Attended Columbia University.Dated actress Sian Barbara Allen for several years in the early 1970s.His parents were owners of the New York School of Ballet. Among their students were Trinka Lowe and Daniel Levans .He first acted professionally at age seven; appeared as a cast replacement on the Broadway stage as John Roosevelt, one of the children of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, in drama "Sunrise at Campobello."Is National Chairman of the Better Hearing Institute.Served as the host of the University of South Carolina's Ecumenical Service of the Family and introduced His Holiness Pope John Paul II.Uses two tiny hearing aids due to the 50% hearing loss, as a result of otosclerosis (a nerve disorder).Speaks some Chinese, after changing his major at Columbia from Literature to Chinese. He changed his major from Literature to Chinese because he attended Columbia during the time that the Vietnam War was underway and as well as the controversy surrounding it. He was frustrated with the anti-war demonstrations and how they were interupting his educations and he felt the best way to avoid such disturbances was to change his major to Chinese.Has one son, Montana James (b. 28 July 1996), with Georgiana.He is the father of triplets - Barbara Ayala, Gweneth Gonzales and Pilar Alma.Son, Richard Francisco, from his marriage to Alma Gonzales.Richard Thomas left The Waltons at the end of the fifth season because he only signed a 5 year contract. He planned to pursue other acting opportunities. "The Achievement" was his last episode but he did made a comeback in Season 6 and the last 3 family TV reunion.