JONATHAN TAYLOR THOMAS / ACTOR
By Steve Hochman
Los Angeles Times
November 15, 1998 12 AM PT
Jonathan Taylor Thomas left TV’s “Home Improvement” to focus on school, but his fans can catch his familiar, family-oriented comedy skills in the Disney movie “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” For a switch, though, the 17-year-old also took an unfamiliar casting as a tough street kid in “Speedway Junkie,” a gritty indie coming next year with Gus Van Sant as executive producer.
MOVIN’ ON: “It’s not easy to walk away from a place you’ve been for almost eight years of your life--and eight impressionable years. This is my junior year of high school, the big year colleges look at, and I’ve got three Advanced Placement classes. I have to be a student and can’t work 65 hours a week as well.”
GROWIN’ UP: “What I’m choosing to do as an actor is in flux. I have to be more selective, and at 17 I want to do more adult material. That’s where the good roles are. ‘Speedway Junkie’ gave me an opportunity to show people I can do other things, and was a real eye-opener for me.”
FORMER CHILD STAR: “I like Ron Howard as a person and like what he’s done--good choices he’s made in his life. I’ve followed what he’s done, and Jodie Foster as well. Would love to work with either of them.”
DREAM ROLE: “A year ago I really wanted to play Holden Caulfield from ‘A Catcher in the Rye.’ But I don’t think J.D. Salinger is likely to give up the rights to that.”
RATED R: “I wouldn’t recommend young kids to see ‘Speedway Junkie.’ It’s definitely an age-appropriate movie, dark and realistic and edgy. If young kids want to see me, go see the Christmas movie.”
VERSATILITY: “I don’t want to say I’ll only do one type of movie. If I can make the good, funny comedies, great, but I want to do drama as well. I like actors who can do both--Tom Hanks, Nicolas Cage, Robin Williams.”
TEEN POWER: “I see a lot of the teenage romantic comedies, the ‘90s teenage angst, trials and tribulations. Like ‘Can’t Hardly Wait.’ The studio people all of a sudden realized that teenagers go see movies. Every Friday night that’s what 13- to 18-year-olds do, at least where I’m from.”
AMBITION: “If I found the time I’d definitely sit down and write my own stuff. It’s just a matter of finding the time to put pen to paper. I’d like to write and direct and produce, ultimately.”
