Who is Ernest Lee Thomas?
Ernest Lee Thomas is an American citizen and was born on March 26, 1949, in Gary, Indiana, under the sign of the Ram. In the comedy series “What’s Happening,” which also starred Haywood Nelson and Danielle Spencer and was about three young black guys learning about topics like gambling, love, and friends as they grow up, he played the role of the main character Roger “Raj” Thomas. The show ran from 1976 through 1979 and was nominated for three other awards while only winning one.
Why Did His Eye Change?
Ernest Lee Thomas was born with amblyopia, often known as the lazy eye ailment, which causes one eye to have impaired vision because the brain prefers to “listen to” one eye over the other.
Childhood, Family, And Education
Ernest Lee Thomas (pinterest)Ernest was reared by his mother, a homemaker, and his father, a teacher at a nearby high school, as an only child in Gary. While in high school, he developed an interest in acting and joined the theatre club; nonetheless, his parents advised him to focus on his studies. Ernest played basketball and soccer, thus he was also interested in sports. He graduated in 1967, matriculated in Indiana State University, and earned a Bachelor of Science in sociology and psychology there in 1971.
Ernest enrolled at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York after deciding to concentrate on his acting career, and in 1974 he graduated from the school.
Television Show Roles
We are about to list a few of Ernest’s most illustrious performances from the roughly 60 films and TV shows he has appeared in.
Ernest made his first appearance on a television program in 1975 when he was chosen to play Ronnie Walker in the comedy “The Jeffersons” episode “George Won’t Talk,” which also starred Isabel Sanford, Sherman Hemsley, and Maria Gibbs. The show was a huge success, garnering six awards and being nominated for 31 others, including eight Golden Globes.
Ernest continued to make cameo appearances in a variety of series, including the criminal mystery drama “Baretta” in 1976, the miniseries “Roots” about American history in 1977, and the comedy “The Righteous Apples” in 1980. He was asked to take part in two episodes of the 1990 crime drama “In the Heat of the Night,” but the appearances were not given to him. He played the Waiter in the sitcom “The Parent ‘Hood” episode “Clothes Call” from 1996.
Following that, Ernest made appearances in a couple of episodes of the romantic comedy-drama “Martin” in 1996, the drama “Soul Food episode “‘s “Man Trouble,” and two episodes of the comedy “The Steve Harvey Show,” all of which were shown in 2000.
He made an episode of the family comedy series “All About the Andersons” in 2004. He also guests starred in the comedic family drama series “Just Jordan” in the episode “Practice What You Preach.”
In the critically acclaimed comedy-drama “Everybody Hates Chris,” which also starred Terry Crews, Tichina Arnold, and Tequan Richmond and was about an African-American teen living in a dysfunctional family, Ernest gained notoriety in 2005 after playing Mr. Omar in 34 episodes. The series won seven awards and was nominated for 51 others, including a Golden Globe. Ernest’s first role occurred in 2009 when he appeared as Principal Andrews in two episodes of the comedy miniseries “Yo Teach!” His next job came in 2014 when he was asked to play Olivier in the drama’s namesake episode “Anonymous.”
He resumed his acting career in full force in 2016 when he made appearances in the comedies “In the Cut” and “Presence,” and in 2017 he guest starred in a single episode of the comedies “Workaholics” and “Veep.”
In three of his most recent TV appearances, Ernest appeared in the following episodes: the chat show “Mandell & Friends” episode from 2017, the drama “The Chosen Ones” pilot from 2018, and the talk show “The Mike & Donny Show: Being Black in Hollywood” single episode from 2020.
Movies’ Parts
When Ernest was chosen to play John in the crime comedy “A Piece of the Action,” which starred Bill Cosby, Sidney Poitier, and James Earl Jones and was about two thieves named Dave Anderson and Manny Durrell who are currently being investigated by a retired detective, he made his debut in cinema in 1977.
Nine years later, in 1986, Ernest played Roger ‘Raj’ Thomas in the comedy “That’s My Mama Now!” He then went on to make several other notable film appearances, including 1992’s “Malcolm X,” 1993’s “Kiss and Be Killed,” and 2003’s “Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star.”
In the suspense thriller “Paroled,” written and directed by Sal Martino and starring Tate Allyn, Candy Ann Brow, and Spider Loc, he played the supporting role of Royce Henderson. The plot centers on a felon who has been granted parole and must now live with an odd elderly couple who intend to kill him.
In the comedy-drama “Funny People,” starring Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen, Ernest played the Yo Teach Principal. Three years later, he made an uncredited appearance in the horror film “The Lords of Salem.” He voiced Roger Omar in the 2013 short action crime thriller “Ms. 3 pm,” Alain Matz’s 2014 short “The Great Central Valley Taco Tour,” and the 2015 action adventure comedy “Mega Shark vs. Kolossus,” which has largely garnered negative reviews.
Ernest received a nomination for Best Actor at the Sanford International Film Festival in 2016 for his work in the Tara Price-written and -directed short horror/science fiction film “Earworm.”
Following his portrayal of Olympus in the romantic action thriller “The Gods” in 2017, he went on to appear in three further films, three of which were released in 2019: “Loved to Death,” “79 Parts: Director’s Cut,” and “The Gods 2.”
In addition to recently being cast in five further future films, including the dramas “The Truth” and “Chocolate City 3: Live Tour” as well as the musical “The Gospel Truth,” Ernest recently wrapped up filming for the upcoming drama “Two Wolves.”
Relationship Status
Ernest is very private about his relationships, and despite his occasional quips about having a love child, he has never given birth to any offspring.
There are rumors that he has been engaged more than five times to different women. Some even claim that Ernest once had a wife and that the marriage lasted for about two months before the two realized it wasn’t working out. He has been engaged several times, but the women typically left him while he occasionally left them.
Ernest hasn’t responded to recent reports that he was spotted walking hand in hand with an elderly woman, and because there is no evidence to back up these claims, it is safe to assume that he is still unmarried, never got married, and never had kids as of September 2020.
Activities And Other Passions
Ernest is a devout Christian, a strong believer, and a generous philanthropist who has donated money to several charitable organizations, primarily those that support disadvantaged children and war veterans.
He has participated in several nonviolent protests and is a supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement. Ernest dislikes weapons and opposes the law allowing both men and women to own them.
In his 20s, 30s, and 40s, he took pleasure in traveling, visiting nearly all the US states and various places in Europe, including England, France, and Germany.
Russell Crowe, Tom Hanks, and Natalie Portman are a few of his favorite actors and actresses, and “The Gladiator,” “Robin Hood,” and “The Terminal” are some of his favorite films.
Net Worth
Ernest Lee Thomas (pinterest)Ernest is 71 years old. He stands 5 feet 8 inches (1.73 meters) tall, has brown eyes, and short gray hair, and weighs about 145 lbs (66kgs).
Ernest’s projected net worth as of September 2020 is greater than $500,000.