Jonathan Taylor Thomas | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Thomas in 1998 | |
| Born | Jonathan Taylor Weiss (1981-09-08)September 8, 1981 (age 44) Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Education | Harvard University Columbia University (BA) University of St Andrews |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1990–2006, 2013–2016 |
| Relatives | Jeff Weiss (uncle) |
Jonathan Taylor Thomas (né Weiss; born September 8, 1981)[1] is an American actor and director. He is known for portrayingRandy Taylor onHome Improvement (1991–1998) andPinocchio in the filmThe Adventures of Pinocchio (1996), and voicing youngSimba in the animated filmThe Lion King (1994).
Thomas was born Jonathan Taylor Weiss on September 8, 1981, inBethlehem, Pennsylvania to Claudine (née Gonsalves) and Stephen Weiss,[2] and later moved toSacramento, California, and then toLos Angeles.[1][3] He has an older brother, Joel (born in 1978), who works forTexas–Pan American Broncs as an assistant coach for the men's basketball team inEdinburg, Texas.[4][2] Thomas's paternal uncle was playwright and actorJeff Weiss (1940–2022).[5][6] Thomas hasPennsylvania Dutch andPortuguese ancestry.[7][8] His parents divorced when he was 10.[2]
In 2000, Thomas enrolled atHarvard University, where he studied philosophy and history and spent his third year abroad at theUniversity of St Andrews in Scotland.[9][failed verification] In 2010, he graduated from theSchool of General Studies atColumbia University.[10]
Thomas began his television career in 1990, playing the role of Kevin Brady, the son ofGreg Brady, onThe Bradys, a spin-off of the 1970s TV showThe Brady Bunch. In 1991, Thomas appeared in three episodes ofFox'ssketch comedy seriesIn Living Color. That same year, he was cast as middle son Randy Taylor onABC'ssitcomHome Improvement. Despite looking much younger, in reality, Thomas was a month older thanZachery Ty Bryan who played his elder brother Brad. Thomas remained withHome Improvement well into his teenage years but left the show in 1998 to focus on academics, and was only involved in three episodes of the final season.
Since departingHome Improvement, Thomas has acted only occasionally. In early 2004, he had a small guest role on8 Simple Rules, another ABC sitcom, and appeared in theWB'sSmallville in 2002 and 2004. In 2005, Thomas appeared inUPN's high school detective dramaVeronica Mars and was also featured onThe E! True Hollywood Story's episode onHome Improvement.[11]
On March 22, 2013, Thomas guest-starred on the second-season finale of his third ABC sitcom,Last Man Standing, and again in the fourth episode of the third season on October 11, 2013, reuniting withTim Allen, his TV father fromHome Improvement.[12] On January 10, 2015, he had a small cameo on the twelfth episode of the fourth season ofLast Man Standing, reuniting with both of his TV parents fromHome Improvement, Tim Allen andPatricia Richardson.[13]
Thomas directed three episodes ofLast Man Standing between 2013 and 2016.[14]
Since 2017, Thomas has served as a national board member of the media labor unionSAG-AFTRA.[15]
Thomas appeared in many films during and after his run onHome Improvement. He had a few roles as a voice actor in his child years, includingDisney's animated featureThe Lion King, in which he voiced the protagonistSimba as a cub.
He also appeared in live-action films. Among the ones he starred in are those from Disney:Man of the House,Tom and Huck, andI'll Be Home for Christmas. Other live-action films starring Thomas are an adaptation ofThe Adventures of Pinocchio (in which he played and voiced the titular character),Wild America,Speedway Junky, andWalking Across Egypt.
| 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 |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989–1993 | The Adventures of Spot | Spot | Voice role; 26 episodes; (1989–1993 American version) |
| 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 |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | The Adventures of Pinocchio | Human Pinocchio | |
| 2006 | Kingdom Hearts II | Young Simba | Archive audio |
| Year | Title | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | The Extra | Director | Short film |
| 2013–2016 | Last Man Standing | 3 episodes |
