“Needs No Improvement”
Jonathan Taylor Thomas plays Randy on Home Improvement.
He also was the voice of Simba the cub in The Lion King. Now he plays Tom Sawyer in the new movie, Tom & Huck. NICKELODEON MAGAZINE talked to Jonathan on the Movie Couch.
Nickelodeon Magazine: What was it like to be young Simba’s voice in The Lion King?
Jonathan Taylor Thomas: It was a blast. When you do voice-over, you aren’t working with other actors. You’re alone, and you have to use your imagination.
NM: Did you watch the movie while you were recording your voice-over?
JTT: No, I just read from the script. I was videotaped recording my lines. Then those videotapes were sent to the animators so they could see my expressions. It helps them animate the character. It’s an amazing process, and it took me about a year and a half.
NM: When you saw The Lion King in the theater, was it strange to hear your voice coming out of Simba’s mouth?
JTT: Yes. My mom said Simba the cub had a lot of my facial expressions. Years from now I’ll watch it with my grandkids, and they’ll see how I was when I was young.
NM: Did you like making Tom & Huck?
JTT: Yes. Mark Twain is the best author in American literature. I went to Mark Twain’s house before I did the movie. Huck Finn is loosely based on an actual person from his childhood. Tom Sawyer is a combination of three people from his childhood in Hannibal, Missouri.
NM: Did you film the movie in Missouri?
JTT: No, we filmed it in Mooresville, Alabama. We had a tornado go through our set while we were filming.
NM: Did it do any damage?
JTT: It took down some of the trees on the set. Luckily, we got out of there before that happened.
NM: Did any other odd things happen down there?
JTT: The weather was very hot and humid. I took my final exams in the back of a cave because it was 50 degrees in there. I had to take my final exams with a flashlight. There were also a lot of bugs. Big bugs. The bugs were tough to deal with.
NM: You’re going to star in Carlo Collodi’s Pinocchio this summer. In a fight between Pinocchio and Simba, who would win?
JTT: Well, Simba has claws and Pinocchio is made out of wood, so Simba would probably win.
NM: How did “JTT” start?
JTT: I have no clue. I think it came from people not wanting to write “Jonathan Taylor Thomas” each time the name was written in print. I don’t mind it.
NM: Do you go online?
JTT: No, but there are people who go online and pretend to be me. A lot of wrong information has been put out about me online by people saying they are me.
NM: Is there someone famous you really want to meet?
JTT: Ron Howard. He’s my idol. It’s hard to be a kid in this business. He defied all the odds as a child actor and became a successful director.
NM: On Home Improvement, what is the biggest difference between you and your character, Randy?
JTT: Randy gets into a lot more trouble than I do.
NM: Are you handy around the house?
JTT: I am not Mr. Handy. I can fix some stuff. I work with my fishing stuff all the time, taking it apart.
NM: You like to fish. Why did you start?
JTT: It was some bug that bit me when I was a kid. I like getting outdoors in the mountains where there aren’t a lot of people.
NM: What is the biggest fish you’ve ever caught?
JTT: A 70-pound halibut in Alaska.
NM: What is the weirdest thing you’ve ever caught?
JTT: A 20-pound orange starfish in Alaska. This thing had 16 arms and it caught onto my hook. I threw it back. I throw most of my fish back.
NM: What’s the best part of being famous?
JTT: I get to travel and meet people. You learn a lot by meeting different people from different cultures.
NM: What’s the worst part?
JTT: It’s difficult when you want to go out somewhere. It makes it tough on the family.
NM: Do you have a good luck charm?
JTT: My family. I have a great mom. She gives so much of herself to others. I couldn’t do anything without her. My brother is also incredibly supportive. They are the whole reason why I am here.
P.S.
Birthday: September 8, 1981
Pets: Two cats, Simba and Sami, and a dog, Mac
Favorite snack: Green olives
Favorite sock color: White
Favorite dessert: Apple pie á la mode
Innie or outie? Innie
Crunchy or smooth peanut butter? Smooth
Favorite cheese: Feta
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