Dave Thomas

A key figure in one of the most influential television comedies of the 20th century, Dave Thomas was the head writer and featured performer on "SCTV" (Global/CBC/NBC/Superchannel, 1976-1984) before enjoying a long and varied career as a writer, director, producer and actor in North American features and television shows. A gifted mimic, Thomas brought a distinctly acidic tone to his impersonations of Bob Hope, Richard Harris, G. Gordon Liddy and other famous and infamous characters on "SCTV," but his greatest contribution was undoubtedly Bob and Doug McKenzie, a pair of dense Canadians he created with co-star Rick Moranis. The characters were breakout stars on the show, and later enjoyed independent success with a hit record, as well as a cult feature, "Strange Brew" (1983). Thomas later divided his time between guest appearances on comedy specials, series regular work on "Grace Under Fire" (ABC, 1993-98), and directing and writing jobs on features "Spies Like Us" (1985) and "The Expendables." He later branched out into animation production with his own company, Animax, which provided content for major companies like Disney and ESPN. Still, it was his work on "SCTV" that made him an icon of Canadian comedy, and one of its primary architects in the halcyon 1970s and 1980s.