Jonathan Taylor Thomas: A Bundle Of Dynamite!
By Anne M. Raso.
Teen Magazine (?)
Published 1993
Jonathan Taylor Thomas, who plays Randy Taylor on Home Improvement, was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA, and moved with his family to Sacramento, California seven years ago. A child model and commercial performer, Jonathan has appeared in national spots for Burger King, Canon camcorders, and Kellogg’s cereals, among others.
Jonathan has most recently worked as the voice of young Simba, a young lion, in Walt Disney Pictures’ The Lion King, an animated film scheduled for release in the summer of 1994.
His first television acting role was as the son of Greg Brady in the recent comedy special The Brady’s. He has also appeared in industrial films and played a double role as Tiny Tim and young Scrooge at the Chatauqua Theater in Sacramento.
Jonathan, 12, is an avid sport fisherman who has enjoyed many stream, lake and ocean catches. Last summer, he went to Alaska and brought in several halibut, the largest weighing over 60 pounds. He is also active in sports, especially soccer, basketball and snow skiing.
Here’s the results of our recent chat with the charmin’ child star…whose acting skills are improving by the minute (not that they weren’t great to begin with!).
Q. This is a weird question, but you’ve been acting for a long time even though you’re only 12. Do you think you’ve had a normal childhood?
Jonathan: Well, I think I’m normal. (Laughs.) I hope other people think I’m normal, too! I do normal kid things, anyway…sports, watch TV, talk on the phone. I’m a great fisherman, I think…or I try to be one. I’m patient…you’ve got to have a lot of patience to be a good fisherman.
Q. It sounds like you’re a real “he man” — especially for a 12-year-old. What is your relationship with your mom like?
Jonathan: She’s great. She takes care of my business stuff, but she’s not a stage mom. She watches out for me—keeps me “normal” as you say. She makes sure I don’t slack off on my homework and is always asking the tutor how I’m doing! But I get good grades. She doesn’t have to worry.
Q. You’ve got [a] lot of projects going on outside Home Improvement…like the Disney movie coming out next summer, The Lion King…and then you’re doing that two-part home video cartoon series, Spot The Dog, where you’re doing the voice of Spot…
Jonathan: And I’m doing a cartoon series that’s premiering real soon on the USA Network called Itsy Bitsy Spider.
Q. Wow! You’ve as much a cartoon character as you are a “real life” actor. By the way, I think it’s a real honor to be the voice of Spot The Dog. If there ever was a classic character in Children’ Fiction, it was good old Spot.
Jonathan: It’s an educational cartoon, so that makes me proud. Spot has taught millions of kids to read over the years.
Q. How do you find time to keep in touch with your friends?
Jonathan: Well, there is “down time” on the set where they don’t need me for a few hours and that’s when I go into my dressing room and phone up my friends.
Q. Are most of your friends actors or regular kids?
Jonathan: Some are in the business, some aren’t.
Q. Don’t you find you have more to talk about with kids who are in the business?
Jonathan: Not really. I have enough interests that I can find things to talk about with all kinds of kids my age.
Q. Do you find any jealousy coming from kids who knew you before you were on Home Improvement?
Jonathan: If they are jealous, I can’t really see it. A real friend is someone who’s on your side through good and bad times—and is happy for you when the times are good.
Q. This is a really silly question, but when you did the Burger King commercials, did you have to eat a lot of burgers?
Jonathan: Yeah, I think Burger King is great—but you don’t want to eat hamburgers for two weeks after doing one of those commercials. (Laughs.)
Q. Do you hope to do movies in the future?
Jonathan: Yep. I want to branch out and do lots of stuff—drama, comedy, you name it.
Q. You played young Scrooge in a theatre production. Are you cheap in real life?
Jonathan: No, just the opposite. When I’m in the toy store with my mom, I want to buy everything and my mom says, “Do you really need that?!” (Laughs.) I get greedy in the video game section.
Q. If a genie was here right now and you could have one just one wish, what would it be?
Jonathan: Just for everyone to be happy. I think that if everyone in the world was happy, all of the problems would be gone. But I have to admit, I would ask the genie why I wasn’t getting three wishes. I’d feel ripped off. (Laughs.)
Q. What would the other two be?
Jonathan: To go on a month long marlin fishing trip off some island somewhere and for Home Improvement to go ten more seasons. (Laughs.)
Q. Where can fans [write] you?
Jonathan: Write me c/o Home Improvement, Touchstone Television, 500 South Buena Vista Street, Burbank, CA 91521. I love to get mail!
Photo: Tali Paz / Shooting Star
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