Jonathan Taylor Thomas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jonathan Taylor Thomas
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Thomas in 1998
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| Born |
Jonathan Taylor Weiss
September 8, 1981 Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Education | Harvard University Columbia University (BA) University of St Andrews |
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| Years active | 1990–2006, 2013–2016 |
| Relatives | Jeff Weiss (uncle) |
Jonathan Taylor Thomas (born September 8, 1981) is an American actor and director. He became famous for playing Randy Taylor on the TV show Home Improvement. Many people also know his voice as young Simba in Disney's 1994 movie The Lion King. He also voiced Pinocchio in the 1996 film The Adventures of Pinocchio.
Contents
About Jonathan's Early Life and School
Jonathan Taylor Thomas was born on September 8, 1981, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. His family later moved to Sacramento, California, and then to Los Angeles. His uncle, Jeff Weiss, was also an actor and writer. Jonathan has family roots from Pennsylvania Dutch and Portuguese backgrounds.
After his acting career, Jonathan focused on school. In 2000, he started studying philosophy and history at Harvard University. He even spent a year studying abroad in Scotland at the University of St Andrews. Later, in 2010, he graduated from Columbia University.
Jonathan's Acting Career
Starting Out in Television
Jonathan began acting on TV in 1990. His first role was Kevin Brady in The Bradys, a show that continued the story of The Brady Bunch. In 1991, he appeared in a few episodes of the comedy show In Living Color.
That same year, he got a big role as Randy Taylor on the ABC sitcom Home Improvement. He played the middle son in the Taylor family. Even though he looked younger, Jonathan was actually a month older than Zachery Ty Bryan, who played his older brother, Brad. Jonathan stayed on Home Improvement for many years. He left the show in 1998 to focus on his studies. He only appeared in three episodes of the final season.
After Home Improvement, Jonathan acted less often. In 2004, he had a small part in another ABC sitcom called 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter. He also appeared in Smallville in 2002 and 2004. In 2005, he was on the show Veronica Mars.
Jonathan reunited with his TV dad, Tim Allen, on the show Last Man Standing. He guest-starred in 2013 and 2015. In 2015, he also reunited with his TV mom from Home Improvement, Patricia Richardson, on the same show.
Jonathan also worked behind the scenes. He directed three episodes of Last Man Standing between 2013 and 2016. Since 2017, he has been a board member for SAG-AFTRA, which is a union for actors and media professionals.
Jonathan's Film Roles
Jonathan appeared in many movies while he was on Home Improvement and afterward. He was a voice actor in some of his early films. One of his most famous voice roles was young Simba in Disney's animated movie The Lion King.
He also starred in live-action films. These included Disney movies like Man of the House, Tom and Huck, and I'll Be Home for Christmas. Other live-action films he starred in were The Adventures of Pinocchio (where he voiced and played the main character), Wild America, Speedway Junky, and Walking Across Egypt.
Jonathan's Film and TV Appearances
Movies
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | The Lion King | Young Simba | Voice role |
| Pom Poko | Shoukichi | Voice role (2005 Disney dub) | |
| 1995 | Man of the House | Ben Archer | |
| Tom and Huck | Tom Sawyer | ||
| 1996 | The Adventures of Pinocchio | Pinocchio | Voice role |
| 1997 | Wild America | Marshall Stouffer | |
| 1998 | I Woke Up Early the Day I Died | Boy at Beach | |
| I'll Be Home for Christmas | Jake Wilkinson | ||
| The Emperor's New Clothes: An All-Star Illustrated Retelling of the Classic Fairy Tale | The Imperial Prince | Voice role | |
| 1999 | Speedway Junky | Steve | |
| Walking Across Egypt | Wesley Benfield | ||
| 2000 | Common Ground | Tobias Anderson | |
| The Tangerine Bear: Home in Time for Christmas! | Tangie | Voice role; TV movie | |
| Timothy Tweedle the First Christmas Elf | Timothy Tweedle | TV movie | |
| 2001 | An American Town | Rafe | |
| 2005 | Tilt-A-Whirl | Customer #3 | Short film |
| Thru the Moebius Strip | Prince Ragis | Voice role |
Television Shows
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989–1993 | The Adventures of Spot | Spot | Voice role; 26 episodes |
| 1990 | The Bradys | Kevin Brady | 5 episodes |
| 1991 | In Living Color | Macaulay Culkin | 1 episode |
| 1991–1998 | Home Improvement | Randy Taylor | 179 episodes |
| 1994 | The Itsy Bitsy Spider | George | Voice role; Episode: "Spider Sense" |
| 1996 | The Oz Kids | Scarecrow Jr. | Voice role |
| 2000 | Ally McBeal | Chris Emerson | Episode: "Do You Wanna Dance?" |
| 2000–2001 | The Wild Thornberrys | Tyler Tucker | Voice role; 6 episodes |
| 2002–2004 | Smallville | Ian Randall | 2 episodes |
| 2003 | The Simpsons | Luke Stetson | Voice role; Episode: "Dude, Where's My Ranch?" |
| 2004 | 8 Simple Rules | Jeremy | 3 episodes |
| 2005 | Veronica Mars | Ben | Episode: "Weapons of Class Destruction" |
| 2013–2015 | Last Man Standing | John Baker / Randy | 4 episodes |
Video Games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | The Adventures of Pinocchio | Human Pinocchio | |
| 2006 | Kingdom Hearts II | Young Simba | Archive audio |
Directing Work
| Year | Title | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | The Extra | Director | Short film |
| 2013–2016 | Last Man Standing | 3 episodes |
Awards and Nominations
Jonathan Taylor Thomas has won several awards for his acting:
Awards Jonathan Won
- 1994 – Young Artist Awards for Best Young Group in a TV Series (Home Improvement)
- 1996 – ShoWest Convention: Young Star of the Year Award
- 1997 – Young Artist Awards for Best Voiceover Performance by a Young Artist (The Adventures of Pinocchio)
- 1998 – Kids' Choice Awards: Favorite Television Actor (Home Improvement)
- 1999 – Kids' Choice Awards: Hall of Fame Award
Awards Jonathan Was Nominated For
- 1993 – Young Artist Awards for Best Young Actor in a TV Series (Home Improvement)
- 1995 – Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films: Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor (The Lion King)
- 1995 – Young Artist Awards for Best Voiceover Performance by a Young Actor (The Lion King)
- 1996 – Young Artist Awards for Best Young Leading Actor in a Movie (Tom and Huck)
- 1996 – Kids' Choice Awards: Favorite Movie Actor (Tom and Huck)
- 1997 – Kids' Choice Awards: Favorite Television Actor (Home Improvement)
- 1997 – Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films: Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor (The Adventures of Pinocchio)
- 1997 – YoungStar Awards for Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Comedy TV Series (Home Improvement)
- 1997 – YoungStar Awards for Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Comedy Film (Tom and Huck)
- 1998 – YoungStar Awards for Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Comedy TV Series (Home Improvement)
- 1999 – Kids' Choice Awards: Favorite TV Actor (Home Improvement)
See also
In Spanish: Jonathan Taylor Thomas para niños
