 After marrying an Australian woman and visiting that country in 1976 he decided to make Australia his home.In 1977, while waiting tables at the Hyatt Kingsgate Sydney, Thompson received his first break into Australian television, when he was cast in the ongoing role of Toby Buxton in the soap opera "Number 96".At that time the once top-rated "Number 96" – which presented a heady mix of comedy, drama, melodrama and sex and nudity – was experiencing declining ratings so fought back by re-emphasising sexual situations and nudity.