It is hard to scroll through vintage Hollywood archives without stopping dead in your tracks at photos of Marlo Thomas. Whether she’s rocking that iconic 1960s flip haircut or standing on a gala stage in 2026, there is something about her energy that feels, well, permanent. Honestly, she wasn't just a sitcom star. She was a shift in the atmosphere.
Back in the day, seeing Marlo on screen as Ann Marie in That Girl was a massive deal. Before her, leading ladies in sitcoms were usually wives or daughters waiting for a husband. Then Marlo shows up—independent, career-driven, and rocking those mod outfits that basically defined an era. When you look at those old black-and-white stills now, you aren’t just looking at a pretty actress; you’re looking at the blueprint for the modern woman.
The Flip, the Lashes, and the Revolution
If you look at the most famous photos of Marlo Thomas from the That Girl years (1966–1971), you’ll notice the fashion first. The mini-skirts. The pillbox hats. The heavy mascara. But look closer at her eyes in those shots. There’s a spark there. Marlo wasn't just acting; she was producing. She was one of the first women to own her own show, a fact that was kinda kept on the down-low back then but is legendary now.
She famously refused to let the show end with a wedding. In the final episode, Ann Marie takes her boyfriend Don Hollinger to a women's liberation meeting. That wasn't just a plot point; it was Marlo’s real-life conviction leaking into the script.
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From "That Girl" to "That Advocate"
By the time the mid-70s rolled around, Marlo’s image shifted. You start seeing photos of her with people like Gloria Steinem. She co-founded the Ms. Foundation for Women and gave us Free to Be... You and Me. If you grew up in the 70s or 80s, you probably have a mental "photo" of that album cover or the TV special. It taught a whole generation of kids that they didn't have to fit into gender boxes.
Then there is the St. Jude connection. It's impossible to talk about Marlo without mentioning the hospital her father, Danny Thomas, founded. If you look at candid photos of Marlo Thomas at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the glamour is still there, but it’s different. It’s softer. She’s often pictured with patients, not as a celebrity, but as the National Outreach Director who has helped raise literal billions of dollars.
- 1962: Danny Thomas opens St. Jude.
- 2004: Marlo, along with her siblings Terre and Tony, launches the "Thanks and Giving" campaign.
- 2014: Barack Obama awards her the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
- 2024: The world mourned with her after the passing of her husband, Phil Donahue.
Marlo in 2026: The "Girls' Trip" Era
Fast forward to right now. In early 2026, a selfie went viral featuring Marlo Thomas, Amy Schumer, and Diane Sawyer. People lost their minds. At 88 years old, Marlo looked—and I’m not exaggerating—incredible. She’s glowing. It was one of her first big social media appearances since the death of her husband, Phil Donahue, in August 2024.
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The two were married for 44 years. For a long time, the most popular photos of Marlo Thomas were shots of her and Phil on red carpets or riding Vespas on vacation. They were the ultimate "power couple" before that was even a phrase. Seeing her back out with friends like Schumer and Sawyer feels like a win for everyone who has followed her career.
Why We Are Still Obsessed
Why do we keep looking for her? Part of it is nostalgia, sure. But mostly, it’s because she never stopped being relevant. She didn't disappear into the "former child of a star" or "former sitcom lead" category. She kept evolving.
She played Rachel Green’s mom on Friends and reminded everyone she had impeccable comedic timing. She showed up in Ocean’s 8 and reminded us she’s a style icon. She even launched a fashion line for HSN called "That Woman" because she knew women over 35 still wanted to look sharp.
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How to Find the Best High-Res Archives
If you’re a collector or just a fan looking for high-quality photos of Marlo Thomas, stay away from the blurry Pinterest reposts. Here’s where the real history lives:
- Getty Images Editorial: This is the gold mine. You can find everything from 1961 publicity portraits to her appearance at the 2025 Family Equality gala in New York.
- The St. Jude Archives: For the most heartfelt shots of her advocacy work, their official site has a timeline of her and her father’s legacy.
- ABC Photo Archives: This is where you find the crisp, original That Girl stills that haven't been filtered to death.
Next time you see a photo of her, remember she isn't just a face from the past. She’s a woman who took a "perky" stereotype and turned it into a lifelong career of power and philanthropy. That’s why we’re still talking about her.
To see the latest updates on her work, you can follow the official St. Jude "Thanks and Giving" social channels, where she still frequently shares video messages and behind-the-scenes glimpses of the hospital's mission. You might also want to check out her 2020 book What Makes a Marriage Last, which features some of the last professional portraits of her and Phil Donahue together.