How Marlo Thomas gave Danny Thomas the worst Father’s Day gift possible
When Marlo Thomas began acting in the early 1960s, she received mixed reactions from her parents. One parent was excited and encouraged her to follow her heart, while the other wished she had taken a different path. We'll save who said what for later.
Thomas went into acting because she felt the calling, although we're sure having a famous dad like Danny Thomas helped influence her decision, too. She became THAT girl on the 1966 series That Girl, where she starred for five seasons.
Before starring in her own series, she grew up as the daughter of Danny Thomas, which meant staying up late watching her dad perform at nightclubs or tagging along with her mom to work when her dad was busy acting.
She enjoyed living the Hollywood lifestyle, learning the art of acting, and watching success unfold before her eyes. The decision to act came easily for everyone—except her parents. So, how did her mom feel when Marlo wanted to get into show business?
"She said, 'Be happy. You only live once,'" Thomas said in a 1968 interview with The Commercial Appeal.
As for her dad, he had a harder time with her decision to become a star.
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"After I picked him up off the floor, he made it clear he was violently against it," Thomas said. "He didn't want to relive those early days of his life when he was struggling. He said he didn't want me to get hurt. But later he came around and accepted it."
"You know, there was a line he always used to say at home or in front of his friends," Thomas continued. "It was like this: 'I never encourage my kids to go into show business.' So, last Father's Day my present to him was two blown-up pictures, one of him standing in the wings and watching me as I performed, and another take of us when he was getting me to cue his lines. And under both pictures I had this caption: 'I never encourage my kids to go into show business.'"
Her career differed from her father’s in many ways. She made it clear that she wanted to be a voice for the people, not just a voice on TV. Fun fact: Earlier in 1968, she gave supporting speeches for Senator Robert Kennedy to flex her passion for being a voice for others.
"My attitude was that I wasn't just a television performer but a young American woman with feelings and a voice, and I strongly defend the right of performers to speak up on public issues and become involved in public life," Thomas said.
Despite being hesitant at first, her dad came to accept Marlo's passion for acting and even had the chance to act alongside her a few times in her career.
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