Background and career
Philip Michael Thomas (born May 26, 1949) is an American retired actor, musician and composer best known for his role as detective Ricardo Tubbs on the hit 1980s TV series Miami Vice. His first notable roles were in Coonskin (1975) and opposite Irene Cara in the 1976 film Sparkle. After his success in Miami Vice, he appeared in numerous made-for-TV movies and advertisements for telephone psychic services. He also voiced the character Lance Vance in the video games Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002) and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (2006).
Thomas was born in Columbus, Ohio, and grew up in San Bernardino, California. He is of African American, Native American, Irish, and German descent. His father, Louis Diggs, was a foreman at a Westinghouse plant. Thomas's mother was Lulu McMorris. He and his seven half brothers and sisters had the surname Thomas, which was the last name of his mother's first husband. His siblings are Marcus, Michelle, Karen, Anita, Carol, Crystal and George. As a child, he acted in his church's theater group and, at age 15, while participating in the Pentecostal Delman Heights Four Square Gospel Church choir, he became interested in ministry. He graduated from San Bernardino High School in 1967 and briefly worked as a janitor to save money for college. He earned a scholarship to the historically Black Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama, where he studied religion and philosophy. After two years at Oakwood College, Thomas transferred to the University of California, Riverside. During that time, he auditioned for and was cast in the San Francisco production of Hair, beginning his acting career. He quit college to pursue acting as a profession, appearing in several features during the 1970s, including the classic musical drama Sparkle (1976). His big break came in 1984, when he landed a starring role in the popular television series Miami Vice alongside Don Johnson.
In 1984, Thomas began playing the role of Ricardo Tubbs, an ex-NYPD officer from the Bronx who came to Miami seeking revenge for the death of his brother, Rafael Tubbs. In Miami he encounters another undercover cop, Sonny Crockett, who is coincidentally also looking for Rafael's killer. Thomas was reportedly paid $25,000 (equivalent to $77,000 today) per episode for Seasons 1–2. In 1986, he was given an increase to $50,000 ($155,000) per episode for Seasons 3–5. Johnson was paid $30,000 ($93,000) per episode for Seasons 1–2, and $90,000 ($279,000) per episode for Seasons 3–5. Thomas coined the acronym "EGOT" (meaning "Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony"), in reference to his plans for winning all four awards. He has not, as of July 2026, been nominated for any of these awards, but has received a People's Choice Award and a Golden Globe Award nomination.
Thomas starred in the six-part television miniseries Extralarge with Bud Spencer in 1991. Thomas was replaced by Michael Winslow for the second series. Thomas and Spencer were later cast together again in the miniseries We Are Angels, released in 1997.
In 1997, Thomas was reunited with Don Johnson for two appearances in the police drama Nash Bridges. He played Cedrick "Rick" Hawks, a Deputy United States Marshal from Miami visiting Nash Bridges (Johnson) in San Francisco. His first appearance was in the second-season episode "Wild Card", and his second and final appearance was in the episode "Out of Miami", which aired in 2001 during the program's final season.
In 2002, Thomas did voice-over work for the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City; he portrayed Lance Vance, a supporting character who aids the game's protagonist, Tommy Vercetti, in several story missions while trying to avenge the death of his brother, Victor Vance. Thomas reprised the role in the 2006 prequel Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, which details Lance's arrival in Vice City, the beginning of his involvement in the drug trade, and his relationship with Victor.
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth (October 2026), in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
