What's Really Up With Jonathan Taylor Thomas And If He'll Ever Act Again (2024)

Throughout the ‘90s, Home Improvement was one of the most popular sitcoms on television and it remains beloved to this day. As a result, there are still lots of people who don't really understand why Home Improvement was canceled to this day.When looking back at Home Improvement's legacy, there is no doubt that the show's main star was Tim Allen. Despite that, loads of people who were coming of age during the height of Home Improvement's popularity were a lot more interested in one of the show's other stars, Jonathan Taylor Thomas.Related: Is 'Assembly Required' The 'Home Improvement' Spin-Off We Need?In the years since Home Improvement ended, two of the show's main child stars have sadly gone through some really tough times. On the other hand, the show's most talked about former child star, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, mostly disappeared from the public eye.Since Jonathan Taylor Thomas once was considered to be one of the biggest teen idols in the world, it still seems strange that he has been missing in action for so long. For that reason, many of Jonathan Taylor Thomas' former fans want to know what really happened to him.

What Happened When Jonathan Taylor Thomas Left Home Improvement?

When Home Improvement debuted on television in 1991, most of the show's viewers saw its three child stars as a group. As the show progressed, however, all three actors were able to differentiate themselves and their characters.Related: Every Major Thing Macaulay Culkin Has Done Since 'Home Alone'

Of course, it didn't take too long for Jonathan Taylor Thomas to become Home Improvement's breakout young star. For that reason, it was a big blow to Home Improvement when Taylor Thomas decided not to star in the final season of Home Improvement. Worse yet, JTT refused to appear in the show's finale episode.

While a star leaving a show early is fairly normal, Jonathan Taylor Thomas' Home Improvement departure caused a lot of drama at the time.

At the time it was announced that Jonathan Taylor Thomas was leaving Home Improvement, it was explained that his departure was so he could go to school. After leaving Home Improvement, Jonathan Taylor Thomas went on to attend Harvard, the University of St Andrews, and Columbia.

Before Jonathan Taylor Thomas went off to school, however, he agreed to star in a few movies. As a result, Tim Allen expressed his confusion in public. TV Guide later reported that Allen's comments were the reason why JTT didn't appear in the Home Improvement finale.

For TV Guide's article about Jonathan Taylor Thomas' absence from the Home Improvement finale, they spoke to Tim Allen and Patricia Richardson. Both actors had some revealing things to say on the subject with Richardson admitting that Home Improvement's cast felt frustrated.

“It’s a pretty sore point around here. I think there were a lot of bad feelings all along. I don’t think it’s a good idea that he didn’t show up, but I don’t always think he gets the best advice.” For his part, Tim Allen was open to his role in the situation.

"He was a little miffed at me. I was a little confused at why he didn’t want to do this whole year. He said it was about going to school, but then he did some films. Did he want to do films? Did he want to go to school? It got mixed up in the translation. I mentioned [publicly] that I was confused. I don’t think he liked that.”

What Is Jonathan Taylor Thomas' Life Like Now?

Since he became an adult, there has never been any indication that Jonathan Taylor Thomas has any desire to become a full-time actor once again. That is all the more interesting since Taylor Thomas reportedly still has a sizable fortune from his acting days so he must know how lucrative a full-time acting return has the potential to be.

Related: How Does Jonathan Taylor Thomas's Net Worth Compare To Other Teen Stars Of The 90s?

Despite the fact that Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Tim Allen didn't see eye to eye when Home Improvement came to an end, the two former co-stars clearly have made peace. After all, Taylor Thomas' only acting credit since leaving school is appearing in four episodes of Allen's show Last Man Standing.

In 2013, Tim Allen spoke to Yahoo Entertainment about working with his former TV son Jonathan Taylor Thomas again. During that conversation, Allen said something that likely is the best explanation for why Taylor Thomas has seemingly given up acting.

According to Tim Allen, Jonathan Taylor Thomas has become shy since his days starring in Home Improvement.

"But he's so shy. It's funny to see him so shy, so nervous. He worried whether he still had it, and he didn't want to do this because he's had other stuff in mind. But they asked him, and he agreed to it. I was shocked, because as I said, he's just shy."

Even though it has been years since Jonathan Taylor Thomas' last acting credit, that doesn't mean he has completely put the entertainment business behind him. After directing three episodes of Last Man Standing, it became clear that Taylor Thomas is more comfortable behind the scenes.

While Jonathan Taylor Thomas' last directing credit stems from 2016, the following year his peers elected him to the SAG-AFTRA National Board. As of this writing, Taylor Thomas is still listed as a member of the SAG-AFTRA National Board on the union's official website.