Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, September 25, 1993 TAG: 9309250296
SECTION: SPECTATOR PAGE: S-14 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LYNN ELBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: LOS ANGELES LENGTH: Medium
"I'm looking out a condo window at 10,000 feet of mountain," the relaxed-sounding actor said in a telephone interview. "We're up here hiking and changing diapers and stuff."
He's just as happy with the view at "Love & War," which has undergone major changes in its second year. Susan Dey, Thomas' romantic foil in the first year, is gone, replaced by "Designing Women" alumnus Annie Potts.
Dey left amid a swirl of rumors. Some reports said she was unhappy with the switch from "L.A. Law"-like drama to a sitcom; others said the chemistry between Dey and Thomas wasn't working.
Thomas, who declines to look back, says he's pleased with the new pairing. The series returned in its 9:30 p.m. Monday time slot Sept. 20 (on WDBJ-Channel 7 in the Roanoke viewing area).
"Annie is a real pistol," says Thomas. "The show looks terrific. I'm almost scared to say how good it looks - I don't want to jinx it."
Viewers learned that Wally Porter (Dey) has dumped Jack Stein (Thomas) with a "Dear Jack" letter, handed over her debt-ridden Manhattan eatery to Abe the bartender and fled to Paris.
"Of course, I've sworn off women from that moment," Thomas says of his hurt, lovesick character. Then in walks Dana Palladino (Potts), the Blue Shamrock's new chef.
"She's very tough, a world traveler. Her dad's a very famous, Jackson Pollock-type of (modern) artist."
So while the two initially clash, expect hints of the romantic chemistry to come, Thomas says. This won't, however, be a quick-let's-fall-into-bed relationship, as with Wally and Jack.
"This is going to be a long tease, I think," Thomas offers.
Also missing are the Jewish-WASP differences that ran through Jack and Wally's romance, echoing the relationship of series creator Diane English and husband Joel Shukovsky (who share executive producing duties).
Thomas says religious tension may resurface, since it's possible the Italian-American Dana is Catholic. And he notes, happily, that Dana's feisty nature gives Jack a chance to regain a little of his tartness.
"I thought the character got a little light last year, for whatever reason," said Thomas. This season's initial episodes show him as "a tougher guy, a more sarcastic guy, with more edge to him."
The series is "just fun. There's a whole different feel. Last year, the restaurant was not doing well and Susan's character was downtrodden." Potts' Dana is a more upbeat character, he says.
Although Thomas and Potts are playing New Yorkers, they actually share Southern roots: she's a Nashville, Ky., native, while Thomas is from New Orleans.
Thomas now lives in the Los Angeles area with his wife, Sally, and sons Sam, 2, and Jake, 6 months.
He admires his hometown more than ever, but as a young man he was itching to escape.
"I was very ambitious and wanted to get out of New Orleans," recalls Thomas. "You fish and you hunt and you hang out and you drink and you play sports. I wanted to go where the action was.
"Now when I go back to New Orleans, I'm much more appreciative. I've realized what a great town it is," he said.
Thomas used radio to make his exit, working as a radio disc jockey and station program manager in so many Southern cities that "I had a career like a Piedmont Airlines schedule," he jokes.
He also worked as a comedian and in theater, eventually landing in New York as an actor and a disc jockey. His TV career started in 1979 with a role on "Mork & Mindy," although he continued working in radio.
Thomas' latest radio gig ended abruptly this summer when he was fired as the morning DJ for Los Angeles station KPWR. He has filed suit.
Thomas eventually won TV series roles as Eddie Lebec (barmaid Carla's husband) in "Cheers" and as caustic talk show host Jerry Gold on "Murphy Brown," also a Shukovsky-English production.
"Then Joel and Diane said they wanted me for this TV show. So I got pretty damn lucky," says Thomas.
by CNB