Biography

Michelle Thomas

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Michelle Thomas was born in Brookline, Massachusetts but raised in New York and New Jersey. She attended the Montclair School of Arts and the Broadway Dance Center. She is survived by her mother, Phynjuar Thomas (a stage actress and acting coach); her brother, David Thomas; her grandfather, Cecil G. Saunders, Sr.; her aunt, Eleanor Johnson; her uncle, Paul T. Goodnight; and numerous other family members. Her father Dennis D.T. Thomas was a founding member of the 1970s funk band Kool & The Gang) Miss Thomas played "Betsy Brown" on stage in Philadelphia. She also appeared on the CBS soap opera, The Young and the Restless (1973) as "Callie Rogers"; on The Cosby Show (1984) as "Justine Phillips", the girlfriend of "Theo" (played by Malcolm-Jamal Warner); and on Family Matters (1989) as "Myra Monkhouse", the girlfriend of "Steve Urkel" (played by Jaleel White). She made guest appearances on a number of other TV shows and also performed in tons of music videos, in Los Angeles theater productions, and in several movies, including Hangin' with the Homeboys (1991). Just prior to her death, Michelle Thomas had received an NAACP Image Award nomination for outstanding actress in a daytime drama series for The Young and the Restless (1973).
- IMDb mini biography by: Gisele

Actor and former boyfriend Malcolm-Jamal Warner was at her bedside when she died on December 23, 1998.
Once diagnosed with cancer, she refused treatments for her condition because she was afraid that they would interfere with her chances of conceiving children. She passed away before she had any children.
During the last season of Family Matters (1989), her cancer grew worse, making it harder for her to do her scenes. Her screen time grew shorter and shorter, and she had to leave the show in 1998, shortly before it was canceled.
Miss Talented Teen New Jersey in Hal Jackson's Talented Teen Competition. She went on to compete in the international pageant in Jamaica and was crowned International Queen in 1985.
Daughter of Dennis D.T. Thomas and Phynjuar.

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