is one of the founders of Motor City Pride. 'I know where I have instant family,' he said. 'This marks my 58 years in the life. I've been out since 1967, and in 1972, I was part of the group that built this. It's been a pleasure to watch it grow.' Quinn Jacob and Rachel Paulin are a young couple who are cast members in Ferndale's Ringwald Theatre's all-adult production of 'Annie,' currently running through June 30. The musical's theme of finding chosen family after great hardship hits particularly close to home during Pride Month. 'It's very humbling and inspiring,' said Jacob, 'to revisit our ancestors and the people who made all of this possible today, and every Pride Month. It's very moving to see where we came from and then where we are today.' Metro Detroit transgender advocacy nonprofit Stand With Trans also had a booth at the event, manned by board member John Davis-Piotrowski. 'Visibility is the biggest thing, I think, 'he said. 'Being able to be part of not only the trans community, but the LGBTQ community allies' families. That's something Stand With Trans has always been about – making sure that we're on that journey, both for trans members, but also their families and, again, allies, any supporters of the trans community. Just being out here and being able to see all of the community members who want to come up and talk about the services we've helped them with, or showing them that they're able to refer their families to us … that's the biggest reason we're out here.' Trans attendees Jill, Suzumebachi and Kelly, all of whom stopped by the Stand With Trans booth, spoke about the event's importance. All three said they moved to Detroit in the last few years from red states seeking safety. 'To me," said Suzumebachi, "Pride means casting off the shackles of Christo-fascist white supremacy and colonialism.' 'We're still here, no matter what's happening outside,' said Kelly. Suzumebachi cited ancient historical research. 'We're a demographic humanity,' she said. 'People who are queer have existed for thousands of years. You know, there are records of us going back to Sumeria, and they've been trying to eradicate those for the last millennium or so, unsuccessfully, and so we're just proving that point again and again.' Rodriguez summed it up by recognizing the origins of Pride events nationwide. 'Pride started as a protest,' he said, 'a gathering of individuals who were sick of sitting on the sidelines not having equal rights. Today, the spirit of our LGBTQIA+ ancestors were very much with us. We are reminded we can recharge our emotional batteries, find community and protest injustice at every Pride we attend. 'All while doing it fabulously.' This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Motor City Pride celebrates 53 years of uplifting LGBTQ+ community
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Did you know these celebrities were born near Rochester?
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — When spotlighting the most prominent Rochesterians — it's easy to quickly showcase Foreigner's lead singer Lou Gramm, abolitionist Frederick Douglass, and inventor George Eastman. Did you know these celebrities were born and raised right here in the Flower City? Known for providing the voice of Phineas Flynn on the Disney Channel animated series 'Phineas and Ferb' and playing the role of Chris Rock's best friend 'Greg' on 'Everybody Hates Chris,' Vincent Martella was born in Rochester before moving to central Florida during his childhood — according to the star's IMDB page. But the Martella family has stayed in the area — Captain Tony's Pizza & Pasta Emporium has been serving guests for more than 45 years, after Martella's relative Antonio opened in 1972. Vincent stopped by the pizza shop in 2017 for a special meet and greet before emceeing the Special Olympics that year. A new season of 'Phineas and Ferb' premiered on Disney+ on June 5. Did you know these movies were filmed around Rochester? His heart is a stereo — that was born and raised just 45 minutes from Rochester. Travie McCoy, co-founder and lead vocalist of the group 'Gym Class Heroes' was born in Geneva in 1981. McCoy formed the group with his friend, Matt McGinley, who he met in ninth grade at a Geneva High School. Gym Class Heroes has had top 20 albums on the Billboard 200 chart, and hit singles 'Cupid's Chokehold,' 'Stereo Hearts' with Maroon 5's Adam Levine and 'The Fighter' with OneRepublic's front man Ryan Tedder. McCoy was inducted into the Rochester Music Hall of Fame in April 2025. One of YouTube's first stars, Jenna Mourey — better known as Jenna Marbles — grew up in Rochester, New York and attended Brighton High School. Marbles' YouTube channel accumulated nearly 2 billion views, and 20 million subscribers at its peak. Marbles announced an indefinite hiatus on her YouTube account in 2020. Not born in Rochester, but spending a majority of his early years here, Gene Cornish is an original member of the popular 1960s group 'The Young Rascals.' The band recorded eight albums within five years, and had thirteen singles that reached Billboard's Top 40 chart. Cornish was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a founding member of The Rascals in 1997. Dubbed the greatest actor of the 21st century in 2014, Philip Seymour Hoffman was born to Rochester's nearby town — Fairport — in 1967. Hoffman attended Fairport High School, and before walking the stage, was accepted to New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. Hoffman won an Academy Award for 'Best Actor' in recognition of playing the role of author Truman Capote in 'Capote.' Other notable titles for Hoffman include 'Magnolia,' 'Charlie Wilson's War,' and 'The Master.' He died in 2014. 'Live from New York' comes naturally to the 'Saturday Night Live' star, since she was born near Rochester in Canandaigua in 1973! Kristen Wiig had a seven-season tenure on the hit TV show from 2005 to 2012, where she received four nominations for Primetime Emmy awards. Time Magazine named Wiig as one of the 100 most influential people in the world twice — in 2012 and 2025. After moving to Pennsylvania at the age of three, Wiig and her family returned to Rochester where she went to school at Allendale Columbia School and graduated from Brighton High School. Wiig's family has even closer ties as well. Wiig's paternal grandfather was a formed executive here at WROC-TV! Her mother ran a lake marina in Western New York, as well. These are just a few of the thousands of stars whose early days were spent in Rochester. Know someone who should be added? Reach out to WROCDigital@ for consideration. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
St. Paul fire inspector kidnapped, attempted to sexually assault teen: Charges
The Brief A 73-year-old man is charged with attempted criminal sexual conduct after allegedly trying to sexually assault a 13-year-old. Investigators say the girl missed her school bus, and thought the 73-year-old was a security officer. Court documents show that instead of giving her a ride to school, he took her to his apartment. ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - It was a terrifying morning for a 13-year-old girl who was just trying to make it to school. Last month, after missing the bus, the girl ended up in a car with a man who is now charged with allegedly trying to sexually assault her. The City of St. Paul says that the man is a 73-year-old DSI Fire Inspector with The City. What we know Court documents say on May 21, a 13-year-old girl missed her school bus, and walked blocks to try to get to school. It was raining, and the girl stopped on Phalen Boulevard in St. Paul to go to a medical clinic to ask for help getting to school. That's where she encountered 73-year-old James Allen Thomas sitting in a gray SUV, near the entrance of the clinic. Thomas asked if the 13-year-old needed help. Court documents say she was shivering when she said yes, and through her iPad, she communicated that she needed a ride to middle school. Because of his uniform, she thought he was a security officer. Documents show Thomas turned off both his cell phones after leaving the clinic. Investigators say instead of taking the 13-year-old to school, Thomas drove her to his apartment on the 1100 block of Agate Street. Court documents say the girl noticed a foul smell and saw beer cans. He motioned for her to go to the bedroom, where Thomas attempted to sexually assault the girl. He then allegedly offered the girl $50 twice to do sexual acts with him, and she said no both times. Investigators say, afterward, Thomas grabbed the 13-year-old's iPad and asked if it had the location finder on. She said she didn't know and needed to get to school. Thomas then took the girl back to his car and started driving, court documents say. While driving, Thomas asked the girl several questions, including what her address was, to which she gave her school address. Thomas then took the girl to her middle school. Court documents say when the girl got out of Thomas' SUV she approached a school staff member and hugged them tightly and was shaking, visibly upset, that staff member told investigators. Thomas got out of the vehicle and told the staff member he was a "Sergeant with the St. Paul Fire Department." What they're saying The St. Paul Fire Department tells FOX 9 they don't have the ranking of sergeant or an employee named James Allen Thomas. The City of St. Paul says Thomas is a DSI Fire Safety Inspector II with the city. Documents show Thomas was arrested Thursday, admitting to seeing the 13-year-old in the clinic parking lot off Phalen Boulevard and giving her a ride to school. But he denied it took him 45 minutes to travel 6.5 miles to the girl's school. What's next The documents also say Thomas also denies trying to have sexual contact with the 13-year-old. He added that the girl looked about 10-years-old and seemed scared while she was with him. Thomas posted bail, and he is charged with kidnapping, second-degree attempted criminal sexual conduct and soliciting a child to engage in sexual conduct.
