Gareth Thomas

Gareth Thomas is a Welsh actor born in Wales on February 12th, 1945. He is best known for playing the role of Roj Blake, the main character from the first two seasons of the British science fiction television series Blake's 7, which ran from 1978 to 1981. From 1964 to 1966, Gareth attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and became an associate member of RADA in 1996. He has also performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Gareth Thomas' first television work was playing the role of Benvolio in the 1965 telemovie version of Romeo and Juliet. His first work in the arena of science fiction was in 1967 with an uncredited appearance as a workman in Quatermass and the Pit. Throughout the 1970s, Gareth worked on dozens of British television programs and mini-series including episodes of Z Cars, Harriet's Back in Town, Sutherland's Law, How Green Was My Valley and Jackanory. In 1976, he appeared in eight out of thirteen episodes of the sci-fi series Star Maidens playing a character named Shem. Following Star Maidens, Thomas played Adam Brake on the TV series Children of the Stones, as well as several characters on Play for Today. In 1980, he appeared on the "Visitor from the Grave" episode of Hammer House of Horror. Following this, he began his two-year stint on Blake's 7, but eventually opted to leave the series with the proviso that his character, Roj Blake, would be killed off in his final appearance.

Gareth Thomas appeared in numerous productions throughout the rest of the 1980s and 1990s. His next sci-fi work was playing a police sergeant in the "Space Cadets" episode of The Strangerers. In 2006, he made a guest appearance on the Doctor Who spin-off series Torchwood where he played Ed Morgan in the third episode of season one, "Ghost Machine".

Notes & Trivia

 * Not to be confused with noted rugby player Gareth Thomas.


 * Oddly, Gareth Thomas has never watched an episode of Blake's 7 and has been quoted as saying, "I've never actually watched myself on television".