DAVE THOMAS as DAVE MCGONIGAL

Canadian-born comedian, Emmy Award-winning writer, performer and director, Dave Thomas returns as the irrepressible but decidedly shady new owner of Molly’s Reach, "Dave McGonigal," in A Beachcombers’ Christmas.

Starting his career at ad agency McCann Erickson, Thomas became, after just one year, the head writer for the Coca-Cola account. At the request of Coca-Cola, he then moved from the Toronto office to New York. Thomas eventually left advertising after three years to join Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Gilda Radner and Eugene Levy at the Second City Theatre Company in Toronto. He subsequently co-founded NBC's critically acclaimed comedy series SCTV, along with co-stars Harold Ramis, Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin and John Candy. During the show's five-year run, Thomas won an Emmy Award, 4 Emmy nominations for his comedy writing, an ACTRA Award for Best Variety Performer, and in 1993, the Earl Grey Award.

With Rick Moranis, Thomas co-created the infamous McKenzie Brothers and co-starred in the cult hit comedy film Strange Brew (MGM). Strange Brew won the Golden Reel Award for the highest box office grossing movie in 1983. The duo won Gold and Platinum Albums and a Grammy nomination. Since the film's release in 1982, the McKenzie Brothers have become an enduring franchise, with more than 20 years behind them. Thomas and Moranis have licensed the characters to NBC, CBC, Polygram, MGM, Pizza Hut, Mr. Lube, Miller Brewing, Molson Brewing, Todd McFarlane Toys and Disney.

Thomas has written, directed, produced and co-starred in television shows for all the major networks—most notably The Dave Thomas Show (CBS) and Grace Under Fire (ABC). He was co-creator and co-executive producer of America's Funniest People (ABC). He wrote and directed the MOW Ghost Mom (Fox) starring Jean Stapleton and Geraint Wynn Davies, and he starred in the MOWs Kids in the Woods (Disney) and Picture Perfect (ABC). He has voiced animated shows like The Simpsons, Duckman, Catdog, Dilbert, Animaniacs, Justice League of America for Warner and Tarzan for Disney. He has appeared in numerous feature films, including Stripes with Bill Murray and Harold Ramis; Spies Like Us with Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd (Thomas was also co-writer with Aykroyd); The Experts (which he directed) starring John Travolta and Kelly Preston; Boris & Natasha with Sally Kellerman; Coneheads with Dan Aykroyd and Rat Race with John Cleese, Whoopi Goldberg and Cuba Gooding, Jr. In 2001 he played a feature role in the theatrical feature films Who’s Your Daddy (Miramax) and Call Me Irresponsible (Norstar) and recently starred in romantic comedy Deluxe Combo Platter.

Thomas also voiced a major role, along with Joaquin Phoenix and Rick Moranis, in the full-length Disney animated feature Brother Bear.

In 1996 Thomas wrote a book, SCTV Behind the Scenes, which had a second printing in 2002.

Thomas' production company, Maple Palm Productions, produced an Ace nominated comedy special for Showtime entitled The Time Travels of Henry Osgood, starring Bronson Pinchot, Catherine O’Hara, John Candy, Martin Short, and Joe Flaherty, as well as a special for CBS in 1990 entitled Standup at Forty, which starred Garry Shandling, Bonnie Hunt, Martin Short, George Plimpton and Richard Belzer. In 1992 Maple Palm produced another comedy special, this time for ABC, entitled Inside America's Unsolved Mysteries. In 1994 Maple Palm produced a reality pilot for ABC entitled Family Challenge. ABC elected not to pick up the series, so Maple Palm produced 130 hour-long episodes of Family Challenge for the Family Channel with Woody Fraser. In 1999 Maple Palm Productions and Dave Thomas produced Ambushed, a movie for HBO, starring Courtney Vance, Virginia Madsen, and David Keith, directed by Ernest Dickerson. Ambushed was the highest-rated television show in its time slot when it first aired in 1999.

Thomas is a partner in Animax Interactive, an online production company creating sponsored interactive content and designing web pages for such companies as Ford, Twentieth Century Fox, Warner Brothers and Verizon. He just finished writing and directing the comedy Intern Academy, a feature-length film shot in Vancouver last fall.

> Next Bio

> back to top