QUICK BIO
BIOGRAPHY
Jeffrey Thomas was born in the mining town of Llanelli.
Thomas credits his grandmother with giving him an interest in drama. She took him to amateur productions and to the movies (paid for with sixpences his grandfather earned for cutting hair at the local steelworks)
His first attempt at writing a play came when he was 11, but it was a long time after that he wrote another one.
Thomas left school at 17 and started working as a quantity surveyor; he quit after four years and vowed never to work in an office again.
He then did his A-levels through a community college and attended Liverpool University where he completed a BA in Celtic Studies and English Literature. During his time here, he became interested in drama (Particularly Tom Stoppard) and started writing for, and appearing in, university revues.
Thomas credits his grandmother with giving him an interest in drama. She took him to amateur productions and to the movies (paid for with sixpences his grandfather earned for cutting hair at the local steelworks)
His first attempt at writing a play came when he was 11, but it was a long time after that he wrote another one.
Thomas left school at 17 and started working as a quantity surveyor; he quit after four years and vowed never to work in an office again.
He then did his A-levels through a community college and attended Liverpool University where he completed a BA in Celtic Studies and English Literature. During his time here, he became interested in drama (Particularly Tom Stoppard) and started writing for, and appearing in, university revues.
He then went onto Oxford where he graduated with a Master of Literature; during his time here he met his New Zealand sweetheart. And eventually they got married.
In the early 70’s, the couple relocated to Melbourne, Australia, where Thomas lectured at Latrobe University. He also started acting again to assist his writing. After some years, the couple then moved to Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand. He taught romantic and Victorian poetry for a year. Afterwards, he got into fulltime acting and writing, and starred in productions at Unity, Circa and Downstage.
He came to the attention of pioneering television soap, Close to Home (1978-1980). He worked on the show for 18 months, portraying the genial cockney barman, Gerry.
After some time, he wasn’t enjoying acting and had no interest in being noticed by the public eye. He was also missing the intellectual satisfaction he got from writing in The Auckland Star.
Meanwhile, he continued with his writing for theatre. His first play had been a disaster, and Grant Tilly directed his second to workshop level before telling him it was unworkable. So after a shaky start, his writing for theatre was becoming more successful. He then wrote Playing the Game, which was set in a rugby club. It premiered at Circa, was toured through Wales and staged in London’s West End.
In the early 70’s, the couple relocated to Melbourne, Australia, where Thomas lectured at Latrobe University. He also started acting again to assist his writing. After some years, the couple then moved to Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand. He taught romantic and Victorian poetry for a year. Afterwards, he got into fulltime acting and writing, and starred in productions at Unity, Circa and Downstage.
He came to the attention of pioneering television soap, Close to Home (1978-1980). He worked on the show for 18 months, portraying the genial cockney barman, Gerry.
After some time, he wasn’t enjoying acting and had no interest in being noticed by the public eye. He was also missing the intellectual satisfaction he got from writing in The Auckland Star.
Meanwhile, he continued with his writing for theatre. His first play had been a disaster, and Grant Tilly directed his second to workshop level before telling him it was unworkable. So after a shaky start, his writing for theatre was becoming more successful. He then wrote Playing the Game, which was set in a rugby club. It premiered at Circa, was toured through Wales and staged in London’s West End.
Thomas’s other early television roles included appearances in Loose Enz: Eros and Psyche (1982), and WWII drama, Loose Enz: Coming and Going (1982). He also starred in High Country (1980).
He put his skills to the test and wrote and starred in Stroke (1980). He also wrote and starred in short film, Making Moneborny (1994).
Thomas was a co-winner of the Welsh Academy’s Play for Wales, for his work on Men of Steel.
However, life didn’t imitate art for Thomas. Throughout the 80s he had a very profitable relationship with his homeland after being cast as a former policeman turned private eye in Bowen (1984-1987) - a Welsh language series for BBC Wales which ran for 3 years. Dividing his time between New Zealand and Wales, he also appeared in, or wrote, several other UK telefeatures.
He also wrote two children’s books.
He has been cast in various New Zealand television shows such as Shark in the Park (1988-1991), which rose him to prominence, Mercy Peak (2001-2003), Shortland Street (2004-2005), Outrageous Fortune (2007-2008) and Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (2011) and Blood and Sand (2010).
His distinctive voice can also be heard narrating a large number of documentaries, including his first job with Sir Peter Jackson on his mockumentary, Forgotten Silver (1995).
At times is a reluctant actor as he sought a balance between high profile roles and his writing for stage and screen
He put his skills to the test and wrote and starred in Stroke (1980). He also wrote and starred in short film, Making Moneborny (1994).
Thomas was a co-winner of the Welsh Academy’s Play for Wales, for his work on Men of Steel.
However, life didn’t imitate art for Thomas. Throughout the 80s he had a very profitable relationship with his homeland after being cast as a former policeman turned private eye in Bowen (1984-1987) - a Welsh language series for BBC Wales which ran for 3 years. Dividing his time between New Zealand and Wales, he also appeared in, or wrote, several other UK telefeatures.
He also wrote two children’s books.
He has been cast in various New Zealand television shows such as Shark in the Park (1988-1991), which rose him to prominence, Mercy Peak (2001-2003), Shortland Street (2004-2005), Outrageous Fortune (2007-2008) and Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (2011) and Blood and Sand (2010).
His distinctive voice can also be heard narrating a large number of documentaries, including his first job with Sir Peter Jackson on his mockumentary, Forgotten Silver (1995).
At times is a reluctant actor as he sought a balance between high profile roles and his writing for stage and screen
AWARDS
YEAR
|
WORK
|
AWARD
|
CATEGORY
|
RESULT
|
2003
|
Mercy Peak
|
New Zealand Film and Television Awards
|
Best Actor
|
WON
|
MOST NOTABLE MILESTONES
1976:
1977: 1979: 1980: 1981: 1989: 1994: 1995: 2001: 2003: 2004: 2007-2008: 2011: 2012: 2014: 2015: |
Moved to Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand where he taught romantic and Victorian poetry for a year
Became a full time actor and writer The life of a fulltime TV actor had become dull. Thomas had no interest in being a public figure and confessed to running away the first time he was recognized in a shop. Thomas combined writing and acting in Stroke - a TV drama about a rower making one last attempt to compete at the Olympics. As well as writing the screenplay, Thomas took the lead role and drew on his rowing experiences at Oxford. Stroke was timed to coincide with the Moscow Olympics but the United States-led boycott, and withdrawal of New Zealand’s official team, caused some last minute rewriting and reshooting. Thomas was a co-winner of the Welsh Academy’s Play for Wales competition. His entry Men of Steel told the story of a young man returning from New Zealand to his hometown, to find decay and despair with the closing of the steelworks. He was cast in the title role of new inspector Brian “Sharkey” Finn” in Wellington-based police drama Shark in the Park, which ran for three years. He wrote and directed his first short film Making Moneborny. Worked with Sir Peter Jackson for the first time as the narrator for his mockumentary, Forgotten Silver. Thomas appeared in Mercy Peak as Dr William Kingsley. Won Best Actor at the New Zealand Film and Television Awards for his work on Mercy Peak Spent two years on Shortland Street as Ian Jeffries He played the lecherous Vern Gardiner on Outrageous Fortune. Portrayed Titus in Spartacus: Gods of the Arena Once again, portrayed Titus is Spartacus: War of the Damned Portrayed a Union Officer in Slow West, which is currently in post-production Portrayed Scott Cameron in The Dead Room, which is currently in post-production |
JEFFREY THOMAS PORTRAYS:
THRÓR
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