Jamal Adeen Thomas is an American actor and Television personality born to Clarence Thomas and Kathy Ambush. Jamal stepped away from his father’s rather large shadow to create an illustrious career in the film industry.
He also boasts of years of experience in the Finance sector. Since his first movie appearance in 2005, Jamal has been featured in several other movies and TV series.
He is best known for his role in the FBI: Most Wanted television series.
Bio Summary: Wiki, Age, Networth, and Career
| Name | Jamal Adeen Thomas |
| Age | 49 Years. |
| Gender | Male |
| Date Of Birth | 15th February 1973 |
| Ethnicity | African American |
| Nationality | American |
| Weight | 168 Lbs. |
| Parents | Clarence Thomas and Kathy Grace Ambush |
| Colo Of Eyes | Dark Brown |
| Schools Attended | Bishop Ireton High SchoolFork Union Military AcademyVirginia Military Institute. |
| Career | Economist, Actor. |
Birth
Baby Jamal was born on the evening of 15th, February 1973 in New Haven Connecticut. He is the only child born to Clarence Thomas.
Jamal was given Arabic names not because they were of Arabic descent but because African Americans living in the United States found African and Arabic names fashionable at the time.
Early life
As a child, born to parents who were struggling to make ends meet, Jamal moved around a lot with his parents. Oftentimes, he and his mother lived where his father Clarence worked.
This made it difficult to forge meaningful friendships with his peers at a younger age. However, this did not stop him from having a close relationship with his parents and his father’s maternal grandparents.
Young Jamal briefly lived with his parents in Connecticut while his father went to Yale University Law school. In the summer of 1973, they had to move back to Savannah Georgia where his father had just received an offer to work at a local law firm (Hill, Jones, and Farrington).
Despite the humble beginning, Clarence and Kathy strived to provide for all of Jamal’s needs.
His father’s next employment was in Jefferson City in 1974 where Jamal’s mother Kathy joined Lincoln University. In St. Louis, Jamal enrolled at a local daycare.
He and his father were close growing up, often even going to get groceries together as his father explains in his Memoir “My Grandfather’s Son.”
Education Background
Jamal had the pleasure of attending private schools. This not only set him on the path of quality education but also protected him from the media and his father’s public controversial life.
Jamal started schooling in 1979 it is however not clear the Elementary and middle schools he attended before joining Bishop Ireton High School from 1987 to 1991.
Jamal proceeded to join Fork Union Military Academy from 1991 to 1992 for a Post Graduate Football program. In late 1992 Jamal joined Virginia Military Institute where he graduated in 1996 with a bachelor’s in Business and Economics.
He continued to pursue his passion for football even in college where he occasionally had the pleasure of having his father and stepmother, Virginia Lamp, watch him play.
His football activities not only provided ample father-son bonding time but also gave Clarence a chance to become a better father. He always encouraged Jamal to follow his passion.
Family
Jamal’s childhood was not as rosy as his adult life but he spent it with the people who loved him the most. He also grew up enjoying the love of his father’s grandfather Myers and Aunt Tina who also enjoyed Jamal’s company just as much.
Despite Clarence’s complicated relationship with his grandfather, he loved and cherished the moments Jamal shared with them whenever they went to Savannah.
Other family members Jamal met include his grandmother, Leola, uncle Myers, and his cousin Mark Martin. Clarence and his brother Myers had been raised by their maternal grandfather. To date Jamal’s father Clarence remains one of the most important people in his life.
Jamal’s parents separated in 1981 when he was only 8 years old. During the separation, Jamal lived with his mother.
However, after three years of separation, his parents finally divorced. Young Jamal remained with his father as had been agreed. His mother Kathy Ambush returned to New England which is why she was rarely in the picture.
Clarence Thomas’s separation from Kathy helped him have a meaningful relationship with his father.
He was his father’s best man in 1987 when he remarried Virginia Lamp. Jamal was raised by his father and stepmother. Jamal’s marital life remains unclear since he is not big on social media or other online platforms.
Career
This is arguably the most interesting life of Jamal Adeen Thomas. I mean his father Clarence Thomas has had a long and illustrious career as the longest-serving justice of the supreme court.
Naturally many would have expected a career in law but that is not the case. Despite looking up to his father, Jamal chose to go another route. Jamal not only has a long-standing acting career but has also worked in the Corporate Finance sector for many years.
In addition to acting, Jamal Thomas has an impressive resume in the finance sector. Since his graduation, Jamal has worked as:
- Director of Supervision at John F. Van Der Hyde and Associates Network Office of Northwestern Mutual. (Current position)
- Overlay Manager at BB&T Scott and Stringfellow between 2014-2021.
- Centralized Supervision Associate at Davenport and Company LLC from 2010 to 2011.
After graduation, he worked for Wachovia securities which later became Wells Fargo Securities in different capacities including as a Compliance Specialist. He has a valid practice license from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
Acting Career
Even though Jamal had done a bit of acting, it was not until 2005 that he made his maiden appearance in the Television Series Miracle’s Boys’ playing ‘Bobby’ in the series’ third episode.
One year down the line, Jamal appeared in the television series Gray’s Anatomy only this time he was playing ‘Larry the pandemic.’ In 2007, featured in the ‘Days of Our Lives Television series playing the part of a Vegas police officer.
Jamal’s earlier roles served the purpose of bringing him into the limelight as an actor. In 2008, Jamal starred in Dirty Sexy Money and Two and a Half Man consecutively. Fast forward to 2009 when Jamal starred in the television series The Bold and the Beautiful.
By 2010, when Jamal was featured in Entourage, he was already getting traction in his film career. Later that same year, he starred as a Uni-sergeant in the television series Law and Order: Los Angeles.
Jamal’s Big break
After 2010, Jamal was more than just the son of a son of a famous Supreme court justice. Most directors noticed him in his previous projects and called him for more gigs.
He also received recognition for his previous performances. Consequently, in 2011, Jamal was featured in the film True Jackson playing the part of a colonial soldier.
The following films and television projects are the most important roles that helped Jamal Thomas build a career in the film industry.
| Year | Project | Role |
| 2012 | Nesting | Brian |
| 2015 | Blue Bloods (television series) | Detective Rodgers |
| 2016 | Full Disclosure (television series) | Chris |
| 2018 | Blacklist (television series season 5) | Local officer II |
| 2018 | Billions television series | Car Guy |
| 2018 | The 6th Degree | Derek |
| 2019 | The Enemy Within television series | Congressional Security Officer |
| 2019 | Awaken | Tom |
| 2019/2020 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Counselor Morgan Carter legal aid II |
| 2020 | FBI: Most Wanted | Swat Commander |
| 2022 | Uncoupled | Paul’s husband. |
Achievements
Jamal has had his share of small and big wins in the course of his career in the film industry.
The first of his achievements has been maintaining a steady appearance in movies and television series. Since his 2005 debut, Jamal has been featured in at least one project for most of the years that followed. For some years, he landed two projects which are commendable.
Perhaps Jamal’s biggest achievement yet is becoming his own person away from his father’s imposing image. He has successfully pursued his passion for acting and made a name for himself in the industry. He may have come into the spotlight as the son of Clarence Thomas but he has stayed in the spotlight out of his effort, passion, and hard work.
Additionally, Jamal has managed to keep his personal life as private as possible. There is very little information if any about his marital status and children.
Other Facts about Jamal include:
- He is an African American.
- He lives in New York.
- Jamal is a biking enthusiast.
- He has an estimated net worth of 1.2 million dollars.
- Jamal is a board member of the board of directors at Virginia War Memorial.
- He also volunteers as a member of the Board of Trustees at Fork Union Military Academy.
Conclusion
Jamal is a man of many talents, but if there is one thing he stays true to is following his passion. The biggest lesson we can draw from Jamal is that a career path is not a family heirloom to be passed from one family to another.
It is all right to follow your path away from the expectations of family and society.
I wrote this story because it could be an inspiration to millions of young people from wealthy as well as humble backgrounds.
Jamal’s story reminds us that we can all write our own stories, build our careers, and create our history away from family expectations because ‘I’ will always come before ‘we’.