Ernest Lee Thomas (born March 26, 1949) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Roger "Raj" Thomas on the 1970s

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

sitcom ''

What's Happening!! ''What's Happening!!'' is an American sitcom television series that first aired on ABC from August 5, 1976, premiering as a summer series. It also returned as a weekly series, that later aired for the rest of the three seasons, from November 1 ...

'' and its 1980s syndicated sequel, ''

What's Happening Now!! ''What's Happening Now!!'' is an American sitcom sequel to the original American Broadcasting Company, ABC 1976–1979 sitcom ''What's Happening!!'' focusing on its main characters as independent people. It aired in first-run broadcast syndicati ...

'', and for his recurring role as Mr. Omar on ''

Everybody Hates Chris ''Everybody Hates Chris'' (stylized in all lowercase) is an American semi-autobiographical sitcom created by Chris Rock and Ali LeRoi that originally aired on UPN from 2005 to 2006, and then on The CW until 2009. The series is based loosely ...

''.

Early career and ''What's Happening!!''

Thomas was born in

Gary, Indiana Gary ( ) is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 69,093 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it Indiana's List of municipalities in Indiana, eleventh-most populous city. The city has been historical ...

, and began his professional acting career as a

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

actor, appearing in the 1974 revival production of ''Love for Love'' and in the 1975 revival of ''

The Member of the Wedding ''The Member of the Wedding'' is a 1946 novel by Southern writer Carson McCullers. It took McCullers five years to complete, although she interrupted the work for a few months to write the novella '' The Ballad of the Sad Café''.McDowell, Mar ...

''. Both shows starred actress

Glenn Close Glenda Veronica Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress. In a career spanning over five decades on Glenn Close on screen and stage, screen and stage, she has received List of awards and nominations received by Glenn Close, numerous ac ...

. Shortly after he moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

to pursue a career as a TV/film actor. In the fall of 1975 he received a role on an episode of ''

The Jeffersons ''The Jeffersons'' is an American sitcom television series that was broadcast on CBS from January 18, 1975, to July 2, 1985. Lasting 11 seasons and a total of 253 episodes, ''The Jeffersons'' is one of the longest-running sitcoms in history ...

''. It was during the taping of the show that he learned of an audition for a

sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

loosely based on the 1975 film ''

Cooley High ''Cooley High'' is a 1975 American independent coming-of-age comedy-drama film that follows the narrative of two high school seniors and best friends, Leroy "Preach" Jackson (Glynn Turman) and Richard "Cochise" Morris ( Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs). ...

''. Thomas auditioned, won the lead role, and filmed the

television pilot A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie) in United Kingdom and United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television netwo ...

, which tested poorly. The concept was quickly reworked into a more light-hearted approach to the source material, and became known as ''Central Avenue'', before settling on the title ''

''. Thomas was the only cast member retained from the pilot, and took the lead role of Roger "Raj" Thomas. The new "summer series" became a ratings hit, and was expanded to a full series, airing from 1976 to 1979. During the show's run, Thomas was involved in other film and TV projects including ''

Baretta ''Baretta'' is an American detective television series which ran on ABC from 1975 to 1978. The show was a revised and milder version of a 1973–1974 ABC series, '' Toma'', starring Tony Musante as chameleon-like, real-life New Jersey police ...

'', ''

The Brady Bunch Hour ''The Brady Bunch Hour'' is an American variety show featuring skits and songs produced by Sid & Marty Krofft Productions in association with Paramount Television. It ran on ABC from November 28, 1976, to May 25, 1977. The series starred the ...

'' and the film '' A Piece of the Action'' starring

Sidney Poitier Sidney Poitier ( ; February 20, 1927 – January 6, 2022) was a Bahamian-American actor, film director, activist, and diplomat. In 1964, he was the first black actor and first Bahamian to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. Among his ot ...

and

Bill Cosby William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American retired comedian, actor, and media personality. Often cited as a trailblazer for African Americans in the entertainment industry, Cosby was a film, television, and stand-up comedy ...

. During the first season of ''What's Happening!!'', Thomas was one of the final two actors to be considered for the lead role of

Kunta Kinte Kunta Kinte ( ) is the main character from the 1976 novel '' Roots: The Saga of an American Family'' by American author Alex Haley. Kunta Kinte was based on family oral tradition accounts of one of Haley's ancestors, a Gambian man who was born ...

in the breakthrough miniseries ''

Roots A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients. Root or roots may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusin ...

'', which eventually went to

LeVar Burton Levardis Robert Martyn Burton Jr. (born February 16, 1957) is an American actor, director, and television host. He played Geordi La Forge in '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (1987–1994), Kunta Kinte in the ABC miniseries ''Roots'' (1977 ...

. Thomas would go on to play the smaller role of Kailuba in the

miniseries In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...

''What's Happening Now!!'' and later career

After a six-year hiatus from TV and film acting, Ernest resumed his role as Roger "Raj" Thomas in the sequel ''

''. The show aired in first-run syndication from 1985 to 1988. Since the show's cancellation Thomas has guest starred on a number of popular TV dramas and sitcoms including '' In the Heat of the Night'' (which co-starred his TV wife Anne-Marie Johnson, from ''What's Happening Now!!''), ''

The Parent 'Hood ''The Parent 'Hood'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on The WB from January 18, 1995, to July 25, 1999. The series starred Robert Townsend and Suzzanne Douglas. Originally to be titled ''Father Knows Nothing'' (a parody of t ...

'', ''

Martin Martin may refer to: Places Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Europe * Martin, Croatia, a village * Martin, Slovakia, a city * Martín del Río, Aragón, Spain * M ...

'' (which starred his ''What's Happening Now!!'' co-star

Martin Lawrence Martin Fitzgerald LawrenceStated in interview on '' Inside the Actors Studio'' (born April 16, 1965) is an American actor and comedian. Lawrence began his career doing comedy shows, including in '' The Improv''. After his first acting role in t ...

), ''

Soul Food Soul food is the ethnic cuisine of African Americans. Originating in the Southern United States, American South from the cuisines of Slavery in the United States, enslaved Africans transported from Africa through the Atlantic slave trade, sou ...

'', ''

The Steve Harvey Show ''The Steve Harvey Show'' is an American television sitcom created by Winifred Hervey and directed by Stan Lathan that aired on The WB from August 25, 1996 to February 17, 2002, with a total of 122 half-hour episodes spanning six seasons. Syn ...

'', ''

All About the Andersons ''All About the Andersons'' is an American sitcom television series that originally aired on The WB from September 12, 2003, to February 12, 2004. It was canceled after one season. Premise Anthony Anderson is a single father and struggling act ...

'' and more recently ''

Just Jordan ''Just Jordan'' is an American sitcom created by Alison Taylor. It aired on Nickelodeon as a part of the network's TEENick lineup. The series debuted on January 7, 2007, and ended its run on August 23, 2008, with 29 episodes produced. BET aire ...

''. He has also appeared in a number of films, including a supporting role in ''

Malcolm X Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an African American revolutionary, Islam in the United States, Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figur ...

'' and a cameo in '' Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star''. He later had a recurring role as funeral director, Mr. Omar, on the TV sitcom ''

''. He had an uncredited guest spot as Ernest T "Bass" on the TV show '' Are We There Yet?''; it was titled "The Satchel Paige Episode" and had him playing a Flavor Flav-type personality. In 2012, Thomas was cast in rocker/horror movie director

Rob Zombie Robert Bartleh Cummings (born January 12, 1965), known professionally as Rob Zombie, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, filmmaker, and actor. His music and lyrics are notable for their horror and sci-fi themes, and his live show ...

's 2012 film '' The Lords of Salem''. In 2016, he was in a comedic

body horror Body horror, or biological horror, is a subgenre of horror fiction that intentionally showcases grotesque or psychologically disturbing violations of the human body or of another creature. These violations may manifest through aberrant sex, mutat ...

short film called ''Earworm''.

Personal life

Thomas has stated in multiple interviews to have had a romantic relationship with actress

Kim Cattrall Kim Victoria Cattrall (; born 21 August 1956) is a British, Canadian, and American actress. She is known for her portrayal of Samantha Jones on HBO's ''Sex and the City'' (1998–2004), for which she received five Primetime Emmy Award nominati ...

during her time as a student at the

American Academy of Dramatic Arts The American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) is a Private college, private drama school with two locations, one in New York City and one in Los Angeles. The academy offers an associate degree in occupational studies and teaches drama and related ...

in the 1970s. Thomas has an eye condition called

amblyopia Amblyopia, also called lazy eye, is a disorder of sight in which the brain fails to fully process input from one eye and over time favors the other eye. It results in decreased vision in an eye that typically appears normal in other aspects. Amb ...

. He is a member of

Kappa Alpha Psi Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. () is a List of African-American fraternities, historically African American Fraternities and sororities, fraternity. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911, at Indiana University Bloomington, it has n ...

fraternity.List of Famous Members of Kappa Alpha Psi in Entertainment
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Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Ernest 1949 births Living people Male actors from Indiana American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors People from Gary, Indiana 20th-century African-American male actors 21st-century African-American male actors