成人X站

50 years ago, he was the star of the No. 1 TV show in the country. Today, he鈥檚 the lead of the most talked-about national Broadway touring show in the U.S. 鈥� with October performances .

In between his highly recognizable work on TV dramas and Broadway, Richard Thomas 鈥� who made dream-driven John-Boy a household name on 鈥淭he Waltons鈥� for nine seasons on CBS starting in the early 1970s 鈥� also made a daytime game show guest appearance on 鈥淢atch Game 鈥�73.鈥�

Thomas, Dori pointed out, is a rare performer: He has never been out of work.

From his 1990s TV mini-series adaptation of Stephen King’s epic horror novel 鈥淚t,鈥� to some of the most recognized series of the 2000s, Thomas owns some of the most diverse characters on TV over the past five decades.

He has been FBI special agent Frank Gaad on FX network鈥檚 Emmy award-winning spy-thriller 鈥淭he Americans,鈥� depicting the Cold War era of the early 1980s. More recently, he played psychological games with his on-screen drug money-laundering daughter Wendy Byrde as her father on Netflix’s multi-Emmy-winning crime drama 鈥淥zark鈥� from 2017-2022.

And now, Thomas, 71, is coming to Seattle鈥檚 Paramount Theatre as 鈥淎tticus Finch鈥� in Aaron Sorkin鈥檚 acclaimed adaptation of 鈥淭o Kill a Mockingbird鈥� from Oct. 11-16.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 not a bad pair of bookends,鈥� Dori told Thomas, whose Broadway career started in 1958 when he was just 7 years old.

鈥淚 hadn鈥檛 thought about it that way,鈥� Thomas responded with a laugh. 鈥淵ou made my day.鈥�

鈥淭he Waltons鈥�

When Dori recalled his own Thursday night devotion to 鈥淭he Waltons,鈥� depicting a tight-knit, Depression-era rural Virginia family, Thomas reflected on the long-reaching impact the close family scenes still have on him.

鈥淭hese are the stories I most love to hear,鈥� said Thomas, who won an Emmy for his role as the aspiring writer and eldest of seven siblings. When fans tell him, 鈥�’I have memories watching it with my grandma and grandpa’ 鈥� they mean the most to me.鈥�

Scenes where the series鈥� ensemble cast 鈥� often set at the multi-generational family鈥檚 kitchen table 鈥� 鈥渁re very special. We became such a family over the years. It really was like a big family. I think those scenes were the heart of the show.鈥� Surviving cast members, added, 鈥渟tay in touch. It鈥檚 very, very heartening.鈥�

After that series ended, Thomas spoke of his transition from 鈥淭he Waltons鈥� to other adult roles with a high level of respect for viewers.

鈥淎t first, you want to say ‘I鈥檓 out of here and I want everybody else to be out of here with me,’鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 an unrealistic expectation.鈥�

Instead, Thomas said he adopted a different attitude.

鈥淚 was lucky enough to find a role the entire country, the entire world 鈥� there were three networks, and it was all over the world at the time, so it wasn鈥檛 just the United States鈥� connected with, the veteran actor said. 鈥淚f you are lucky enough to land a role with that kind of identification, the price you pay will be that people will remember you for that.鈥�

Taking dramatically different roles has allowed him to avoid typecasting, Thomas continued.

鈥淵ou just have to play the long game with it, and eventually things kind of even out 鈥� but there鈥檚 always going to be a special connection with the first big success and it鈥檚 a blessing,鈥� he added.

Relaxed and comfortable with a ready laugh, Thomas joked back when Dori recalled the actor鈥檚 1973 appearance on the popular 鈥淢atch Game鈥� daytime game show.

鈥淚 watched an episode on YouTube and you鈥檙e in a bow tie and plaid jacket,鈥� Dori said.

鈥淥h, my God 鈥� that jacket! Well, it was the 鈥�70s,鈥� Thomas laughed.

Roles in the 1990s and 2000s

What then, Dori asked, does it take for shows to break out with success 鈥� including Thomas鈥� role in 鈥淭he Americans鈥� decades later?

鈥淭hat鈥檚 a mystery,鈥� Thomas said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to break it down into one thing.鈥�

One element of a show鈥檚 success, he believes, is 鈥渋t needs to stand alone. It needs to be a show with a new idea – something that we haven鈥檛 seen before or in that form.鈥�

鈥淭he Waltons,鈥� for example, came at a time when 鈥渢he country was torn off by Vietnam and Watergate and then there鈥檚 this show about a poor family trying to make it during The Depression. People slowly found it and by the end of the season, it was No. 1鈥� in the ratings,鈥� Thomas said. 鈥淚t was a new idea.鈥�

鈥淥zark鈥� on the other hand was 鈥渟o outrageously dark and funny,鈥� he continued. 鈥淚t was the creation of a crime family and was absolutely fascinating.鈥�

Thomas also credits not only the exceptional writing but the producers for their vision.

鈥淎nd you have to cast it well,鈥� he added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a combination of so many things.鈥�

鈥淭o Kill a Mockingbird鈥�

With Thomas鈥� starring role as Atticus Finch, based on Harper Lee鈥檚 1960 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel based on her memories of 1936 Alabama, his success is now hitting another career pinnacle.

鈥淢y first love as an actor is theater,鈥� Thomas told Dori鈥檚 listeners. With 14 Broadway shows to his credit, Thomas received his first Tony award nomination for 鈥淭he Little Foxes鈥� eight years ago.

Consequently, when Aaron Sorkin premiered the Broadway adaptation several years ago, Thomas said to himself 鈥渋f this show tours . . . I want to do it. . . We know it鈥檚 one of the most respected pieces of American literature 鈥� Americans love it more than any other book 鈥� and a great movie with Greg Peck.鈥�

鈥淎aron Sorkin taking on Harper Lee鈥檚 work: that鈥檚 pretty gutsy stuff,鈥� Dori posed.

Thomas agreed, adding that Sorkin鈥檚 version is one that he 鈥渉as kept true to his source material with newer perspectives 鈥� without making it contemporary. There鈥檚 a great deal of humor. He (Sorkin) writes very funny, as well as drama. He鈥檚 mixed it beautifully 鈥� the light and the dark.鈥�

On top of that, Thomas added from his current touring location in San Francisco, he鈥檚 鈥渆xcited to be back in Seattle鈥� where he has fond memories of performing in 鈥淏arefoot in the Park鈥� at The Moore Theater after his stint on 鈥淭he Waltons.鈥�

Reserved seats are still available for the Oct. 11-16 performances of 鈥淭o Kill a Mockingbird鈥� at The Paramount Theatre by going to .

Listen to Dori Monson weekday afternoons from noon 鈥� 3 p.m. on 成人X站 Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the聽podcast here.