What happened to Home Improvement's Jonathan Taylor Thomas? The 90s tween heartthrob also voiced Simba in The Lion King before trading Hollywood for Harvard – but could he be coming back?
Jonathan Taylor Thomas was one of the biggest
child stars of the 90s. Famous for his role as Randy Taylor on American sitcom Home Improvement and for providing the voice of young Simba in The Lion King, JTT, as he was known, was everywhere during his tween and teen years. But after a whirlwind of fame, he effectively quit Hollywood in the early 2000s, trading the limelight for a much quieter existence.
Now, at 43, Thomas still keeps things low-key, rarely making public appearances. According to Page Six, his last public sighting was in 2023, when he went to a local convenience store to buy a coffee. It was a rare glimpse of the former heartthrob who has remained a mystery to fans for years.
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As for his personal life? True to form, Thomas has kept those details firmly under wraps. Not one to engage with tabloid culture, there's no word on whether he's in a relationship or has children.
So, who exactly is Jonathan Taylor Thomas, and what has he been up to since his screen days?
Jonathan Taylor Thomas started acting when he was 10
Mission Impossible actor Martin Landau (left) with Jonathan Taylor Thomas, who starred together in 1996 film The Adventures of Pinocchio. Photo: AP
Thomas first captured the hearts of TV audiences in 1991 when he joined the Home Improvement cast, aged just 10. Playing Randy Taylor, the middle son of Tim Allen's character Tim 'The Tool Man' Taylor, Thomas became a household name. Per his IMDB profile, he also lent his voice to young Simba in Disney's The Lion King in 1994.
By the time he was in his teens, Thomas had starred in family-friendly films such as Man of the House (1995) with
Chevy Chase and Farrah Fawcett, and I'll Be Home for Christmas (1998) alongside
Jessica Biel , and appeared on the covers of countless teen magazines.
He stepped back from the spotlight in the late 1990s
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