Richard Earl Thomas, an American actor, was born on June 13, 1951 in Manhattan, the son of Barbara (née Fallis) and Richard S. Thomas. His parents were dancers with the New York City Ballet and owned the New York School of Ballet. Richard has a younger brother Bronwyn Thomas. He attended The Allen Stevenson School and the McBurney School in Manhattan. Thomas was seven when he made his Broadway debut in Sunrise at Campobello (1958) playing John Roosevelt, son of future U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He is best known as budding author John-Boy Walton in the CBS drama The Waltons. During his career, Thomas won an Emmy Award, and received nominations for another Emmy Award and two Golden Globe Awards.

Filmography

• 2021Christmas vs The Walters — Roger
• 2021The Ice Road — Stunts
• 2021The Unforgivable — Michael Malcolm
• The Comey Rule — Chuck Rosenberg
• 2018The Price for Silence — Richard Davenport
• Ozark — Nathan Davis
• 2016Anesthesia — Mr. Werth
• Billions — Sanford Bensinger
• Conviction — Earl Slavitt
• Chicago P.D. — Adam Ames
• NCIS: New Orleans — Ezra Van Cleef
• The Americans — Frank Gaad
• The Blacklist — David Foy
• Elementary — Mitch Barrett
• 2012The Music Teacher — Ray
• 2011Time After Time
• Blue Bloods — Richard Walters
• Rizzoli & Isles — Prof. Dwayne Kravitz
• 2009Taking Woodstock — Don
• The Good Wife — Ed Pratt
• White Collar — William Wolcott
• 2008The Lazarus Project — Cop #2
• Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King — Howard Cottrell
• 2006Sweet Tornado: Margo Jones and the American Theater — Tennessee Williams
• 2006Wild Hearts — Bob
• 2005Annie's Point — Richard Eason
• Century City — Dr. Brezak
• 2002Anna's Dream — Rod Morgan
• 2002Beyond the Prairie, Part 2: The True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder Continues — Charles Ingalls
• Just Cause
• 2002Wishmaster: The Prophecy Fulfilled — Stunt Double
• 2001The Miracle of the Cards — Dr. Neal Kassell
• 2000In the Name of the People — Jack Murphy
• 2000The Christmas Secret — Jerry McNeil
• 2000The Million Dollar Kid — Ted Hunter
• 2000Wonder Boys — Walter Gaskell
• 1999Beyond the Prairie: The True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder — Charles Ingalls
• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — Nat Randolph, Daniel Varney
• 1998Big and Hairy — Victor Dewlap
• It's a Miracle
• The Adventures of Swiss Family Robinson — David Robinson
• 1997A Thousand Men and a Baby — Dr. Hugh Bud Keenan
• 1997A Walton Easter — John-Boy Walton
• 1997Flood: A River's Rampage — Herb Dellenbach
• 1997Riding the Rails — Narrator
• The Practice — Walter 'The Hummer' Arens
• Promised Land — Joe Greene
• 1996Timepiece — Richard Evans
• 1996What Love Sees — Gordon Holly
• 1995A Walton Wedding — John-Boy Walton
• 1995Death in Small Doses — Richard Lyon
• 1995Down, Out and Dangerous — Tim Willows
• 1995The Christmas Box — Richard Evans
• 1995The Invaders — Jerry Thayer
• The Invaders — Jerry Thayer
• The Outer Limits — Dr. Stephen Ledbetter
• 1994To Save the Children — David Young
• Touched by an Angel — Joe Greene
• 1993A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion — John-Boy Walton
• Dave's World — Richard Thomas
• 1993I Can Make You Love Me — Richard Farley
• 1993Linda — Paul Cowley
• 1993Precious Victims — Don Weber
• 1992Crash Landing: The Rescue of Flight 232 — Gary Brown
• 1992Lincoln — John Hay (voice)
• 1991Mission of the Shark: The Saga of the U.S.S. Indianapolis — Lieutenant Steven Scott
• 1991Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus — James O'Hanlan
• 1990Andre's Mother — Cal
• 1990Common Ground — Colin Diver
• It — Bill Denbrough
• Law & Order — Roger Jenkins
• 1990The Easter Story — Mark (voice)
• 1989Glory! Glory! — Rev. Bobby Joe
• Tales from the Crypt — Dr. Trask
• American Experience — Narrator (voice)
• 1988Go Toward the Light — Greg Madison
• 1985Final Jeopardy — Marty Campbell
• 1984The Master of Ballantrae — Henry Durie
• 1983Hobson's Choice — Will Mossup
• 1983Living Proof: The Hank Williams Jr. Story — Hank Williams, Jr., Executive Producer
• American Playhouse — Kenneth Talley Jr., Cal Porter
• 1982Barefoot In the Park — Paul Bratter
• 1982Fifth of July — Kenneth Talley Jr.
• 1982Johnny Belinda — William Richmond
• Nature — Narrator (voice)
• 1981Berlin Tunnel 21 — Sandy Mueller
• 1980Battle Beyond the Stars — Shad
• 1980To Find My Son — David Benjamin
• 1979All Quiet on the Western Front — Paul Bäumer
• 1979No Other Love — Andrew Madison
• Roots: The Next Generations — Jim Warner
• 1978Getting Married — Michael Carboni
• 1977September 30, 1955 — Jimmy J.
• 1975The Silence — Cadet James Pelosi
• 1974The Red Badge of Courage — Pvt. Henry Fleming
• The Waltons — John Walton Jr., Director
• 1972You'll Like My Mother — Kenny
• 1971Cactus in the Snow — Harley MacIntosh
• 1971Red Sky at Morning — Joshua Arnold
• 1971The Homecoming: A Christmas Story — John-Boy Walton
• 1971The Todd Killings — Billy Roy
• Night Gallery — Ian Evans
• 1969Last Summer — Peter
• Marcus Welby, M.D. — Dennis Alan Graham
• 1969Winning — Charley Capua
• The F.B.I. — John 'Chill' Chilton
• 1961Give Us Barabbas! — Junge
• 1959A Doll's House — Ivor
• Bonanza — Billy
• 1958The Christmas Tree — Joey
• Hallmark Hall of Fame — Joey, Paul Baumer, Henry Durie, Ivor, The Boy

Appearances as themselves (18)

• 2022A Waltons Thanksgiving — Self - Narrator (voice)
• 2021Pennywise: The Story of ‘It’ — Himself
• 2021The Waltons' Homecoming — Self - Narrator
• 2020Christmas Day in the Morning — Self
• 2018Every Act of Life — Self
• 2008Beyond a Reasonable Doubt: Making '12 Angry Men' — Self
• 2005Sacred Stage: The Mariinsky Theater — Self - Narrator
• The Tony Danza Show — Self - Guest
• 1985Night of 100 Stars II — Self
• Dinah! — Self
• The American Film Institute Salute to ... — Self
• The Merv Griffin Show — Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson — Self
• 1, 2, 3 Go — Himself
• The Mike Douglas Show — Self - Co-Host
• Tony Awards — Self - Performer, Self - Presenter, Self - Nominee
• Golden Globe Awards — Self - Presenter
• Broadway: The Next Generation — Self