With the 2019 remake of the hit Disney animation film, Lion King, it’s incredibly hard to forget how its 1994 original version stole many hearts. Jonathan Taylor Thomas voiced the character of young Simba in the original movie and has loads of other works to his credit. They include playing Randy Taylor in the ABC sitcom, Home Improvement, which he is also well known for; starring in The Bradys, Wild America, Speedway Junky, Walking Across Egypt, and many more.
To top all of these, he has been awarded the ShoWest Award for Young Star of the Year, Young Artist Awards for Best Performance in a Voiceover, Kids’ Choice Hall of Fame Award among others. Yes, you can totally regard Jonathan as one of the teen sweethearts of the 90s. Find out what he is up to currently and other facts about the star.
Family Background Of Jonathan Taylor Thomas
Also known as JTT, he was born Jonathan Taylor Weiss in September 1981. His hometown is Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, U.S. He is the second son of his parents. His mother Claudine is a personal manager as well as a social worker. His dad on the other hand whose name is Stephen works as an industrial sales manager. Jonathan’s parents terminated their marital union in 1991.
Jonathan Taylor Thomas has a brother named Joel Thomas Weiss. Did you know that Jonathan’s acting gift is in his blood? His uncle is a renowned playwright and actor named Jeff Weiss. Jonathan is of Dutch, German, and Portuguese heritage. He and his family relocated to California from Bethlehem when he was just 4 years old.
Which Projects Made JTT Famous?
Jonathan Taylor Thomas made his debut appearance on television in The Bradys (1990), playing the role of Kevin Brady, Greg Brady’s son. In 1991, he appeared in two episodes of a comedy series titled In Living Color. From 1991 to 1998, Taylor acted as Randy Taylor in an ABC sitcom, Home Improvement, which earned him fame. After this, he announced a break from acting to focus on his education.
From 2000 to 2004, Thomas appeared in an episode of The Wild Thornberrys and Smallville respectively. He also appeared in an ABC sitcom titled 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter in 2004 amongst others. Taylor went off-screen again and reappeared as a guest star in season two of Last Man Standing; that was in 2013. Respectively, he also made guest appearances in seasons 3 and 4 of the show in October 2013 and January 2015.
As a voice artist, his film projects include the Disney animation, The Lion King, and Thru the Moebius Strip. His voice roles on television include The Adventures of Spot and The Simpsons. Jonathan Taylor has also voiced for video games like The Adventures of Pinocchio and Kingdom Hearts II.
The actor has also starred in other films that are pretty popular like Wild America, Common Ground, Disney’s Man of the House, I’ll Be Home for Christmas, and Tom and Huck.
What Has JTT Been Up To Since His Hiatus?
It sounds very fulfilling to be rich, famous, and successful at a very young age but moving into the 2000s, Jonathan Taylor Thomas chose to bury himself in a chase of intellectual rigor which caused him to take a hiatus from Hollywood.
He finished Chaminade College Prep in West Hills, California with honors. Following this, he enrolled at Harvard University where he studied philosophy and history. During his third year at Harvard, JTT decided to study abroad. He spent some time at St Andrews University in Scotland.
The Home Improvement star kept up with his academic journey until 2000 when he graduated from the School of General Studies of Columbia University.
Where Is Jonathan Taylor Thomas Now?
In 2018, news of his death spread like wildfire on social media but was later debunked in 2019 as another fake celebrity death news. Jonathan is alive and has indulged himself in activities revolving around the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists union.
Meanwhile, Jonathan never completely walked away from Hollywood. He has been exploring his directing talent for quite a while now, albeit away from the spotlight. Sometime in 2013, he made a guest appearance on the show Last Man Standing, which he also directed. Also, he directed a short film titled The Extra in 2016.
His Relationship Life
Way back in 2007, the child actor was rumored to have romantically hit things up with a woman named Natalie Wright. Little is known about her. The two subsequently got engaged, but reports would later make the rounds that the couple went their separate ways later that same year. Regarding whether he has had any other intimate partners, nothing is known.
Are The Gay Rumours About Him True?
This is one of the rumors Jonathan has had to deal with in his career. Though he has clearly established that his love for privacy is second to none, fans cannot help but pry. The guy rumors about him started circulating right after his portrayal of a gay character in Common Ground. To further fuel the rumors, Jonathan Taylor Thomas played the role of a bisexual Speedway Junky.
He once commented on the speculations about his sexuality, specifying that his sexual orientation in real life is different from those of his characters in films. This didn’t help matters, in fact, a lot of people upheld he isn’t straight after Chelsea Handler, the host of Chelsea Lately, referred to him as gay in 2011.
