Inside EGOT's Backstory: From 'Miami Vice's Philip Michael Thomas to '30 Rock's Trophy Acronym Tribute

etonline.com:

star nearly 40 years ago. Coined by actor Philip Michael Thomas, best known for playing Ricardo Tubbs on the ‘80s TV phenomenon, the acronym stands for Emmy, GRAMMY, Oscar and Tony awards.

Whoopi Goldberg, John Legend, Rita Moreno and Mel Brooks are just a handful of talents who’ve picked up all four illustrious honors.

In June, Jennifer Hudson became the 17th person to join the EGOT club. To kick off awards season, ET is breaking down the timeline from EGOT's unexpected origin story to its present-day status as entertainment's most coveted titles.One month after hit the airwaves, Thomas was already making plans for his burgeoning career.

As he saw it, combining four of entertainment’s biggest awards into one easy to remember acronym was an empirical way to measure success in Hollywood.“[In January], I put a plan in motion, which I call 'EGOT,” he explained to ET on the Florida set in October 1984. “And EGOT is ‘E’ for Emmy, ‘G’ for GRAMMY, ‘O’ for Oscar and ‘T’ for Tony.