william thomas jr actor deathwilliam thomas jr actor death

Associated Press. William Lipton exiting General Hospital -- but he'll be back by Dan J Kroll Posted Thursday, March 30, 2023 12:17:11 PM General Hospital fans panicked when Cameron Webber announced plans to leave Port Charles. 25 September 2005. Family members linked to this person will appear here. See also PFR HOF Monitor: 36.98 (78th among OLB, average HOF OLB is 103.48). Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. Thomas remained in Our Gang when the series changed production from Hal Roach Studios to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1938.

Such deaths may be tragedies, but they're hardly outside the pale of ordinary human experience. "I didn't care for them a bit. "Even the big stars had to chase around and audition; it seemed like a rat race to me, with no security. William Thomas Jr. William Laughlin ("Froggy"): Appeared in 40 installments. William "Billie" Thomas Jr. (March 12, 1931 October 10, 1980) was an American child actor best remembered for portraying the character of Buckwheat in the Our Gang (Little Rascals) short films from 1934 until the series' end in 1944. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters.

Thomas largely retired from acting following the 1940s. Darla Hood ("Darla"): Appeared in 42 installments. "'Little Rascals' Actor Thomas Bond Dies." Movie credits include Mambo Kings, Bruce Almighty, and Christmas with the Kranks. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Precedent Precedent Multi-Temp; HEAT KING 450; Trucks; Auxiliary Power Units. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. [1] Thomas is buried at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood.[9]. Before he played the Buckwheat character, it was initially played by Carlena Beard, a female actress and the younger sister of Our Gang actor Matthew Beard Jr, who played the character, Stymie.

"Spanky" McFarland discusses Buckwheat in a 1987 appearance, "Scholarship Keeps Controversial Image in the Spotlight: Education: Despite criticism, the son of the actor who played Buckwheat sees grant as a way to preserve his father's legacy", His gang Spanky McFarland remembers his long stint as a `Little Rascal'. Im somewhat dumbfounded by the whole thing, Bill Thomas said Saturday. He was twelve years old when the final Our Gang film, Dancing Romeo, was completed in November 1943. Successful post-Rascals career in television directing and production work. Try again. WebWilliam Thomas Jr. was born on 8 November 1947 in Columbus, Ohio, USA. Thomas was born in Los Angeles, California, on March 12, 1931. This browser does not support getting your location. Mary A. Kornman ("Mary"): Appeared in 41 installments. ", http://articles.latimes.com/1992-11-08/local/me-463_1_buckwheat-sings, His gang Spanky McFarland remembers his long stint as a `Little Rascal', https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1916&dat=19941125&id=JCBJAAAAIBAJ&pg=2840,4123281&hl=en.

In 1990 the ABC program 20/20 (1978) was hoaxed into believing that Billy "Buckwheat" Thomas was alive and working as a grocery bagger in Tempe, Arizona. When Thomas was brought out, he received a spontaneous standing ovation, and was moved to tears. A Diocese; O Bispo; Clero. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 12 March. Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com, An unusually high percentage of the child actors who starred in the, Image Via Photographer uncredited [Public Domain] / Wikimedia Commons, The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang. WebWilliam Thomas Jr. was born on November 8, 1947 in Columbus, Ohio, USA. He made Buckwheat into a stereotype that he wasn't, at the expense of the people in his family who are still alive. Two of the actors (7%) had significant problems with substance abuse (and related crimes).

On November 30, 2012, he died at the age of 62. He died of a stroke at age 56. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. WebWilliam Thomas Courtleigh Jr. (March 8, 1892 March 13, 1918) was an American silent film actor whose career was cut short after he fell victim to the 1918 flu pandemic . "[2], Thomas remained in Our Gang for ten years, appearing in all but one of the shorts, Feed 'em and Weep (due to sickness when Philip Hurlic filled in for him), made from Washee Ironee in 1934 through the series' end in 1944. Thomas was honored at this event along with his Our Gang co-stars. Among those honored, on July 31, were fellow Our Gangers George McFarland, Dorothy DeBorba, Tommy Bond, and Joe Cobb. Successful post-Rascals career as a doctor. From 1991 to 1992, he played Vanessa Huxtable's fianc Dabnis Brickey on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show, during the eighth and final season.[2]. Among those honored were fellow Our Gangers Spanky MacFarland, Dorothy DeBorba, Tommy Bond, and Joe Cobb. William Hurt, the Oscar-winning actor who starred in films like Body Heat, The Big Chill and Broadcast News, has died at the age of 71. Menu. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. "[1] However, Thomas still enjoyed the film industry at large, and had a successful career as a film lab technician with the Technicolor corporation. The Billy "Buckwheat" Thomas Story. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. In 1934, three-year-old Thomas first appeared in Our Gang shorts, including For Petes Sake!, The First Round-Up, and Washee Ironee. EXCLUSIVE: Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Chevalier) and Murray Bartlett (The White Lotus) have closed deals to star opposite Stranger Things breakout Sadie Sink in Searchlight Pictures original rock opera ODessa from Patti Cake$ filmmaker Geremy Jasper. Please try again later. After returning to civilian life, Thomas faced a dilemma shared by many of his co-stars from Our Gang. A small donation would help us keep this available to all. William Thomas Jr. was born on 1947-11-08. WebWilliam Thomas, Sr. was buried in the family cemetery at the homeplace, which was located 2 1/2 miles, south-east of Blewett's Falls. (Executive producer Victor Neufeld) feels indeed there was a lapse in the research done by the production team and we may very well have made a mistake, Ms. Perl said. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. Thomas died Oct. 10, 1980, of a heart attack at age 49, said his son, William Thomas Jr. of Covina, Calif. William Thomas weighed 223 lbs (101 kg) when playing.

Thomass character and costume changed to male in his appearance in the 1936 film, Pay as You Exit. Rumer Willis was spotted running errands with her boyfriend Derek Richard Thomas in Los Angeles on Sunday.. Add to your scrapbook. Director of Operations - South Texas - United Protective Services 2y On October 10, 1980, he suffered a heart attack and died. Died of a heart attack at age 64. Son of Vereen Marshall, and Thelma Edwards.

We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. Thomas was buried at the Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood. Join our linker program. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. Columbus, Ohio, USA Born William Hurley Traylor Jr., he was raised within a traditional working-class family, one of three children born unto an oil businessman, after attaining his degree in theatrical arts from The Actors Studio in New York, New York, he began his Russell Crowe for Master and Commander as Captain Jack Aubrey; Tom Cruise for The Last Samurai Died at age 78. After the Army, I wasn't really interested in the hassle of performing," he explained shortly before his death in 1980. Despite being confronted by McFarland on the television newsmagazine A Current Affair, English refused to retreat from his claim, maintaining that he had originated the role of Buckwheat, with other actors playing the character only after he had left it. Died of cancer at age 57. (? Married billionaire mogul Peter Thiel, whose male model boyfriend Jeff Thomas died after plunging from a Miami high rise last month had a messy Jackie Cooper: Appeared in 32 installments. Though offered many film and stage roles, he had no desire to return to Hollywood as an actor. 20-20 spokeswoman Maurie Perl said Saturday that Thomas obituaries proved English was a fake and the show would apologize during its next broadcast Friday. Was partly of Cherokee Indian ancestry. [5] According to Julia Lee, author of Our Gang: A Racial History of The Little Rascals, Thomas and the others were "considered saviors in many ways" by the black community as the most popular black stars in the United States during the 1920s and 1930s. Died of cancer at age 80. Shot to death at age 31 in a dispute over a $50 debt. After returning to civilian life, Thomas faced a dilemma shared by many of his co-stars from Our Gang.

Successful post-Rascals career as a sales manager with Philco-Ford and a lecturer. The character of Buckwheat in later years became synonymous with the derogatory "pickaninny" stereotype. The series starred several child actors, including Robert Blake and Jackie Cooper. "Even the big stars had to chase around and audition; it seemed like a rat race to me, with no security. He was a native of Los Angeles. Died at age 85. Post-Rascals activities unknown. TriPac (Diesel) TriPac (Battery) Power Management Main Menu. Early years [ edit] Scott Beckett ("Scotty"): Appeared in 15 installments. Mr. Murphy did a very poor imitation. Thomas remained in Our Gang when the series changed production from Hal Roach Studios to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1938. "[11], In 1990, the ABC newsmagazine 20/20 aired a segment featuring a man named Bill English, then a grocery bagger in Arizona, who claimed to be the adult Buckwheat. Thomas was buried at the Inglewood Park Cemetery in William Billie Thomas Jr, William Billie Thomas, http://www.cmgww.com/stars/thomas/biography/; William Billie Thomas Jr, Internet Movie Database, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0858537/bio; William Billie Thomas Jr, Find A Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/1673/william-b-thomas, William "Billie" Thomas Jr. in "The Little Rascals". Padres; Diconos; Seminrio. Webwilliam thomas jr actor death. This information was compiled from Leonard Maltin's book (The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang), the Internet Movie Database (IMDb), and various news accounts: Frankly, the first thing that seems evident from this list is that the Our Gang bunch has been, on average, remarkably long-lived (especially considering that many of the men served in the military during World War II). Successful post-Rascals career as a film laboratory technician. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. 18 March 2005. William Thomas Jr. the younger, went on to graduate from California State Northridge University in 1975, then in 1992, created the Buckwheat Memorial Scholarship for students at Northridge in his honor. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. He departed this world and entered his eternal heavenly home on Wed September 1, 2021 at Baton Rouge General Butterfly Wing. Webhomes for sale in valle del sol, somerton, az. 14 November 2020 The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang. with no security". He was twelve years old when the final Our Gang film, Dancing Romeo, was completed in November 1943. Thomas was survived by his son William Thomas Jr. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Are you sure that you want to delete this flower? ISBN 0-517-58325-9. Todays Highlight in History: He was a native of Los Angeles. [5] According to Julia Lee, author of Our Gang: A Racial History of The Little Rascals, Thomas and the others were "considered saviors in many ways" by the black community as the most popular black stars in the United States during the 1920s and 1930s. Billie Thomas was an African-American child actor who was best-known for appearing in the "Our Gang" film series from 1934 to its end in 1944. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. The reason for the change in appearance was so he could portray, in the 1936 Our Gang feature film General Spanky, a five-year-old slave asking men on a riverboat and, subsequently, shoeshine boy Spanky, "You be my master?". You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Killed at age 16 when his bicycle was hit from behind by a truck. [7], The comedian and comedy actor Eddie Murphy performed a series of Buckwheat sketches on Saturday Night Live during the 1980s when he was a cast member. Noted For: actor; "Buckwheat" in The Little Rascals (1934-44).

Several days were spent touring famous Hollywood attractions, and then the highlight of the gathering took place in the hotel ballroom. William Thomas had 37.0 sacks over his career. The "Buckwheat" character was a female at this time, portrayed by Our Gang kid Matthew "Stymie" Beard's younger sister Carlena in For Pete's Sake!, and by Willie Mae Walton in three other shorts. Wagner, Steven K. "Blake and the 'Our Gang' Curse." Still alive at age 81. William Thomas has never won a Super Bowl. During the first half of his Our Gang tenure, Thomas's Buckwheat character was often paired with Eugene "Porky" Lee as a tag-along team of "little kids" rallying against (and often outsmarting) the "big kids", George "Spanky" McFarland and Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer. On October 10, 1980, ten weeks after his July 31 appearance at the Hilton, Thomas died of a heart attack in his Los Angeles apartment at the age of 49. WebWilliam B Buckwheat Thomas Birth 12 Mar 1931 Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, USA Death 10 Oct 1980 (aged 49) Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, USA Burial Inglewood Park Cemetery Inglewood, Los Angeles County, California, USA Show Map Plot Acacia Slope Plot, Lot 773, Grave D. WebWilliam Thomas Jr. was born on November 8, 1947 in Columbus, Ohio, USA.

After Stymie's departure from the series later in 1935, the Buckwheat character slowly morphed into a boy, first referred to definitively as a "he" in 1936's The Pinch Singer. "Buckwheat actor's son sues ABC over phony", The Sons of the Desert Convention/Our Gang Reunion, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Billie_%22Buckwheat%22_Thomas&oldid=1147111594, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 28 March 2023, at 22:43. Actor In 1990, William was featured in the role of Detective William Potts on the ABC series "Cop Rock" during the musical-drama series' short duration. Worked at playing bit parts in film and television, tending bar, and serving as a hunting guide. There are 272 days left in the year. Thomas also appeared on The Bold and the Beautiful in 2005 as an INS agent. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. We have estimated Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. William Thomas played 172 games over his career. Robert E. Hutchins ("Wheezer"): Appeared in 58 installments. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. The fallout from this incident included the resignation of a 20/20 producer[9] and a negligence lawsuit filed by the son of William Thomas.[10]. This article about an Ohioan is a stub. [4] Later, during the 1950s and 60s, the NAACP fought against the tired and demeaning racial stereotypes and moved to have the television series ended.[4][5]. [1], At "Hollywood 80", the second annual meeting of The Sons of the Desert, from July 30 to August 3, 1980, more than 500 fans gathered at the Los Angeles Hilton Hotel. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Wednesday, April 5, 2:31PM. Jay R. Smith ("Jay"): Appeared in 36 installments. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. Although the Buckwheat character remained female, Thomas played it dressed as a Topsy-esque image of the stereotypical African American pickaninny with bowed pigtails, a large hand-me-down sweater, and oversized boots. There was an error deleting this problem. Thomas began appearing as "Buckwheat" with 1935's Mama's Little Pirate. Before coming to Hollywood, he appeared on Broadway in Godspell, Your Arms Are Too Short to Box with God, and as Jacob in the original production of La Cage aux Folles. Equipe de formadores Courtesy Dennis Amith under Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license, African American History: Research Guides & Websites, Global African History: Research Guides & Websites, African American Scientists and Technicians of the Manhattan Project, Envoys, Diplomatic Ministers, & Ambassadors, Foundation, Organization, and Corporate Supporters. Despite Thomas's being a male, the Buckwheat character remained a femaledressed as a Topsy-esque image of the African-American "pickaninny" stereotype with bowed pigtails, a large hand-me-down sweater and oversized boots. WebOn October 10, 1980, ten weeks after his July 31 appearance at the Hilton, Thomas died of a heart attack in his Los Angeles apartment at the age of 49, forty-six years to the day William Thomas was born on August 13, 1968. Do you have a blog? WebPrimary Navigation Menu. His costume included overalls, a striped shirt, oversized shoes, and a giant unkempt Afro.

Roles: Try again later. WILLIAM THOMAS OBITUARY. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. William Donald Potts on Steven Bochco's widely panned 1990 ABC musical-drama Cop Rock. Though offered many film and stage roles, he had no desire to return to Hollywood as an actor: After the Army, I wasn't really interested in the hassle of performing," he explained shortly before his death in 1980. Prior to his work on The Cosby Show, Thomas portrayed Cool Charles on the critically acclaimed but short-lived 1987-1988 CBS comedy-drama Frank's Place, which starred Tim Reid and his wife Daphne Maxwell Reid. You can always change this later in your Account settings. WebBillie 'Buckwheat' Thomas (William Thomas Jr.) was born on 12 March, 1931 in Los Angeles, California, USA, is an Actor, Soundtrack. Date of Death: October 10, 1980 Place of Death: Los Angeles, California First Short: For Pete's Sake Last Short: Tale Of A Dog Number of Shorts: 92 History: William Thomas Jr. was the only son of William Thomas Sr., a janitor at the Wilton Apartment Building in Hollywood, California. WebActor. He is a member of famous Actor with the age 49 years old group. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. William "Billie" Thomas Jr. (March 12, 1931 October 10, 1980) was an American child actor best remembered for portraying the character of Buckwheat in the Our Gang (Little Rascals) short films from 1934 until the series' end in 1944.

Sorry! Set in a post-apocalyptic future, Both Buckwheat and Porky spoke in "garbled dialogue" and pronounced "OK" as "O-tay! Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive?

Trailer. Military Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. McLellan, Dennis. William Thomas, Jr. was an actor best known for his portrayal of Dabnis Brickey, the fianc of Vanessa Huxtable, on NBC's "The Cosby Show", during the show's eighth and final season. Please reset your password. 55% of the actors are still alive or lived to be at least 72 years old. The elder Thomas appeared in 89 Our Gang films, starting in 1934 - when he was 3 years old - until the series ended in 1944. Discover Billie 'Buckwheat' Thomas's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. [3][4] However, the work of Thomas and the other black cast members as actors is credited with helping the cause of race relations by playing alongside white children as equals in a desegregated show during the height of the Jim Crow Era. Continued to work in show business in his post-Rascals career, then entered the engineering field and largely dropped out of sight after moving to Africa. Before we launch into specifics, let's briefly run down the lives of the 29 child actors who were regulars (i.e., appeared in fifteen or more installments) of the 221 Our Gang comedies (also known as The Little Rascals) produced between 1922 and 1944. Maltin reports rumors that he was working in a bank or had become a surgeon; IMDb lists him as dying in 1969 at age 46; other sources claim he is still alive but denies being a former Little Rascal. William began his professional acting career on Broadway during the 1970s, appearing in the musical "Godspell" (1971) and in the original production of "La Cage aux Folles" (1983).

Billie Thomas first appeared in the 1934 Our Gang shorts For Pete's Sake!, The First Round-Up, and Washee Ironee as a background player. By March 29, 2023 No Comments 1 Min Read.