Harry M. Brittenham, widely known as Skip Brittenham, was an influential American entertainment attorney and the husband of actress Heather Thomas. While Thomas gained fame through the television series The Fall Guy, Brittenham built a powerful reputation behind the scenes in Hollywood, negotiating contracts for major actors, filmmakers, and entertainment companies.
His career included landmark deals involving Pixar, DreamWorks, and some of the industry’s biggest stars. Brittenham died on July 17, 2025, at age 83, leaving behind a distinguished professional legacy and a family that included his wife, three daughters, and four grandchildren.
Harry M. “Skip” Brittenham was an influential Hollywood entertainment lawyer and co-founder of Ziffren Brittenham LLP. He married The Fall Guy actress Heather Thomas in 1992 and had three daughters, Kristina Lynn, Shauna Leigh, and India Rose. Brittenham died on July 17, 2025, at age 83; no cause was publicly disclosed.
Family Profile
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Harry M. Brittenham |
| Known As | Skip Brittenham |
| Date of Birth | September 6, 1941 |
| Birthplace | Port Huron, Michigan, United States |
| Date of Death | July 17, 2025 |
| Age at Death | 83 years |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Entertainment attorney, businessman, and writer |
| Education | United States Air Force Academy; UCLA School of Law |
| Famous Spouse | Heather Thomas |
| Marriage | October 1992 – July 2025 |
| Children | Kristina Lynn, Shauna Leigh, and India Rose Brittenham |
| Law Firm | Ziffren Brittenham LLP |
| Notable Creative Work | Anomaly (2012 graphic novel) |
| Other Interests | Fly fishing, conservation, and philanthropy |
Who Was Harry M. Brittenham?
Brittenham was a Hollywood power broker whose influence lay in the contracts he arranged. He negotiated agreements for performers, executives, studios, and production companies, determining how stars shared in profits and how productions were financed.
In 1978, he co-founded Ziffren Brittenham with attorney Ken Ziffren. The firm developed into a leading entertainment practice, and Brittenham eventually held the title of partner emeritus. His clients over the years included Harrison Ford, Eddie Murphy, Henry Winkler, and prominent filmmakers and media executives. He generally worked outside the publicity surrounding his clients.
According to his official Ziffren Brittenham biography, he helped reshape entertainment agreements covering film distribution, television productions, corporate acquisitions, and emerging digital media. Ziffren Brittenham LLP
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Early Life, Military Service, and Legal Education
Born in Port Huron, Michigan, on September 6, 1941, Brittenham was the eldest son of an Air Force fighter pilot. His father’s military career kept the family moving, and Brittenham hoped to follow him. He entered the United States Air Force Academy with the ambition of becoming a pilot.
That plan changed in 1963, shortly before graduation, when a squash-racket accident damaged his eye. Without the vision required for pilot training, Brittenham pursued another specialty. He spent four years negotiating contracts for the Air Force, work that offered an early introduction to the skills he would later use in entertainment.
He subsequently studied at the UCLA School of Law, graduating in 1970. He joined Kaplan, Livingston, Goodwin, Berkowitz & Selvin, a Los Angeles entertainment law firm. In a 2005 Los Angeles Times profile, the newspaper described how the young lawyer took on an early movie negotiation for filmmaker Larry Cohen, who became one of his longtime clients. Los Angeles Times
The Deals That Made Skip Brittenham Influential
Brittenham’s reputation accelerated after he began representing Henry Winkler in 1974, when the actor was appearing on Happy Days. As Winkler’s popularity grew, Brittenham helped negotiate an agreement that allowed him to participate in the show’s financial success. That approach became his specialty.
Known as a “backend deal,” this type of arrangement gives a performer or creator a share of a project’s earnings rather than relying exclusively on an upfront fee. Brittenham and his colleagues helped make similar arrangements for television figures including Ted Danson and Tom Selleck. Such deals changed how stars shared in their success.
His later work stretched well beyond individual actors. He helped structure an early Pixar distribution arrangement with Disney in 1991 and participated in major transactions involving DreamWorks and Miramax. He was also involved in the restructuring that separated DreamWorks Animation from its live-action counterpart. That work demanded expertise beyond talent contracts.
The scale of his work was extraordinary: his law firm’s biography says the aggregate value of transactions involving him averaged more than $1 billion annually over his final decade of major dealmaking. That figure describes the value of deals, however, not his personal earnings.
Heather Thomas and Harry M. Brittenham’s Marriage
Brittenham married Heather Thomas in October 1992. Thomas was already recognizable to American television viewers as Jody Banks, the stuntwoman character she played opposite Lee Majors in The Fall Guy. She later pursued writing and activism as well as occasional screen appearances.
The couple’s marriage connected two different sides of the entertainment business. Thomas had experienced the public demands placed on a performer, while her husband worked with the financial and contractual decisions that shaped entertainment careers. Their family life surfaced occasionally in reporting about his work.
A 2005 newspaper profile described humorous holiday cards designed by Thomas and noted that Brittenham often left his office by early evening to spend time with his children. That contrasted with his demanding negotiations. Their marriage lasted more than 32 years, ending with his death in 2025.
Harry M. Brittenham’s Children: Kristina, Shauna, and India
Brittenham was the father of three daughters: Kristina Lynn, Shauna Leigh, and India Rose Brittenham. The older two were from an earlier marriage, while India was his daughter with Heather Thomas. India was born in 2000. All three daughters were identified by name in the law firm’s memorial statement.
Thomas has spoken publicly about the experience of helping raise a blended family. In an interview on the 80s TV Ladies podcast, she discussed trying to teach her daughters kindness, responsibility, and respect while navigating the practical challenges of stepparenting. Her comments offer direct context for the family’s values without requiring speculation about the daughters’ individual lives. 80stvladies.com
Kristina and Shauna are sometimes identified in online searches simply because they share the Brittenham surname. His obituary documents those relationships. His survivors also included four grandchildren and his brother, Bud.
Writing, Fly Fishing, and Conservation
Although his professional life centered on contracts, Brittenham also developed a creative career. In 2012, he co-wrote the science-fiction graphic novel Anomaly with artist Brian Haberlin. The book paired illustrations with augmented-reality technology.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, he explained that a challenge from Thomas encouraged him to explore his creative side. Rather than merely lending his name to a project, he worked on its story and financed the venture himself. It was a striking departure for someone whose everyday work generally supported the creative ambitions of others. Los Angeles Times
Fly fishing was another serious commitment. He represented the United States in three World Fly Fishing Championships, according to a memorial published by Lawdragon. His enthusiasm for the outdoors also complemented his environmental work. He served on the board of Conservation International and received the organization’s Heroes of Conservation Award. Lawdragon
He also supported other charitable causes, investing time in creativity, conservation, and family.
Harry M. Brittenham’s Net Worth
Searches for Harry M. Brittenham’s net worth often produce large figures, but a dependable public accounting of his personal assets has not emerged from the major reporting on his life. Major transactions do not establish a personal fortune.
It is especially important not to confuse the billion-dollar value of projects he helped negotiate with the money he personally owned. Attorneys may advise on transactions worth enormous sums without receiving those sums themselves. Any precise fortune attributed to him should therefore be treated cautiously unless backed by credible financial documentation.
Harry M. Brittenham’s Age, Death, and Cause of Death
Brittenham died on July 17, 2025, at 83. Born in September 1941, he was several weeks short of his 84th birthday. Ziffren Brittenham confirmed his death.
The Los Angeles Times reported on July 21, 2025 that his firm had not disclosed a cause of death. That is the appropriate answer to searches about Harry M. Brittenham’s cause of death: the publicly reported announcement did not identify one. Speculation about an illness or other specific circumstances would go beyond the available evidence. Los Angeles Times
Although a Television Academy database entry lists differing biographical dates, contemporary July 17 reporting and the published memorial support September 6, 1941, as his birth date and July 17, 2025, as his death date.
By the time of his death, his firm recognized him as a founding partner and partner emeritus. Colleagues remembered a determined negotiator who cultivated lasting professional relationships.
Conclusion
Harry M. Brittenham was more than Heather Thomas’ husband. He was a major Hollywood dealmaker who helped transform entertainment contracts, a father of three, and a man deeply involved in creative work and conservation. His death in 2025 ended a long career, but the transactions he shaped and the family he left behind remain central to his story.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who was Harry M. Brittenham’s wife?
Harry M. Brittenham was married to actress Heather Thomas, best known for playing Jody Banks in The Fall Guy. The couple married in October 1992 and remained together until Brittenham’s death in July 2025.
2. How many children did Harry M. Brittenham have?
He had three daughters: Kristina Lynn, Shauna Leigh, and India Rose Brittenham. Kristina and Shauna were from an earlier marriage, while India Rose was his daughter with Heather Thomas.
3. What was Harry M. Brittenham’s net worth?
His exact net worth has not been established through dependable public financial disclosures. Although he negotiated entertainment transactions worth billions of dollars over his career, those deal values should not be confused with his personal fortune.
4. How old was Harry M. Brittenham when he died?
Harry M. Brittenham was 83 years old when he died on July 17, 2025. He was born on September 6, 1941, in Port Huron, Michigan, and would have turned 84 in September 2025.
5. What was Harry M. Brittenham’s cause of death?
Brittenham’s cause of death was not publicly disclosed in the announcement reported by major news organizations. His death was confirmed on July 17, 2025, by the entertainment law firm he co-founded, Ziffren Brittenham LLP.
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