Marlo Thomas

Marlo Thomas is an actress from America, and also a producer and social activist. Margaret Julia 'Marlo' Thomas was born on 21st November 1937 in Detroit, Michigan, US. Her father, Danny Thomas, was a comedian and her mother's name was Rose Marie Cassaniti. Her father was Maronite Lebanese-America and mother was Sicilian American by origin. She was brought up in Beverley Hills, California. She went to Marymount High School in Los Angeles, and she took her teaching degree from the University of Southern California. Loretta Young, an actress, was her godmother. Marlo had a relationship with Herb Gardner and David Geffen before marrying Phil Donahue on 21st May 1980. Marlo appeared on many TV shows including 'Bonanza', 'Ben Casey', 'McHale's Navy' and a few more. In 1965, Mike Nichols cast her in the 'Barefoot in the Park' of London production. Mike again cast her in the year 1986 in the film 'Social Security'. In 1966, she produced her TV series, 'That Girl', and became the only actress after Lucille Ball Lucille Ball took birth on the 6th of August, 1911 >> Read More... to produce her show. 'That Girl' was a story of a girl leaving without her parents and following her dream to become an actress. Thomas played the role of Ann Marie. 'That Girl' aired till the year 1971 completing 136 episodes. After 1971,

Thomas attended Actors Studio and studied under Lee Strasberg and his disciple Sandra Seacat. In 1986, she won the Best Drama Actress Emmy for her role in the TV-movie ' Nobody Click to look into! >> Read More... 's Child'. In 1973, Thomas along with Gloria Steinem, Patricia Carbine and Letty Cottin Pogrebin founded Ms. Foundation for Women; it was the first women's foundation in the US. Thomas has appeared in the films like 'Jenny' (1970), 'In the Spirit' (1990), 'The Real Blonde' (1997), 'Playing Mona Lisa' (2000) and many others. Thomas has also been a writer of six best-selling books namely 'Free to be... You and me', 'Free To Be A Family', 'The Right Words at the Right Time', 'The Right Words at the Right Time: Volume 2-Your turn', 'Thanks and Giving: All Year Long' and her memoir, 'Growing up laughing', which published in 2009. Her father started the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital; Thomas donated all her royalties from CD and book of ‘Thanks and Giving: All Year Long’ in 2004 to the hospital. She is the outreach director of the hospital.

Thomas has received four Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, a Jefferson Award, a George Foster Peabody Award and a Golden Globe Award. In 1996, she received Women in Film Lucy Award for her creative work towards women through television. She was also honored with Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014 by Barack Obama.