Philip Michael is an American actor with over $2.5 million net worth. He derived the term EGOT for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony, as he wishes to receive all of them. He has worked in the acting, music, and gaming industry as a voice for GTA Vice City.
Philip Michael Thomas Early Life
Philip Michael Thomas was born on May 26, 1949, in Columbus, Ohio. He spent his childhood in California with seven half-siblings. Thomas took his early education from San Bernardino High School and graduated in 1967. He worked towards his dream of studying in college by struggling with odd jobs. Thomas’s efforts paid off, and he earned a scholarship at Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama. He studied philosophy and religion and later transferred to the University of California. However, he could not complete his degree because of his acting career.
Philip started taking an interest in acting and became a part of his church’s theater group as a kid. He also showed interest in joining ministry after participation in the Pentecostal Delman Heights Four Square Gospel Church choir. He got his first proper break in “Hair” during university.
Philip Michael Relationships
Philip Michael married his wife Kassandra in 1986. However, they got divorced in 1998. Philip and Kassandra had five children together. Philip was previously in a relationship with Dharma Matthews, Sheila Willis, and Dionne Warwick. He has six more children from other relationships.
Philip Michael Acting Career
He appeared in his first film, “Come Back Charleston Blue,” in 1972. He played a minister in that movie, followed by several other roles in different movies. He also played Dr. Calvin Crosse in the film “Stigma.” Other memorable roles include Mr. Rico, Book of Numbers, Black Fist, Sparkle, and Coonskin. However, he is most popularly known for his appearance in the 80s TV series Miami Vice as detective Ricardo Tubbs.
Miami Vice proved to be Thomas’s big break with a starring role against Don Johnson in 1984. His role “Ricardo Tubbs,” commonly called “Tubbs,” received immense popularity among the viewers. Besides fame, he also made good money from the series. Philip Michael Thomas earned $25,000 for each episode in seasons 1 and 2, followed by $50,000 for each episode in seasons 3 to 5.
After Miami Vice, he became a favorite among casting directors and appeared in several movies and advertisements. He did another project with Don Johnson in two episodes of Nash Bridges. Thomas has not appeared in any TV show after that.
Philip Michael Thomas Music Career
Thomas stepped into the world of music with his debut album “Living the Book of my Life” in 1985 under his record label “Spaceship Records.” Sadly, the album did not perform very well, yet he produced a video for the track, “Just the Way I planned it.” He also performed the title song on the Miami Vice season that year. Thomas’s music journey did not stop here, and he recorded “Ever and Forever” with Lucia Galan, followed by another album in 1988, “Somebody.”
Philip Michael Thomas and Kathy Rahill wrote “My My My Miam…I” in 1993, which later became the city of Miami’s theme song. His songs with Sandi Morais for the musical “Sacha” became a running hit in South Florida and New York.
Philip Michael Thomas Voice-Over Career
Besides acting and music, he also provided the voice for Lance Vance in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories.
Philip Michael’s Net Worth
Philip Michael Thomas has a net worth of $2.5 million. His net worth is quite low compared to others in the field. Experts say that it is because of so many relationships and children he has had.
Philip Michael Income Source
Philip Michael has made money from his acting career and a few music albums that received immense popularity. He also worked as a voice-over for GTA and as a spokesperson in an advertisement. A major chunk of his earnings came from Miami Vice. He was paid $25,000 per episode for the two seasons and $50,000 for the next three seasons. The total amount came to around $4.45 million in pre-tax earnings for the entire series run.
The Bottom Line
Philip Michael Thomas is known for his role as detective Ricardo Tubbs in the 80s TV series Miami Vice. However, he did numerous TV shows and movies, including the hit Miami Vice. Miami Vice was his first big on-screen hit. He earned over $4.45 million pre-tax from the series. Thomas also took an interest in music and composed a few albums. His work with Sandi Morais for the musical “Sacha” became a running hit in South Florida and New York. He also wrote “My my my my Miam…I” lyrics with Kathy Rahill. Philip was well-known for his ego and considered himself among the most influential personalities. He once mentioned, “There are only a few who will be the Fords, the Edisons, the Carnegies, and I think I’m in that number.
