He Needed A Break After Acting Non-Stop Since The Age Of 8
Jonathan Taylor Thomas became a famous child actor at 8 years old. Starring in The Bradys as Kevin Brady and Home Improvement as Randy Taylor, his early years were consumed by his career. He kept the two major TV sitcom roles until 1998 when he left Home Improvement.
As a teenager, Thomas felt he needed to take time to pursue other things in life. After a seven-year run on Home Improvement, he quit the show to focus on his studies.
He Wanted To Go To School And Travel
Being under the shackles of a full-time TV show like Home Improvement gave Thomas little time to explore his other interests. Finishing his education and taking some time to travel and see the world were very important to Thomas. Leaving the show in 1998, he took a hard break from acting to focus on his studies.
Thomas coupled his education with travel. He enrolled at Harvard University and traveled to the University of St Andrews in Scotland, where he studied with fellow heartthrob Prince William.
He Never Took His Fame Too Seriously And Didn’t Want It To Define Him
Thomas never took the fame that came with acting and subsequently becoming a ’90s heartthrob “too seriously.” He humbly tries to brush off the fact that he was a sitcom superstar. To him, it was a fun ride, but a famous actor simply wasn’t something that he wanted to become.
Looking back on his early acting years, Thomas remembers them with fondness. In the end, however, it didn’t suit him. He likes to think of the good times he had instead of the spotlight.
He Never Appreciated His ‘JTT’ Nickname
Jonathan Taylor Thomas became known by the nickname “JTT,” and he could never quite outgrow it. Although his abbreviated title is much less of a mouthful, he never really liked it at all.
In 1998, he was interviewed by comedy host Conan O’Brien and opened up about his disdain. When the quirky talk show host asked him about it, Thomas simply said, “I’ve always been over that.”
Patricia Richardson Claims He Once Mentioned Wanting To Be A Politician
While acting on Home Improvement, Jonathan Taylor Thomas opened up to fellow actor Patricia Richardson, who played Jill Taylor. According to Richardson, Thomas mentioned that he had his eye on politics as a potential future career.
While at Harvard, Thomas studied both philosophy and history. He hasn’t talked about whether or not his Harvard education was part of his political grand plan, and he hasn’t participated in any political stints, but even as a young actor he had high goals.
As A Young Actor In The ’90s, He Had To Constantly Dodge Rumors About His Sexuality
Even though Thomas was on the cover of teen magazines everywhere for several years, the young actor kept his personal life pretty under wraps. Because he never blatantly displayed any relationships he might have had, he found himself dodging questions about his sexuality. From tabloids to talk shows, Thomas faced an array of awkward situations.
During a 1998 appearance on Jay Leno, the talk show host wouldn’t drop the topic of his sexuality, attempting to get Thomas to come out as gay on TV. In print, journalists tried to use the roles he chose as evidence that the teen star was gay.
He Said Both School and Acting Would Have Put Him In An ‘Early Grave’
For many ’90s kids, Jonathan Taylor Thomas might have seemed like an unstoppable force, but Thomas himself claims otherwise. He admits that the challenge of both work and school would have been too much for him.
The nonstop academic work that came with acting proved to consume too much of his time, and he eventually decided that both would ultimately break him. At the 1999 Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards, he even went as far as to say it would have put him in an “early grave.” The next year, he was accepted into Harvard.
He Attended Harvard And Received His Degree From Columbia University
In 1998, when Jonathan Taylor Thomas left Home Improvement for good, he didn’t do it on a whim. Deciding that he wanted to pursue other careers, he changed his focus to his educational success. Upon leaving the show, he dove head-first into academia.
Taking his studies all the way to the top, he was accepted into Harvard University in 2000. He eventually finished his degree and graduated from Columbia University in 2010.
He Said In 2013 That He Doesn’t Regret Walking Away From Acting
Even though Jonathan Taylor Thomas threw in the towel on his acting fame, he doesn’t regret the decision. Turning away from the cameras and focusing on his pursuit of higher education, Thomas welcomed the new chapter in his life with open arms.
In 2013, he opened up about what is was like growing up as a child star and how it affected his future. At the center of media attention since he was 8 years old, the teenage Thomas needed to get away from the spotlight in order to pursue what he really wanted in life.
Even after he stepped down from sitcoms, Thomas continued to employ his acting talents elsewhere. While in college, Thomas appeared on shows such as Ally McBeal, Smallville, and Veronica Mars.
Thomas also took a swing at voice acting, after already having played Simba in Disney’s The Lion King. He can be heard in animated works like The Simpsons and The Wild Thornberrys.
He Eventually Started Working On Projects Behind The Camera
Just because Jonathan Taylor Thomas isn’t actively acting doesn’t mean that he’s keeping his hands out of Hollywood. As of 2019, he keeps himself busy writing scripts and directing. He even directed three episodes of his former co-star Tim Allen’s sitcom, Last Man Standing.
Thomas has entertained the idea of directing other sitcoms, and he admits that one of his goals is to join the Director’s Guild of America. His dream is to become the next Ron Howard, according to Premiere magazine.
He Made A Guest Appearance On Tim Allen’s Sitcom ‘Last Man Standing’ In 2013
Reuniting with his former TV sitcom dad, Jonathan Taylor Thomas joined Tim Allen for a surprise guest appearance on Allen’s show, Last Man Standing, in 2013. During the episode, Thomas and Allen exchange banter and crack jokes about their previous, seven-year stint on Home Improvement.
Jonathan Taylor Thomas came back to join Allen multiple times on set, and even stuck around to direct some of the episodes. While he’s not totally back in the sitcom biz, Thomas still lingers around where he’s comfortable.
