Jonathan Taylor Thomas

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Jonathan Taylor Thomas
Jonathan Taylor Thomas.jpg
Thomas in 1998
Born Jonathan Taylor Weiss
(1981-09-08) September 8, 1981 (age 43)
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Occupation Actor, voice actor, director
Years active 1987–present

Jonathan Taylor Thomas (born Jonathan Taylor Weiss on September 8, 1981) is an American actor, voice actor, former child star, and teen idol. He is known for his roles as the middle child Randy Taylor on the ABC television series Home Improvement (1991-98), and as the voice of the young Simba in the Disney film The Lion King (1994).

Career

Television

Thomas began his television career in 1990, playing the role of Kevin, the son of Greg Brady, on The Bradys, a spin-off of the 1970s TV show The Brady Bunch. In 1991, Thomas appeared in three episodes of Fox's sketch comedy series In Living Color. That same year, he was cast as Randy Taylor on ABC's sitcom Home Improvement. Thomas remained with Home Improvement well into his teenage years, but left the show in 1998 to focus on academics.

In early 2004, Thomas had a guest role on 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter, another ABC sitcom, and appeared in the WB's Smallville in 2002 and 2004. In 2005, he appeared in UPN's high school detective drama Veronica Mars, and was also featured on The E! True Hollywood Story's show on Home Improvement.

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 with Tim Allen, his TV father from Home Improvement.[1] On January 10, 2015, Thomas again guest starred on twelfth episode of the fourth season of Last Man Standing, this time as Randy, reuniting with his TV parents from Home Improvement, Tim Allen and Patricia Richardson.[2]

Film

During his run on Home Improvement, Thomas voiced the young Simba in the 1994 Disney hit animated feature The Lion King, and played Pinocchio in the 1996 film adaptation of The Adventures of Pinocchio. He also starred in Disney live-action films such as Man of the House (1995), Tom and Huck (1995), and I'll Be Home for Christmas (1998).

Other films starring Thomas are Wild America (1997), Speedway Junky (1999), Walking Across Egypt (1999), and Common Ground (2000).

Personal life

Thomas was born Jonathan Taylor Weiss in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the son of Claudine (née Gonsalves), a personal manager and social worker, and Stephen Weiss, an industrial sales manager; the two divorced in 1991.[3] His uncle is playwright/actor Jeff Weiss.[4] Thomas is of Portuguese and Pennsylvania Dutch (German) ancestry.[5][6]

In 2000, he graduated with honors from Chaminade College Preparatory School in West Hills, California.[7][8] Upon graduation, he enrolled at Harvard University, where he studied philosophy and history and spent his third year abroad at St. Andrews University in Scotland.[9][10][11] In 2010, he graduated from the Columbia University School of General Studies.[12]

He has been a vegetarian for much of his life.[13][14]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1994 The Lion King Young Simba (voice)
1994 Pom Poko Shokichi (voice)
1995 Man of the House Ben Archer (Little Wing)
1995 Tom and Huck Tom Sawyer
1996 The Adventures of Pinocchio Pinocchio (voice)
1997 Wild America Marshall Stouffer
1998 I Woke Up Early the Day I Died Boy at Beach
1998 I'll Be Home for Christmas Jake Wilkinson
1999 Speedway Junky Steve
1999 Walking Across Egypt Wesley Benfield
2005 Tilt-A-Whirl Customer #3 Short film
2005 Thru the Moebius Strip Prince Ragis (voice)
2006 The Extra Director Short film

Television

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1987 The Adventures of Spot Spot (voice) TV series short
1990 The Bradys Kevin Brady Episode: "Start Your Engines/Here We Grow Again"
Episode: "Hat in the Ring"
1991 In Living Color Macaulay Culkin Episode: "Home Alone Again"
Episode: "The Jackson Bunch"
1991–1998 Home Improvement Randy Taylor 179 episodes
1993 In Living Color Episode: "Forever Silky"
1994 The Itsy Bitsy Spider George (voice) Episode: "Spider Sense"
1996 The Oz Kids Scarecrow Jr (voice) TV series
2000 Common Ground Tobias Anderson TV movie
2000 Ally McBeal Chris Emerson Episode: "Do You Wanna Dance?"
2000 The Wild Thornberrys Tyler Tucker (voice) 5 episodes
2000 The Tangerine Bear: Home in Time for Christmas! Tangie (voice) Video
2000 Timothy Tweedle the First Christmas Elf Timothy Tweedle TV movie
2001 An American Town Rafe TV movie
2002 Smallville Ian Randall Episode: "Dichotic"
2003 The Simpsons Luke Stetson (voice) Episode: "Dude, Where's My Ranch?"
2004 Smallville Ian Randall Episode: "Asylum"
2004 8 Simple Rules Jeremy 3 episodes
2005 Veronica Mars Ben Episode: "Weapons of Class Destruction"
2013–2015 Last Man Standing John Baker/Randy Episode: "College Girl"
Episode: "Ryan vs. John Baker"
Episode: "Tasers"
Episode: "Helen Potts"

Video games

Video games
Year Title Role
1996 The Adventures of Pinocchio Human Pinocchio (voice)

Awards and nominations

Wins

Nominations

References

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  11. Jonathan Taylor Thomas - Biography
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External links

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