Image Credit: Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
As any woman in her mid-to-late twenties can attest, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, or JTT as he was known around the Teen Bop/Bop/Tiger Beat/Tiger Bop/Tiger Teens Beep Bop Ba Doop community, was a big deal growing up. You were either so entirely obsessed with the Home Improvement dreamboat that it was hard to tell where the JTT posters hanging in your bedroom ended and your actual wall paper began, or you had a best friend who did. (I was of the latter category. And as a true testament to how much I love my best friend, I actually accompanied her to see Wild America and Man of the House at the movies. After our parents dropped us off, of course.)
Still, no matter what your JTT affiliation, he was probably a vital part of your youth. So brace yourselves, as this will make us all feel incredibly old: The actor turns 30-years-old today! Yes, little Randy Taylor is all grown up and, sadly, much like he did to his Home Improvement parents, left us far behind. While Thomas, also known for providing the voices for Young Simba in The Lion King and Pinocchio in the super creepy 1996 adaptation The Adventures of Pinicchio, has been out of the spotlight for some time, there’s still a special place in our hearts — where first celebrity crushes reside — that never goes away. So, HBD JTT! In honor of your 30th birthday, we’ll dust off our VHS copy of Tom and Huck, have a good cry over your very special episode of Home Improvement, and write you a fan letter to the address provided in the back of BOP magazine.
What’s your fondest JTT memory, PopWatchers? Did you have a crush on him? Share your comments – -and birthday wishes — in the comments section below!
Read more:
‘Home Improvement’: Celebrating the heartwarming series… and, of course, JTT
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Impossible.
LOL
oh goodness when I was 9 or 10 I was all about JTT. I remembered in school it was all we could talk about. He was probably my first celebrity crush. Then he never seemed to grow over 5 foot. Alas poor JTT.
“Jonathan Taylor Thomas (nay, JTT)” LOL. Hilarious. First of all, it’s “née” (pronounced “nay”), but even then that revers to a person’s born name (“JTT, née Jonathan Taylor Thomas” is correct). But what you really mean is “aka” (“also known as” — Jonathan Taylor Thomas, aka JTT). It know it’s just ET (née Entertainment Weekly), but seriously… LOL.
… and yes, I know I should have spell-checked before criticizing others. lol. ; )
Yeah—but even so, you’re smarter than the intern-bot who wrote this.
Actually, what Aly means is nay, as in, “no”. As in, “no, let’s call him by the nickname we used 15 years ago when we were so obsessed with him that we thought giving him this cute nickname made it kind of like we knew him.” I love when people are so sure that they’re right they don’t bother to consider the fact that they might be wrong.
O’Snap: “Né” means “born.” His birth name wasn’t JTT. In fact, in this case, you’d have to say “né Jonathan Taylor Weiss.” (It would only be née, with two Es, if he were a woman.) But I think Aly means “nay” as in “no.”
@Cate – You’ve been an amusing addition to the game. Thanks for playing.
Is he the gay one or the one who does meth—I can never keep them straight.
LOL !!!!
Wow! He is an old fart.
As my day was bad, not I´m reminded of how old I´m. Thanks EW
what?????
As your post was bad, no I’m understanded of what say you’re. Thanks celeste
It’s a comment thread on EW. What did you want, grammar?
God forbid people actually try and form a complete sentence and thought using….ugh….GRAMMAR!?!? That’s the problem isn’t it?
Grammer got runned over by a raindeer.!
Yes, I would like some correct grammar. Dis ain’t EbonicsWeekly, yo.
One word is not spelled right. Get over it and go correct someone who really needs correcting
Holy crap. I was obsessed with him as a tween/young teen, and actually noted in my head today that it was his 30th birthday. Thanks, EW, for validating my nostalgia!
I used to know that this was his birthday too!- back in the day that is… I was more of a Devon Sawa (is that it?) fan. But yes, my room was COVERED with posters from Tiger Beat. Thanks for the throwback EW!
his voice, his eyes, his snarky comments, his attitude, his brain…. ahhhhh JTT I miss you!
It was in the eyes for me!! Bieber Fever fans have nothing on us JTT fans.
He is a pretty little thing, yes? You should see some of the more recent pics with his longer, curly hair. He looks great.
My JTT posters didn’t cover my walls, but I had a fairly decent collection on the back of my bedroom door. Ahh…memories.
Can’t believe he’s 30 though! Holy crap!
This is PERFECT! I was the obsessed one…luckily my BFF was obsessed with Brad Renfroe, so Tom and Huck was a constant at sleep overs.
Holy crap! that is how me and my best friend were! Even though I had every poster of JTT on my walls, I was actually crushing on Brad Renfro in Tom and Huck, and we would watch it and pretend they were our boyfriends…
That’s nothing, me and my best friend STILL do that……
Same with me a friend of mine. She was obsessed with Brad Renfro and I was obsessed with JTT. His posters were mixed with Jonathon Brandis (RIP) on my walk. You couldn’t see a spot of pink paint. I’m just glad that JTT has turned out to be a well-balanced person.
I loved him… I just watched Tom and Huck the other day. Haha
I wasn’t a fan, but I loved Brad Renfro, so Tom & Huck was a favorite. I should get that movie…RIP Brad.
I used to love JTT when I was a kid (I just turned 30 too so I always thought it was cool we were about the same age). I admit I got a little excited when I would see him on “8 Simple Rules…” or “Veronica Mars” in the past few years. P.S. I also watched “I’ll be Home for Christmas” just because he was in it.
I was just thinking I should watch that episode of VM in honor of JTT (And my love of Jason Dohring)
Plus, that was an awesome episode of VM! Now I need to get out the DVDs.
Most kids played “pin the tail on the donkey” at their birthdays…I played “pin the lips on JTT” …Funniest birthday game ever played. Happy Birthday JTT!!
That’s the best idea ever! Now I know what I’m doing for my next birthday…
This is FANTASTIC.
My sister went to high school with him and her locker was next to his. Even though, I’m three years older (than both JTT and my sister), I was secretly jealous!
i wrote him a fan letter back during the “home improvement” era. and got a stock autographed photo back. i still heart him.
Man of the House, The Lion King, Home Improvement, Tom and Huck (dusting off my copy today), Wild America, etc. And remember the two Disney jokes in Home Improvement? There’s the Halloween episode where Randy opens the door for Buzz Lightyear and Simba where he gave one to the “spaceman” and 7 for “the cute little lion.” Never fails to make me laugh. In the latter episode there was another joke about how it was great to be king when his baby cousin’s holding a Simba doll. Jonathan also did some great work in Common Ground and Walking Across Egypt. I hope he goes back to acting in some form. I was obsessed and my love for him still continues.
I loved Walking Across Egypt! I rented it over and over!
I also enjoyed Common Ground and Walking Across Egypt. He was also good in guest spots on Ally McBeal and 8 Simple Rules.
Are you guys doing another reunion issue? There are pics on another site of the Home Improvement cast reunited “for an upcoming EW issue”. JTT looks…different.
I just saw it on People!! AHH I would love a reunion issue!!
I wonder if it’s just an article on Tim Allen’s return to TV that includes a brief update on the Home Improvement cast..
is he gay ???
Yes he is a part of the reason why he left home improvement ….
No he is not. I read an article where he said he wasn’t but he did play a gay role in a movie. So everyone assume he was.
I have a feeling that he is, and not just because of the past rumors. If you read his profiles and current info online, there is never any mention of any significant other in his life or if he was or is currently seeing anyone. I know that’s no guarantee that he’s gay…but it does usually point towards something being kept quiet.
I never thought of that. Dang, you’re a good thinker!