1999 Newspaper Article "Common Ground"

Ex-‘Home Improvement’ star not worried about gay role.

New York (AP) — Jonathan Taylor Thomas says he’s not concerned about whether rumors will surface about his sexuality because he plays a gay character in an upcoming cable TV movie.

“I’m playing a role. I’m not gay,” the 18-year-old said in the Jan. 29 issue of TV Guide. “I’m not going to sacrifice the opportunity to play a great part just because the character is gay.”

Thomas, who gained fame on the sitcom “Home Improvement,” said he is not worried at all about what people might think of his character in the Showtime movie “Common Ground.”

“At some point, every male actor in Hollywood has been (rumored to be) gay,” he says. “I just (got) it when I was 16, but hopefully it’s done with now.”