Marlo Thomas (born Margaret Julia Thomas on November 21, 1937 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American actress.

She is the daughter of the late comedian Danny Thomas and sister of Tony Thomas , a producer.

Marlo Thomas grew up in Beverly Hills, California and went by the nickname of Margie Thomas while attending school. After graduating from the University of Southern California with a teaching degree, Thomas appeared as a regular on The Joey Bishop Show (1961-1962). She followed the series with guest shots on Ben Casey, My Favorite Martian, and Bonanza, but it wasn't until 1966 that she hit her professional stride as wannabe New York actress Ann Marie on the ABC sitcom That Girl. The series ran until 1971, garnering her a Golden Globe Award and four Emmy nominations.

Anxious to show she was as adept at drama as she was at comedy, she proved herself in the television movies It Happened One Christmas (a remake of It's a Wonderful Life, with Thomas in the rewritten James Stewart role), Nobody's Child , and The Lost Honor Of Kathryn Beck , while she starred in Jenny (1970) and Thieves (1977) on the big screen.

She is also known for her children's books and the recordings and television specials created in conjunction with them - Free to Be . . . You and Me (1974) and Free to Be . . . A Family (1987), which were born out of an attempt to teach her then-young niece Dionne about life. She is donating all royalties from her 2004 book and CD, Thanks & Giving All Year Long , to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Started by her father, the organization helps children suffering from grave forms of cancer.

In recent years, Thomas has appeared in guest shots on Ally McBeal, Friends (as Rachel's mother), and Law & Order: SVU. She also appeared in the 2002 film Playing Mona Lisa with Julia Roberts.

Thomas is the recipient of four Emmy Awards. She has been married to talk show host Phil Donahue since 1980. The couple live in Manhattan.