Background
Mr. Thomas was born in St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada, on May 20, 1949. He is a son of Jonathan and Moreen Thomas.
Mr. Thomas was born in St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada, on May 20, 1949. He is a son of Jonathan and Moreen Thomas.
Dave Thomas was a student at McMaster University, from which he graduated with Bachelor of Arts (with honors) in 1972 and Master of Arts in 1973.
Mr. Thomas acted as a comedian, actor and screenwriter since 1976. Prior to 1976 he worked as a copywriter for an advertising agency. Dave Thomas also worked in a comedy team, with Rick Moranis, as the McKenzie Brothers. He appeared in television series and specials, including Second City Television, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), 1977-1981; SCTV Network 90, National Broadcasting Company (NBC); The New Show, NBC, 1984; Saturday Night Live, NBC; The Canadian Conspiracy, HBO, 1986; Comic Relief, HBO, 1986; Boris and Natasha, Showtime, 1988; The Dave Thomas Comedy Show, Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), 1990; Maniac Mansion, 1990; The Larry Sanders Show, HBO, 1992; Grace under Fire, American Broadcasting Companies (ABC), 1993; and John Candy: A Tribute, Arts and Entertainment, 1995.
Dave Thomas appeared in television movies, including Bionic Ever After?, 1994; Derby, ABC, 1995; Picture Perfect, ABC, 1995; and Kidz in the Wood, NBC, 1996. He also appeared in films, including Stripes, Columbia, 1981; Strange Brew, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)/United Artists (UA), 1983; Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird, Warner Bros., 1985; My Man Adam, TriStar, 1986; Burning Love, DeLaurentiis Entertainment Group, 1987; Moving, Warner Bros., 1987; and Coneheads, Paramount, 1993. Dave Thomas was a director of films, including Strange Brew, MGM/UA, 1983, and The Experts, Paramount, 1989.
Mr. Thomas was a producer of television shows, including Steel Collar Man (pilot), 1985; "Dave Thomas: The Incredible Time Travels of Henry Osgood," Showtime Comedy Spotlight, 1986; "B-Men," CBS Summer Playhouse, 1989; The Dave Thomas Comedy Show (series), 1990; The New America’s Funniest People (series), 1990; and Inside America’s Totally Unsolved Lifestyles (special), 1992. He was an executive producer and creator of Family Challenge (series), Family Challenge, 1995.
Dave Thomas co-starred in the Paramount feature Rat Race. As of 2001, Mr. Thomas has been the Executive Creative Director of Animax Entertainment, an animation studio based officially in Culver City, California. In 2003, he directed a hospital comedy feature film entitled Whitecoats, which he also wrote. In 2004, he and Moranis reprised the voices of the McKenzie Brothers in Disney's animated feature Brother Bear.
In 2007, Mr. Thomas and Rick Moranis reprised their roles as Bob and Doug McKenzie in a one-hour special "Bob & Doug McKenzie's Two-Four Anniversary" for CBC Television. In 2010 Animax continued to produce branded entertainment, advertising and digital shorts for corporations like Disney, Warner Brothers, NBC Universal, and Kodak. In 2011, Mr. Thomas' company Animax produced another animated show for MTV entitled Big Box along with numerous Internet shorts such as Life With Dad.
In 2012 and 2013 Mr. Thomas guest starred in the dramatic shows Perception and Bones as well as comedy shows Comedy Bang! Bang! and How I Met Your Mother. Dave Thomas joined the writing staff of the Fox crime drama television series Bones beginning in 2013. Mr. Thomas worked for two seasons on Bones, writing several episodes and working on staff as consulting producer for two seasons.
In 2015 he joined the writing staff of NBC's The Blacklist as a consulting producer.
Dave Thomas married Pamela Roberts, but the couple later divorced. Then he married Kimberly Ann Thomas. He has three children: Johnathan Michael, Emily Samantha, Harry.