Early Career and What's Happening!!
Thomas began his professional acting career as a Broadway actor, appearing in the 1974 revival production of Love for Love and in the 1975 revival of The Member of the Wedding. Both shows starred actress Glenn Close. Shortly after he moved to LA to pursue a career as a TV/film actor. In the fall of 1975 he received a role on an episode of The Jeffersons. It was during the taping of the show that he learned of an audition for the upcoming comedy sitcom What's Happening!!, loosely based on the 1975 film Cooley High. He eventually went on to win the role of Raj Thomas on the show, which aired from 1976 to 1979.
During the shows run, Thomas was involved in other acting film and TV projects including Baretta, Roots, The Brady Bunch Hour and the film A Piece of the Action starring Sidney Poitier and Bill Cosby. Though the series rated well, What's Happening!! was cancelled after its third season in the early spring of 1979.
Read more about this topic: Ernest Lee Thomas
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