Jonathan Taylor Thomas

Background

Jonathan Taylor Thomas began acting in 1987 at age seven. He was born in Pennsylvania shortly before his family moved to Sacramento, California. He eventually moved to Los Angeles with his mom and brother to pursue his acting career.

His roles in the animation film “The Lion King” and A.B.C.’s weekly T.V. sitcom “Home Improvement” thrust him into the limelight. Beginning his television career in 1990, Thomas played Kevin Brady, son of Greg Brady, on “The Bradys,” the spin-off of the popular 1970s T.V. show, “The Brady Bunch.” The following year, Thomas appeared in three episodes of the sketch comedy series “In Living Color” and landed the role of Randy Taylor on “Home Improvement.” This role made him instantly famous at only 10 years of age. Thomas’s shaggy hair, blue eyes, and bright smile quickly turned him into a teen idol with millions of fans. He became so famous that he was featured on practically every magazine cover in the 1990s.

Thomas stepped away from the spotlight at the decade’s end. After leaving “Home Improvement” in 1998 to focus on school, he didn’t look for leading parts in other productions. Instead, he landed guest spots on “Veronica Mars” and “ Simple Rules” and voiced a character for six episodes of “The Wild Thornberrys.” After this, he again kept a low profile until he appeared on the sitcom “Last Man Standing” between 2013 and 2015. He starred in four episodes of the series and directed three. Thomas also chose to turn down bigger film offers, including “American Pie.” Although he fell off the radar in his later years, fans still remember him, fondly referring to him as ‘J.T.T.’