Rob Thomas

Rob Thomas Headshot

Writer • Producer

Birth Date: August 15, 1965

Age: 58 years old

Birth Place: Sunnyside, Washington

An enormously gifted writer-producer, Rob Thomas began his career penning young adult novels before landing an impressive gig on "Dawson's Creek" (The WB, 1998-2003). He went on to create the acclaimed "Cupid" (ABC, 1998-99), which proved short-lived but so adored by critics that ABC revived it for one season in 2009 with a different cast and a tweaked concept. After penning the screenplay for the teen hit "Drive Me Crazy" (1999), Thomas created "Veronica Mars" (UPN, 2004-06; The CW, 2006-07), the story of a teen gumshoe (Kristen Bell) out to solve the murder of her best friend (Amanda Seyfried) in the small town of Neptune. Beloved by critics and its small but passionate audience, the series ended much too soon, freeing Thomas up to help develop the reimaged "90210" (The CW, 2008-2013) and, more importantly, to co-create another acclaimed but little-seen gem, the Hollywood-skewering catering comedy "Party Down" (Starz, 2009-2010), which earned him an AFI Award. As rumors swirled that "Veronica Mars" and "Party Down" might receive feature films, the former possibility happened when Thomas raised $2 million on Kickstarter with the help of fans, ensuring "Veronica" would finally get the big-screen treatment. A sensitive and smart writer, Rob Thomas put so much heart into his greatest creations that they remained vibrant and alive even when no longer on the air.

Born Aug. 15, 1965 in Sunnyside, WA, Rob Thomas moved to Texas when he was 10 years old. Growing up with a love of sports as well as creative pursuits, he attended college on a football scholarship, but found his calling in the arts. After teaching journalism and working for the famed high school news program "Channel One News," Thomas made the leap to professional writer in 1996, when his first young adult novel, Rats Saw God was published and he sold a script to the talk show parody "Space Ghost Coast to Coast" (Cartoon Network, 1994-2001; Adult Swim, 2001-04; Gametap, 2006-08). Continuing to write young adult novels while also building on his professional small screen momentum, Thomas landed a spot in the writers' room for the era-defining teen fave "Dawson's Creek" (The WB, 1998-2003). Recognized as a rising talent with a smart, quirky touch, Thomas went on to create the acclaimed "Cupid" (ABC, 1998-99), which paired an uptight psychologist (Paula Marshall) with a charismatic patient (Jeremy Piven) who may or may not be the famous titular god of love.

Although critics loved the series, it struggled to find an audience and was canceled after one season. Thomas rebounded by penning the scripts for two romantic comedies, "Fortune Cookie" (1999) and the Melissa Joan Hart/Adrian Grenier charmer "Drive Me Crazy" (1999), which became a fondly remembered touchstone for a certain generation. Thomas gave life to a more enduring cult classic, however, when he created the teen detective series "Veronica Mars" (UPN, 2004-06; The CW, 2006-07). Starring Kristen Bell as the smart, spiky eponymous sleuth, the first season of the series was loosely structured around the murder investigation of Mars's best friend, Lilly Kane (Amanda Seyfried), but the subsequent two seasons incorporated more overarching mysteries. As much fun as the "whodunit?" aspect of the show was, the real pleasure came from the first-rate cast, writing and production, leading countless critics to name "Veronica Mars" one of the best on the air. Frustratingly for many fans, however, the enormous outpouring of acclaim for the series never quite translated into blockbuster ratings, and despite multiple high-profile attempts by normally influential TV critics to save the show, it was canceled after three seasons.

Nevertheless, "Veronica Mars" and its cast and crew earned universal goodwill for their work, especially Thomas, who also directed a handful of the show's episodes. Disappointed but soldiering on, he went on to write for the series "Big Shots" (ABC, 2007-08) and saw an unexpected revival of "Cupid" (ABC, 2009) with Bobby Cannavale replacing Piven, but it also had its wings quickly clipped. Thomas scored another cult classic and cemented his reputation as one of the industry's golden touches when he, along with John Enbom, Dan Etheridge and Paul Rudd, created the sharp-as-nails "Party Down" (Starz, 2009-2010), the story of a group of Hollywood wannabes and never-weres who eke out a living as caterers. With an amazing cast that eventually included Adam Scott, Ken Marino, Lizzy Caplan, Jane Lynch and Megan Mullally, the series quickly became a critical darling, winning the AFI Award for TV Program of the Year.

Although "Party Down" followed the trajectory of "Veronica Mars" and succumbed to low ratings despite its glowing reputation as one of the best series on television, Thomas rebounded with a long-running gig on the rebooted "90210" (The CW, 2008-2013), which he helped develop. Although his two biggest series had never attracted large audiences while on the air, their fans remained loyal and their legends grew, so much so that rumors began to swirl about feature film adaptations of both projects. After being told by the studio that a feature film of his most famous creation could only move forward if money were raised, the dream became a reality in March 2013 when Thomas posted a Kickstarter.com page on the Internet to raise the necessary $2 million to fund a "Veronica Mars" movie, a goal he achieved in less than a day, causing fans, cast and crew of the beloved project to rejoice. Due to the speed with which that much money was raised, the headline-making effort set a precedent, in that unrequited fans who might desire a revisit to their favorite series, could control the destiny of that show and its cast. Thomas' next project was a television adaptation of the blackly humorous comic book "iZombie" (CW 2015- ), starring Rose McIver as a newly-zombified morgue attendant who uncovers the secrets of the dead when eating their brains.

By Jonathan Riggs

Credits

High Potential

Executive Producer
Series
2024

STARZ: Party Down

Executive Producer
Show
2023

iZombieStream

Director
Series
2015
92%

iZombieStream

Executive Producer
Series
2015
92%

iZombieStream

Writer
Series
2015
92%

Play It Again, Dick

Creator
Show
2014

Veronica Mars

Director
Movie
2014

Veronica Mars

Producer
Movie
2014

Veronica Mars

Screenwriter
Movie
2014

On Story

Guest
Show
2011

Cupid

Executive Producer
Show
2009

Cupid

Writer
Show
2009

Party DownStream

Creator
Series
2009
94%

Party DownStream

Executive Producer
Series
2009
94%

90210Stream

Writer
Series
2008

Big Shots

Writer
Show
2007

Veronica MarsStream

Director
Series
2004
91%

Veronica MarsStream

Executive Producer
Series
2004
91%

Veronica MarsStream

Writer
Series
2004
91%

The Education of Max Bickford

Writer
Show
2001

Drive Me Crazy

Writer (Screenplay)
Movie
1999

Fortune Cookie

Writer
Movie
1999

Cupid

Executive Producer
Show
1998

Cupid

Writer
Show
1998

Dawson's CreekStream

Writer
Series
1998

News aboutRob Thomas

Adam Scott in 'Party Down' Season 3
Spoiler Alert

‘Party Down’ Bosses Break Down That Finale Return & Share Season 4 Hopes

The Fresh Princess
Spoiler Alert

Why Rob Thomas’ ‘iZombie’ Ended Happily and ‘Veronica Mars’ Didn’t

Gods of War
Spoiler Alert

‘Veronica Mars’ EP Rob Thomas on the Truth About That Shocking Finale Twist

TVG_COMIC_CON_2019_04829
Comic-Con

‘Veronica Mars’ Cast on ‘Messy’ Neptune, Logan & Veronica’s ‘Medium Blissful’ Life (VIDEO)

Jessica Harmon as Bozzio and Malcolm Goodwin as Clive in iZombie - Season 5, Episode 2 – 'Dead Lift'
Spoiler Alert

‘iZombie’ Boss Promises Resolution to Clive and Dale’s Latest Complication

Thug Death
Spoiler Alert

‘iZombie’ Star & EP on Humans vs. Zombies and a Cure in Season 5

iZombie - Fifty Shades of Grey Matter
Exclusive

‘iZombie’ First Look: Jason Dohring’s Chase Graves Faces off With Liv (PHOTO)

iZombie - Rose McIver as Liv, Malcolm Goodwin as Clive, and Robert Buckley as Major - 'Salivation Army'

‘iZombie’ Boss Teases the Big Mystery in Season 3

iZombie - Malcolm Goodwin, Rose McIver - Reflections of the Way Liv Used to Be

‘iZombie’: 6 Burning Questions For Season 3

iZombie - Robert Buckley as Major, Rob Thomas, Rose McIver as Liv and Malcolm Goodwin

Singer Rob Thomas Talks Guesting on TV Rob Thomas’ ‘iZombie’ Finale

iZombie - Robert Buckley as Major, Rob Thomas, Rose McIver as Liv and Malcolm Goodwin
Exclusive

More Details About Matchbox Twenty’s Rob Thomas on ‘iZombie’ (PHOTO)

iZombie - Rose McIver as Liv, Rahul Kohli as Ravi and Aly Michalka as Peyton - 'Pour Some Sugar, Zombie'

‘iZombie’: Could Blaine’s “Cure” Be Worse Than Death?

iZombie cast at Comic-Con - Malcolm Goodwin, Rahul Kohli, Rose McIver, executive producer Rob Thomas, Robert Buckley, executive producer Diane Ruggiero-Wright, and David Anders

‘iZombie’s Rob Thomas Shares His Thoughts on the Season 3 Renewal

rob-thomas-2

Matchbox 20’s Rob Thomas Is Teaming Up With ‘iZombie’s Rob Thomas!

iZombie - Kristen Bell

Kristen Bell Says She Was Psyched for ‘iZombie’ Cameo, Teases Possible ‘Veronica Mars’ Future

iZombie cast at Comic-Con - Malcolm Goodwin, Rahul Kohli, Rose McIver, executive producer Rob Thomas, Robert Buckley, executive producer Diane Ruggiero-Wright, and David Anders

‘iZombie’ Cast Interviews: What the Showrunners and Stars Told Us About Season 2 (VIDEO)

iZombie's Rose McIver and Robert Buckley

‘iZombie’ Season 2: Returning Peyton, Shirtless Major and ‘Real Housewife’ Brains

iZombie

iZombie Finale: Rob Thomas and Diane Ruggiero-Wright Answer Our Burning Questions