Ross Thomas (born August 21, 1981) is an American actor, filmmaker, philanthropist and adventurer.

Early life

Ross Thomas was born in Stockton, California and raised in both Stockton and

Woodbridge, California Woodbridge is a census-designated place in San Joaquin County, California. Woodbridge sits at an elevation of . The 2010 United States census reported Woodbridge's population was 3,984. Founded in the 1850s, the town is listed as a California Histo ...

. His mother Catherine Schuler is a computer science professor and author, and his father, Randy Thomas, is a trial attorney, poet and adventurer. He has three sisters and one brother. He attended St. Mary's High School and subsequently attended Arizona State University and

The University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8.1 ...

. He played left wing for the Arizona State University rugby team. He studied anthropology, broadcasting and theatre arts. He graduated from The University of Southern California in the winter of 2004. In 2005, Thomas played the title role in ''

What's Bugging Seth ''What's Bugging Seth'' is a 2005 drama film directed by Eli Steele and starring Ross Thomas, Amy Purdy, and Nora Kirkpatrick. The screenplay concerns a young deaf man striving for success in his own business. It found success on the film festiv ...

'' as a deaf man determined to find love and career success despite his handicap. The film won awards at the DancesWithFilms Festival, the Santa Cruz Film Festival and the Empire Film Festival Other film credits include starring roles in films such as ''The Cutting Edge 2: Going for the Gold'', ''American Pie: The Naked Mile'', the Wayans’ Brothers comedy ''Dance Flick'', in which he spoofed Channing Tatum's character in ''Step Up'', "Burning Palms", and the indie flick ''Shelter'', which went on to win the GLAAD Outstanding Film Award in 2009. On the small screen, Thomas was a series regular on the Nickelodeon original teen series ''Beyond the Break''. Thomas played ‘Bailey,’ a stellar surfer who had a reputation for being a playboy. The show aired from 2006 to 2009. He also had a recurring role on '' General Hospital'' as 'Brandon,' a hardened criminal just released from jail. Thomas has also appeared on '' NCIS'' ''

Lie to Me ''Lie to Me'' (stylized as ''Lie to me*'') is an American crime drama television series. It originally ran on the Fox network from January 21, 2009, to January 31, 2011. In the show, Dr. Cal Lightman (Tim Roth) and his colleagues in The Lightma ...

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CSI: Crime Scene Investigation ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', also referred to as ''CSI'' and ''CSI: Las Vegas'', is an American procedural forensics crime drama television series that ran on CBS from October 6, 2000, to September 27, 2015, spanning 15 seasons. This wa ...

'', ''

CSI: NY ''CSI: NY'' (''Crime Scene Investigation: New York'', stylized as ''CSI: NY/Crime Scene Investigation'') is an American police procedural television series that ran on CBS from September 22, 2004, to February 22, 2013, for a total of nine seaso ...

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Cold Case A cold case is a crime, or a suspected crime, that has not yet been fully resolved and is not the subject of a current criminal investigation, but for which new information could emerge from new witness testimony, re-examined archives, new or r ...

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Living with Fran ''Living with Fran'' is an American television sitcom that aired on The WB. It starred Fran Drescher and Ryan McPartlin, and was co-created by Jamie Kennedy. The series debuted on April 8, 2005, and ran two seasons before ending on March 24, 2006 ...

'' Thomas had a starring role in the film ''

Soul Surfer A soul surfer (term invented during the 1960s) is a surfer who surfs for the sheer pleasure of surfing. Although they may still enter competitions, winning is not the soul surfer's main motive, since they scorn the commercialization of surfing. T ...

'', based on the true story of shark attack survivor Bethany Hamilton. Thomas played Bethany's older brother, Noah. He is also the passenger in the

Cadillac ATS The Cadillac ATS (short for ''Alpha Touring Sedan'') is a compact executive 4-door sedan and 2-door coupe manufactured and marketed by Cadillac and developed at the General Motors Technical Center in Warren, Michigan. Cadillac assembles the ATS ...

television commercials. In 2012, Ross was selected amongst fierce competition to host the Cadillac ATS vs. The World campaign, one of the largest productions in the history of General Motors. Cadillac ATS vs. The World was created to break the mold of automotive advertising to connect with a new generation of customers. Set in four countries around the world, the campaign consists of spectacular demonstrations of the nimble, quick and fun driving dynamics of the Cadillac ATS. In addition to the commercials, Ross hosted 20 mini-documentaries centered around the car, the task of filming the campaign and various cultural segues. Directed by racing legend Jeff Zwart and award-winning documentary filmmaker, Joe Berlinger, Ross and his crew embarked on a rugged adventure that bridged continents in search of some of the most technically challenging segments of road around. Highlighted locations include Patagonia, Monaco, Morocco and China. Ross had once in a lifetime interviews with the last native speaker of the Yaghan language in Puerto Williams to members of the Shao Lin Kung Fu academy in China. In 2013, Ross was chosen to host and produce the new CBS Sports Docu-Series, ''Game Changers''. The show celebrates athletes and fans who reach out in their communities to make life better for so many. ''Game Changers'', also featuring ''

omg! Insider ''The Insider'' is an American syndicated newsmagazine television program that was distributed by CBS Television Distribution. The program premiered in first-run syndication on September 13, 2004 and ended on September 9, 2017, as a spin-off ...

Kevin Frazier Kevin Timothy Frazier (born May 20, 1964) is an American television host, widely known as co-host of ''Entertainment Tonight'' and the founder and owner of the urban entertainment website HipHollywood.com. Career Frazier was the first to host both ...

, highlights professional athletes who use their public image to make positive changes in the lives of fans in need. Whether on or off the field, ''Game Changers'' takes an inspirational look at how sports positively impacts individuals and the communities they serve. Ross also guest starred opposite Ramon Rodriguez, Terry O'Quinn and RZA in the pilot episode of the 2013 FOX TV show, ''Gang Related'', directed by renowned film director, Allen Hughes and produced by Brian Grazer and Imagine Entertainment. Ross plays rookie LAPD officer, James Tanner. On June 6, 2020 Ross Thomas won an Emmy® Award in the category "Talent-Program Host/Moderator/Reporter" for his work as a co-host on NBC's California Live.

Personal life

Thomas is an extreme sports enthusiast and avid adventure traveller. He recently summited Huayna Potossi in Bolivia at 19,974 ft. He surfs and

snowboards Snowboards are boards where the user places both feet, usually secured, to the same board. The board itself is wider than most skis, with the ability to glide on snow."snowboarding." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 17 Mar ...

and performed many of his own stunts for his role as an

extreme sport Action sports, adventure sports or extreme sports are activities perceived as involving a high degree of risk. These activities often involve speed, height, a high level of physical exertion and highly specialized gear. Extreme tourism overl ...

s professional turned figure skater in

ABC Family channel ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

movie '' The Cutting Edge: Going for the Gold''. Ross is a team rider and ambassador fo
Glide SUP
Ross is a supporter of tribal peoples rights. He has made a short documentary film about the plight of the Harakmbut tribe in the Madre De Dios region of Peru, and has visited Brazil to support the tribes against the

Belo Monte Dam The Belo Monte Dam (''formerly known as'' Kararaô) is a hydroelectric dam complex on the northern part of the Xingu River in the state of Pará, Brazil. After its completion, with the installation of its 18th turbine, in November 2019, the inst ...

. Ross has worked with indigenous rights organizations

Survival International Survival International is a human rights organisation formed in 1969, a London based charity that campaigns for the rights of indigenous and/or tribal peoples and uncontacted peoples. The organisation's campaigns generally focus on tribal peo ...

and Amazon Watch. In 2010, Ross spent months in the Southern Peruvian Amazon shooting and producing the documentary ''Extraction: The Plundering of the Amarakaeri Reserve''. He also spent time with the Secoya tribe along the Shushufindi and Aguarico River in the Ecuadorian Amazon. He is interested in anthropology, ethnobotany and alternative medicine. On August 29, 2015, Thomas married Jolene Rust. They have one child, a son.

Filmography

References

External links

*
Ross Thomas's TwitterRoss Thomas's Instagram

Ross Thomas - Facebook.com Page

Ross Thomas as Bailey Reese at "The N" webpage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Ross 1981 births Living people 21st-century American male actors Male actors from California American male film actors American male television actors American male video game actors People from Stockton, California University of Southern California alumni Arizona State University alumni People from San Joaquin County, California Filmmakers from California Philanthropists from California