Billie Thomas was an African-American child actor who gained fame for his appearances in the "Our Gang" film series from 1934 to 1944. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Thomas began his acting career at the age of three, auditioning for an "Our Gang" role and eventually being cast as a background player in the short films "For Pete's Sake!", "The First Round-Up", and "Washee Ironee".
Thomas's breakthrough role came with the short film "Mama's Little Pirate" in 1935, where he became the third actor to portray the character "Buckwheat". Initially, Buckwheat was depicted as a bowed-pigtailed female character, but Thomas's portrayal of the character marked a shift towards a more masculine depiction.
Thomas played Buckwheat for 10 years, during which time he appeared in all 52 "Our Gang" short films produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. He was the only cast member to appear in all of these films, and his character's speech impediment was used as a comic device.
Thomas's partnership with Eugene "Porky" Lee, who played the role of Porky, was particularly notable, as the two characters often outsmarted the older kids, George "Spanky" McFarland and Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer. Thomas's character's speech impediment, which was also portrayed by Porky, became a hallmark of the duo's comedic style.
Thomas served in the United States Army from 1954 to 1956 and later worked as a film lab technician for Technicolor. He largely retired from acting following the 1940s, citing the insecurity of the profession.
In the summer of 1980, Thomas received a standing ovation at the Sons of the Desert convention, a fraternal organization for fans of the "Our Gang" series. He died on October 10, 1980, at the age of 49, due to a heart attack.
Thomas's legacy lives on through his son William Thomas Jr., who created the Buckwheat Memorial Scholarship for students at California State Northridge University in 1992.
