Philip Michael Thomas (born May 26, 1949) is a retired American actor
and musician. Thomas' most famous role is that of detective Ricardo
Tubbs on the hit 1980s TV series Miami Vice. His first notable roles
were in Coonskin (1975) and opposite Irene Cara in the 1976 film
Sparkle. After his success in Miami Vice, he appeared in numerous
made-for-TV movies and advertisements for telephone psychic services.
He served as a spokesperson for cell phone entertainment company
Nextones, and supplied the voice for the character Lance Vance in the
video games Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Vice
City Stories.Thomas was born in Columbus, Ohio, but grew up in San
Bernardino, California. He is of African American, Native American,
Irish, and German descent. His father, Louis Diggs, was a plant
foreman at Westinghouse. Thomas's mother was Lulu McMorris. He and his
seven half brothers and sisters had the surname Thomas, which was the
last name of his mother's first husband.As a child, he acted in his
church's theater group and, at age 15, while participating in the
Pentecostal Delman Heights Four Square Gospel Church choir, became
interested in ministry. He graduated from San Bernardino High School
in 1967 and briefly worked as a janitor to save money for college.
Thomas earned a scholarship to the predominantly black Oakwood College
in Huntsville, Alabama, where he studied religion and philosophy after
high school.
and musician. Thomas' most famous role is that of detective Ricardo
Tubbs on the hit 1980s TV series Miami Vice. His first notable roles
were in Coonskin (1975) and opposite Irene Cara in the 1976 film
Sparkle. After his success in Miami Vice, he appeared in numerous
made-for-TV movies and advertisements for telephone psychic services.
He served as a spokesperson for cell phone entertainment company
Nextones, and supplied the voice for the character Lance Vance in the
video games Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Vice
City Stories.Thomas was born in Columbus, Ohio, but grew up in San
Bernardino, California. He is of African American, Native American,
Irish, and German descent. His father, Louis Diggs, was a plant
foreman at Westinghouse. Thomas's mother was Lulu McMorris. He and his
seven half brothers and sisters had the surname Thomas, which was the
last name of his mother's first husband.As a child, he acted in his
church's theater group and, at age 15, while participating in the
Pentecostal Delman Heights Four Square Gospel Church choir, became
interested in ministry. He graduated from San Bernardino High School
in 1967 and briefly worked as a janitor to save money for college.
Thomas earned a scholarship to the predominantly black Oakwood College
in Huntsville, Alabama, where he studied religion and philosophy after
high school.
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