# Dave Thomas (actor)
**Dave Thomas** (David William Thomas, C.M.; born 1949) is a Canadian actor, comedian, writer, producer, and director, best known as head writer and featured performer on the sketch comedy series SCTV (1976–1984) and as co-creator, with [Rick Moranis](https://www.edgepedia.org/rick-moranis), of the McKenzie brothers Bob and Doug.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/dave-thomas/) He was born in [St. Catharines](https://www.edgepedia.org/st-catharines), Ontario.[2](https://davethomas.com/about)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name and birth | David William Thomas, born 1949 in St. Catharines, Ontario[2](https://davethomas.com/about) |
| Signature characters | Doug McKenzie (with Rick Moranis's Bob), created for SCTV's "Great White North" segment to satisfy a network demand for more Canadian content[3](https://www.secondcity.com/people/dave-thomas) |
| SCTV role | Head writer and featured performer, 1976–1984, on the Global/CBC/NBC/Superchannel sketch series[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/dave-thomas/) |
| Music spinoff | The McKenzie brothers' LP *The Great White North* sold more than one million copies and won a Juno Award; the single "Take Off," with guest vocals by Rush's Geddy Lee, placed in the Top 10 in both the U.S. and Canada and drew a Grammy nomination[3](https://www.secondcity.com/people/dave-thomas) • [1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/dave-thomas/) |
| Film work | Co-wrote, directed, and starred as Doug in *Strange Brew* (1983), the highest grossing Canadian film of 1983 and winner of the Golden Reel Award for Canada's top box-office film that year[3](https://www.secondcity.com/people/dave-thomas) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0858686/) |
| Honors | Emmy Award for SCTV writing; honorary doctorate from McMaster University (2009); appointed to the Order of Canada in 2020[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0858686/) • [2](https://davethomas.com/about) |
| Later career | Series regular on *Grace Under Fire* (ABC, 1993–98); writer and consulting producer on *Bones* and *The Blacklist*; co-founder of the animation studio Animax[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/dave-thomas/) • [3](https://www.secondcity.com/people/dave-thomas) • [5](https://davethomas.com/work) |
## Early life and advertising career
Thomas's mother was a Scottish-born church organist and composer, and his father, John E. Thomas, a Welsh-born medical ethicist, headed the Philosophy Department at [McMaster University](https://www.edgepedia.org/mcmaster-university).[2](https://davethomas.com/about) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0858686/) His younger brother, Ian Thomas, is a Canadian singer-songwriter whose songs have been covered by acts including America, Chicago, and [Bette Midler](https://www.edgepedia.org/bette-midler).[2](https://davethomas.com/about) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0858686/)
His first stage appearance was in the Toronto production of *Godspell*, which ran from 1972 to 1973 and featured [Eugene Levy](https://www.edgepedia.org/eugene-levy), Andrea Martin, Martin Short, Paul Shaffer, Gilda Radner, and [Victor Garber](https://www.edgepedia.org/victor-garber).[2](https://davethomas.com/about) • [1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/dave-thomas/) • [3](https://www.secondcity.com/people/dave-thomas) After graduating from McMaster, he took a copywriting job at the McCann Erickson agency in 1974 and became head writer for Coca-Cola's Canadian account, later moving to McCann's Lexington Avenue office in New York under creative director Bill Backer.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/dave-thomas/) • [2](https://davethomas.com/about) After seeing Second City in Toronto, he left the agency in 1975 to join the troupe as a performer, debuting on the Mainstage in the revue *Also Available in Paperback* alongside future SCTV colleagues O'Hara and Martin.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/dave-thomas/) • [3](https://www.secondcity.com/people/dave-thomas)
## SCTV and the McKenzie brothers
Thomas was among the original cast of SCTV when it premiered in 1976, a sketch series born from the Toronto and Chicago Second City companies that parodied television itself through the schedule of a fictional station in the town of Melonville.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/dave-thomas/) He served as head writer as well as a featured performer, building a reputation for imitations of [Bob Hope](https://www.edgepedia.org/bob-hope), Walter Cronkite, Liberace, Lee Iacocca, Carl Sagan, Richard Harris, and [G. Gordon Liddy](https://www.edgepedia.org/g-gordon-liddy), and creating characters including Doug McKenzie, Lin Ye Tang, and Tim Ishimuni.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/dave-thomas/) • [6](https://www.wired.com/2009/12/dave-thomas-sctv/) As a producer, he and [Joe Flaherty](https://www.edgepedia.org/joe-flaherty) produced SCTV Network's 1980–81 season under executive producer Andrew Alexander.[7](https://www.queensu.ca/filmandmedia/sites/fmwww/files/uploaded_files/CBC%20Television%20Linked%20Listings.pdf) The show earned 13 Emmy nominations and won two Emmys.[6](https://www.wired.com/2009/12/dave-thomas-sctv/)
The Great White North segment, in which Moranis's Bob and Thomas's Doug McKenzie riffed on beer, back bacon, and Canadian life from a pair of worn armchairs, was created to meet the network's Canadian-content requirement, and grew into the series' breakout property.[3](https://www.secondcity.com/people/dave-thomas) • [1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/dave-thomas/) The characters carried the duo to a million-selling LP, a Juno Award, a Top 10 single, and the feature film *Strange Brew* (1983), which Thomas co-wrote, directed, and starred in.[3](https://www.secondcity.com/people/dave-thomas) In 2008 he revived the characters in the animated series *Bob & Doug*.[3](https://www.secondcity.com/people/dave-thomas) In 2020, life-size bronze statues of Thomas and Moranis as the brothers were installed at the Rogers ICE District in Edmonton.[2](https://davethomas.com/about)
## Film and television after SCTV
After SCTV ended in 1984, Thomas worked on the [Lorne Michaels](https://www.edgepedia.org/lorne-michaels)-produced *The New Show* with [Buck Henry](https://www.edgepedia.org/buck-henry), Al Franken, and [Steve Martin](https://www.edgepedia.org/steve-martin), then wrote and directed on features including *Spies Like Us* (1985).[3](https://www.secondcity.com/people/dave-thomas) • [1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/dave-thomas/) His screen acting credits include *Stripes*, *Coneheads*, *Rat Race*, *Moving*, *Boris and Natasha*, and *Arrested Development*, and he voiced Tuke in Disney's *Brother Bear*.[5](https://davethomas.com/work) • [3](https://www.secondcity.com/people/dave-thomas) From 1993 to 1998 he was a series regular as Russell Norton on ABC's *Grace Under Fire*, also writing for the show.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/dave-thomas/) • [8](https://prabook.com/web/dave.thomas/2379668)
Behind the camera, Thomas shifted toward drama writing in later years, joining *Bones* as a writer, cast member, and producer and *The Blacklist* as a consulting producer in 2015; he has said he found writing more satisfying than performing.[3](https://www.secondcity.com/people/dave-thomas) • [9](https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2017/07/17/former-sctv-stardave-thomas-on-how-comedys-changed/) From 2001 to 2016 he co-founded and ran the animation studio Animax, home to *Slacker Cats*, *Popzilla*, and the animated *Bob & Doug*.[5](https://davethomas.com/work) • [3](https://www.secondcity.com/people/dave-thomas) He also wrote the book *SCTV: Behind the Scenes* (1996).[3](https://www.secondcity.com/people/dave-thomas)
## Reunions and recent activity
Thomas produced and performed in the 2017 Toronto benefit "Take Off, Eh" for Spinal Cord Injury Ontario and his paralyzed nephew Jake Thomas; the event raised more than $325,000 and reunited him onstage with Moranis as well as Short, Aykroyd, O'Hara, Levy, Paul Shaffer, Ian Thomas, and [Geddy Lee](https://www.edgepedia.org/geddy-lee).[3](https://www.secondcity.com/people/dave-thomas) • [9](https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2017/07/17/former-sctv-stardave-thomas-on-how-comedys-changed/) In 2018 the surviving SCTV cast reunited at Toronto's Elgin Theatre for a panel hosted by [Jimmy Kimmel](https://www.edgepedia.org/jimmy-kimmel) and directed by Martin Scorsese, released by Netflix.[5](https://davethomas.com/work) • [10](https://www.bellmedia.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/CTV-SCTV-Special.pdf)
In 2020 Thomas survived a severe case of sepsis that left him in hospice care, an experience he says refocused his later years.[11](https://halifax.citynews.ca/2025/04/29/sctv-comedian-dave-thomas-says-hes-going-to-ukraine-to-tell-human-side-of-war/) In 2025 he announced a trip to Ukraine to film a documentary about the country's stand-up comedians.[11](https://halifax.citynews.ca/2025/04/29/sctv-comedian-dave-thomas-says-hes-going-to-ukraine-to-tell-human-side-of-war/) • [12](https://www.canadaland.com/podcast/1164-dave-thomas-of-sctv-on-why-canadians-rule-comedy/)
## References
1. [Dave Thomas, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/dave-thomas/)
2. [About — Dave Thomas, davethomas.com](https://davethomas.com/about)
3. [Dave Thomas, The Second City alumni profile](https://www.secondcity.com/people/dave-thomas)
4. [Dave Thomas, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0858686/)
5. [Work — Dave Thomas, davethomas.com](https://davethomas.com/work)
6. [Dave Thomas Returns to Second City for 50th Anniversary Show, WIRED (2009)](https://www.wired.com/2009/12/dave-thomas-sctv/)
7. [CBC Television Linked Listings, Queen's University Film and Media](https://www.queensu.ca/filmandmedia/sites/fmwww/files/uploaded_files/CBC%20Television%20Linked%20Listings.pdf)
8. [Dave Thomas, World Biographical Encyclopedia (Prabook)](https://prabook.com/web/dave.thomas/2379668)
9. [Former 'SCTV' star Dave Thomas on how 'comedy's changed', CityNews Vancouver (2017)](https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2017/07/17/former-sctv-stardave-thomas-on-how-comedys-changed/)
10. [The SCTV Comedy Special, Bell Media sales deck](https://www.bellmedia.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/CTV-SCTV-Special.pdf)
11. ['SCTV' comedian Dave Thomas says he's going to Ukraine to tell human side of war, The Canadian Press via CityNews (2025)](https://halifax.citynews.ca/2025/04/29/sctv-comedian-dave-thomas-says-hes-going-to-ukraine-to-tell-human-side-of-war/)
12. [#1164 Dave Thomas of SCTV on Why Canadians Rule Comedy, CANADALAND (2025)](https://www.canadaland.com/podcast/1164-dave-thomas-of-sctv-on-why-canadians-rule-comedy/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › Canadian actors › Surnames T to Z*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license