What is Richard Thomas's Net Worth?
Richard Thomas is an American actor who has a net worth of $6 million. Richard Thomas is best known for his Emmy Award-winning role as John-Boy Walton on the historical drama television series "The Waltons." He has appeared on many other shows in the decades since, notably "The Adventures of Swiss Family Robinson" and the period spy series "The Americans." From 2013 to 2016 He appeared in 41 episodes of "The Americans" between 2013 and 2016. Thomas has also been in a plethora of films, both on television and on the big screen, with credits including "Last Summer," "Red Sky at Morning," "Wonder Boys," and "The Unforgivable."
Early Life and Education
Richard Thomas was born on June 13, 1951 in New York City to dancers and educators Barbara Fallis and Richard Scott Thomas, founders of the New York School of Ballet. As a young adult, he went to Columbia University, where he first majored in Chinese before switching to English. Thomas ultimately dropped out of Columbia after landing his role on "The Waltons."
Television in the 50s and 60s
Thomas made his television debut as a child in 1959, appearing in the TV movie "A Doll's House." A couple years after that, he made appearances on many different shows, including "Way Out," "The Defenders," and "Great Ghost Tales," and had his first starring role, albeit as himself, on the children's series "1, 2, 3 Go!" Over the remainder of the 60s, Thomas made guest appearances on the soap operas "A Flame in the Wind" and "As the World Turns." He also showed up in an episode of the Canadian series "Seaway."
The Waltons
Thomas rose to international fame in 1972 when he began playing John-Boy Walton, the eldest of the Walton children, on the historical drama series "The Waltons." He starred alongside Ralph Waite, Michael Learned, Will Geer, Jon Walmsley, Judy Norton Taylor, and Eric Scott, among others in the large cast. For his work on the show, Thomas won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. He remained in his role for the first five seasons of "The Waltons," leaving in early 1977. Thomas later reprised his role in three "Waltons" television films in the 90s: "A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion," "A Walton Wedding," and "A Walton Easter."
Further Television Career
While still on "The Waltons," Thomas appeared in the television films "The Red Badge of Courage" and "The Silence." After leaving "The Waltons," he was in the television films "Getting Married" and "All Quiet on the Western Front," as well as the miniseries "Roots: The Next Generations." Thomas spent most of the 80s starring in television films, with notable credits including "Living Proof: The Hank Williams Jr. Story," "The Master of Ballantrae," "Final Jeopardy," and "Glory! Glory!" Kicking off the 90s, Thomas starred in the television film "Andre's Mother" and the two-part miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's "It." Several more television films followed, including "A Thousand Heroes," "I Can Make You Love Me," "Linda," "Death in Small Doses," and "The Christmas Box." Thomas also appeared in episodes of the series "The Invaders," "Promised Land," and "Touched by an Angel." Closing out the 90s, he starred on "The Adventures of Swiss Family Robinson" and began hosting "It's a Miracle."
Thomas began the new millennium with starring roles in the television films "In the Name of the People" and "The Christmas Secret." From 2002 to 2003, he had a leading role on the Canadian legal drama series "Just Cause." Thomas didn't appear often on the small screen in the years after that; his few credits included episodes of "Nightmares & Dreamscapes," "Law & Order," and "Rizzoli & Isles." He returned in 2013 to join the cast of the period spy series "The Americans," playing FBI special agent Frank Gaad. During his time on that show through 2016, Thomas made guest appearances in episodes of "White Collar," "The Good Wife," and "Elementary," among other series. He was subsequently in three episodes of "Billions" and two episodes of "NCIS: New Orleans." In 2021, Thomas had a recurring role on the thriller series "Tell Me Your Secrets." He had another recurring role the next year, playing Nathan Davis in the fourth and final season of the crime drama series "Ozark."
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Film Career
Thomas first appeared on the big screen in 1969, when he was in two films: the car racing drama "Winning" and the teen drama "Last Summer." A couple years after that, he starred in "Red Sky at Morning" and "The Todd Killings." Next came "You'll Like My Mother," in which Thomas played against type as a rapist and murderer. Later in the 70s, he starred in "September 30, 1955."
Thomas's only theatrical film credit in the 80s was the space opera "Battle Beyond the Stars." After not appearing on the big screen in the 90s, he returned in 2000 with a role in Curtis Hanson's "Wonder Boys." Thomas's other film credits have included "Taking Woodstock," "Anesthesia," and "The Unforgivable."
Stage Career
Thomas has also been prolific on the stage. He made his Broadway debut when he was only seven in the play "Sunrise at Campobello." Thomas returned to Broadway as an adult in 1980 as a replacement in the play "Fifth of July." Later in the decade, he starred in the one-man show "Citizen Tom Paine" in Philadelphia and Washington, DC. In the 90s, Thomas starred in Terrence McNally's "The Lisbon Traviata" in Los Angeles and Shakespeare's "Richard II" in DC.
In the early 00s, Thomas appeared in the West End production of "Art" alongside Judd Hirsch. Back in New York, he was in productions of "As You Like It," "Democracy," and "The Stendhal Syndrome." In 2006, Thomas began touring with the play "Twelve Angry Men." Closing out the decade, he appeared in David Mamet's Broadway play "Race." His other theatrical credits have included "Timon of Athens," "The Little Foxes," and "To Kill a Mockingbird." For his work in "The Little Foxes," a Broadway revival, he earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Play in 2017.
Personal Life
Thomas married his first wife, Alma Gonzales, in 1975. They had a son named Richard and triplet daughters named Pilar, Barbara, and Gwyneth before divorcing in 1993. Thomas subsequently wed Georgiana Bischoff in 1994. Together, they have a son named Montana, plus two daughters, Brooke and Kendra, from Bischoff's prior marriages.
Real Estate
In 1995 Richard and Georgina paid $600,000 for a home in LA's Los Feliz neighborhood. They sold this property in June 2004 for $1.765 million.
In July 2004 Richard and Georgina paid $1.55 million for a 1,600 square foot apartment in the Alwyn Court building in New York City. They listed this apartment for sale in September 2017 for $3 million. They sold it October 2021 for $1.85 million. They now live primarily in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
