Jonathan Taylor Thomas’ rise to fame was a very fast one. As a child actor, he dabbled for a short time before catapulting to fame when he clinched the role Randy Taylor on the hit sitcom Home Improvement. His smile was innocently enchanting, his hair was lush and shiny, and his nonchalant persona made him an intriguing addiction to fans across the globe.
Quickly becoming a fan favorite, Jonathan threw himself into the role of Randy and crammed in his school schedule while filling Randy’s big shoes on the show. After eight straight seasons of dedication to his role, Jonathan Taylor Thomas said goodbye to his character, and just as quickly as he rose to fame, the light dimmed on his character and he quietly faded out of the spotlight. Here’s what he did next…
8 His First Big Move… Was Attending Private School
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilrftjPYpuw
It wasn’t a huge secret that Jonathan was going to leave the show. During a series of interviews, at the height of his fame, he mentioned he didn’t enjoy the celebrity status that was connected to fame, and that he had his heart set on advancing his education.
Sticking to his guns, he did just that. According to The List, “Thomas didn’t go to any old school — he attended three elite universities.” He attended Harvard University, then moved all the way to Scotland to study at St. Andrews University, and finally settled in at Columbia University’s School of General Studies.
He loved being able to dedicate his time to bettering his education and enjoyed being able to focus on his studies, rather than being forced to juggle schoolwork and memorizing lines for his role on Home Improvement.
7 ‘The Wild Thornberrys’
Prior to leaving Home Improvement, Jonathan had voiced Simba in Disney’s The Lion King and saw huge success. In the year 2000, he decided to continue down that path and joined the television show The Wild Thornberry’s in the capacity of lending his voice to the cartoon.
Thomas’ role was taking over the voice of Tyler Tucker and was a six episode assignment. He seemed to enjoy it but not enough to throw himself into an ongoing recurring role that would tie him down to a long term contract.
6 ‘Smallville’
In 2002, Jonathan Taylor Thomas returned to the small screen by gracing the cast of Smallville with his presence. He first appeared to play the role of Ian Randall in Season 2 of the show. He played a character that had the bizarre ability of being able to “create copies of himself.”
Copy himself, he did. Thomas ended up coming back in Season 3, as well.
Once again, he seemed to leave as quickly as he arrived, and after the Season 2 appearance, Jonathan Taylor Thomas faded away from the set of Smallville for the last time.
5 ‘8 Simple Rules’
Seemingly following a pattern of reappearing in the public sphere every two years, 2004 saw the resurgence of Jonathan Taylor Thomas to the small screen, once again.
This time, he surprised fans by appearing on the hit show 8 Simple Rules. Thomas played the part of Jeremy, straying from the usual roles that had him playing adorable, popular characters. Instead, he took on the persona of Jeremy, a nerdy fellow that is paired up with the lead actress in the show, Bridget. He somehow manages to spark her attention after they shared time working on a science project together.
He stayed on for a total of three episodes, and once again… he was gone.
4 ‘Veronica Mars’
Veronica Mars was released as a mystery television drama series. The premise of the show was based on a popular high school student named Veronica who becomes deeply troubled after learning of the murder of her closest friend. She takes it upon herself to become a “murder sleuth” and goes on a crime-solving spree. In Season 1, Episode 18, Veronica collides with Jonathan Taylor Thomas who joins the show as a student by the name of Ben.
Veronica suspects that Ben is connected to some bomb threats that had been made within the community and chases clues that lead in his direction.
This role took place in 2005, but sadly, he only appeared in that singular episode and never returned to this show again.
3 ‘The Last Man Standing’
Through all of this time, Jonathan Taylor Thomas’ appearances on the small screen had nothing to do with Home Improvement, and in fact, he failed to finish his final year on the show or even return for the series finale of the show. This proved to be a sore point for his television family, as he had stated he needed a break from television, yet returned to spotlight a series of other shows… but not Home Improvement.
There was a shift in 2013 that saw Thomas reunite with his Home Improvement co-stars. ABC’s Last Man Standing was the platform that brought them back together. He played the role of John Baker in 3 episodes, one of which involved a few moments of clever banter that played on words and referenced his previous relationship with Tim Allen’s character.
The List reports that when their two characters met, they exchanged phrases such as; “Man, you look familiar,” and “That kid was raised right,” which of course poked fun at their previous father and son relationship on Home Improvement.
2 Taking Over The Director’s Chair
Jonathan Taylor Thomas resisted staying in front of the cameras and certainly despise the click of paparazzi cameras during the height of his career. However, one thing became increasingly clear over the years, and that was his love for being behind the camera, working on Hollywood sets in a very different capacity.
Thomas enjoyed being in the director’s chair, and actually took this passion to the next level by directing three episodes of The Last Man Standing, showing his Home Improvement family that there was more than meets the eye, where his talents were concerned.
He went on to direct other projects and seemed much more comfortable behind the camera than in front of it.
1 A Position On The Board
After thoroughly enjoying being in the director’s chair, sources reveal that Jonathan Taylor Thomas explored other aspects of life behind the lens as well. He began producing and writing and was soon elected to sit on the SAG-AFTRA National Board.
The board advocates for the rights and missions of a variety of different types of entertainers and represents over 160,000 talented individuals.
Jonathan Taylor Thomas’ executive position on the board has been a fabulous way for him to merge his education with the world of acting, in a completely different spectrum.
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