Michelle Thomas

About Michelle Thomas

Michelle Thomas (September 23, 1969 - December 22, 1998), was an actress who is best known for her roles as Myra Monkhouse, the girlfriend of Steve Urkel, on the American sitcom Family Matters from 1993 to 1998 and Justine Phillips, girlfriend of Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show. Additionally, in 1984 Thomas was crowned Hal Jackson's Talented Teens Miss New Jersey and Miss International.

Thomas was born in Boston, Massachusetts, but grew up in New York City, where she attended the Montclair School of the Arts and the Broadway Dance Center. Her mother was Phynjuar Thomas, a stage performer, and her father was Dennis Thomas, a founding member of the band Kool & the Gang. Thomas grew up in Montclair, New Jersey, and is an alumna of West Essex High School. Although she had many talents, Thomas's first love was music. With both parents in the entertainment industry it was only natural that she would develop her own performing skills at a young age.

In addition to music, she studied jazz, modern and hip-hop dance at the Broadway Dance Center in New York. While attending an all-girls private school in New Jersey, she was crowned Miss Talented Teen New Jersey in Hal Jackson's Talented Teen Competition, a contest based on talent and academics. She went on to compete in the international pageant in Jamaica and was crowned International Queen in 1985.