In 1984, Philip Michael Thomas was on top of the world. At the age of 35, the Ohio-born actor had landed a leading role as Detective Ricardo Tubbs in Miami Vice, the Michael Mann-produced cop show that was revolutionising television. Thomas, though, set his sights even higher. In an interview with the Associated Press, he announced his intention to win an EGOT. “That stands for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony,” he said, unpacking the acronym he’d just coined. “Hopefully, in the next five years, I will win all those awards.”
Thomas was so serious about his dream that he had the four letters “EGOT” engraved on a gold pendant he wore around his neck. Sadly, that was as far as he got. Not only did Thomas not win any of the four awards before his retirement in 2006, but he was never even nominated.
