On September 23, 2026, news broke that former child star Jonathan Taylor Thomas had been arrested two days earlier on charges of obstruction and public intoxication. He was released the next day. The report came as a shock to fans who hadn’t seen much of the former child star in recent years.
Thomas was one of the most popular teen idols of the 1990s. He rose to fame playing Randy Taylor, the son of TV host Tim Allen, Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor, on the popular sitcom Home Improvement. At the height of his fame, however, he began to step away from Hollywood, although he has returned from time to time – even reuniting with his former TV father on an ABC show. Last man standing.
Here’s everything you need to know about where Jonathan Taylor Thomas is today.
Who is Jonathan Taylor Thomas?
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Thomas was born in Bethlehem, Pa. on September 8, 1981. He started modeling before landing a Burger King commercial when he was 8 years old. From there, the idea of turning acting into a serious pursuit.
“I asked my mom and got her signed up for acting lessons,” Thomas told PEOPLE in 1994. “I just thought the whole idea of being on TV, being recognized and having a good time was exciting.”
The young man got a voice role as Spot in the American version of the English series The Adventures of Spotbased on the popular books. His first live television role was Kevin Brady, Greg’s son, in 1990 Bun Brady espionage The Salmon.
What is Jonathan Taylor Thomas famous for?
The Everett Collection
Thomas gained fame as the mischievous Randy Taylor, the middle son of a forward Home Improvement. That helped lead to his voice role of young Simba in The Lion King. The character’s conversations with Mufasa (James Earl Jones) and growing friendships with Timon (Nathan Lane) and Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella) largely immortalized JTT’s voice in pop culture.
He spent a lot of time moving between two sets, shooting his hit sitcom one minute and recording Simba’s lines the next.
“I had to go, ‘Oops! Time to be Randy’… Oops! Time to be Simba… You have to prepare yourself to be a completely different person. I mean, we’re not lions, right?” Thomas told PEOPLE at the time. “Simba is like me… I just channel my natural energy.
But his film career was just beginning. It wasn’t long until he had his own star vehicles, coheadlining Man of the House (1995) with Chevy Chase and Farrah Fawcett and playing none other than Tom Sawyer in Tom and Huck (1995). A few years later, he landed a lead role in a holiday road comedy I’ll be Home for Christmas (1998).
Why did Jonathan Taylor Thomas leave acting?
Buena Vista photos / courtesy of the Everett Collection
At the height of his success, Thomas left the industry, appearing in only three episodes of Home Improvementin its final season.
“I had been going non-stop since I was 8 years old,” he told PEOPLE in 2013. “I wanted to go to school, travel and get some rest.”
Thomas had few regrets about trading teenage fame for a more normal life. “I never took the fame too seriously. It was a good time in my life, but it doesn’t define me. When I think back on the time, I look at it with a wink. I focus on the good times I had, not that I was on a lot of magazine covers.”
He did not abandon acting completely, however, appearing as scattered guests Ally McBeal, Smallvilleand 8 Simple rules.
Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage
Thomas studied philosophy and history at Harvard before spending his third year abroad at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. In 2010, he graduated from Columbia University. He said he enjoyed the transition to student life after spending years in the showbiz spotlight.
“It was nice to sit in a big library among books and students,” he said. “It was a new experience for me.”
EW caught up with him in 2011, around his 30th birthday, to find out what he’s been up to.
“I’ve been going to school, and traveling a lot, getting to read a lot of books I’ve wanted for a long time,” he said. “I think at this point, I would love to work behind the camera eventually. That’s not to say I wouldn’t work again, I’m not sure to be honest.”
Where is Jonathan Taylor Thomas now?
Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock
Now in his 40s, Thomas lives a relatively quiet life these days, rarely appearing in public – although he seems to keep in touch with some of his peers and former charges. He and his teenage co-star Danielle Fishel – best known for playing the brainy Topanga forward Boy meets the world – date when they were younger and still friends.
As she told Complex in May 2025, the two had recently talked about a special couple of Home Improvement-branded Nikes that have become something of a nostalgic collector’s item.
“For their 100th episode, they made these sneakers and I literally texted Jonathan last night to see if he had them. He had no idea they had gone viral. “He said, ‘Yeah, I think I have them. They’re in a box somewhere, so the next thing on my agenda is to raid his attic.”
Craig Sjodin/ABC via Getty Images
As for his TV mom, Patricia Richardson, she’s still in touch with him – and says he’s still eyeing a future in Hollywood, just not in front of the camera.
“He’s not really interested in acting,” Richardson told the reporter Back to the best podcast. “He wants to direct and write.”
Tómas already has his feet wet in that regard, directing three programs of Last man standing. He even put his acting chops out there for a handful of appearances on the show – including one episode with Allen and Richardson.
In January 2025, Allen said that Thomas visited the set of his current sitcom, Gears of motionand wouldn’t rule out a JTT cameo in the future. “Everything is possible … he came back [to the last episode we filmed]. He showed up on set,” Allen said Every week. “He’s literally my baby. I raised that boy eight years ago Home Improvement.”
In July 2026, Richardson shared a photo on Instagram of herself posing with Thomas and costar Taran Noah Smith.
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Why was Jonathan Taylor Thomas arrested?
Thomas was arrested by police on September 21, 2026, in Westlake Village, California, and later arrested on charges of obstruction and public intoxication. He was released the next day.
According to a statement from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, authorities pulled over a vehicle that was stopped at an intersection despite a green light and obstructing traffic. Deputies said the driver was “acting strange” and appeared to be intoxicated. Thomas, identified by authorities under his birth name, Jonathan Weiss, was a passenger in the car and appeared drunk as well.
The statement claims that Thomas “constantly exited the vehicle and spoke to the deputies, distracting them from their investigation.” He also claims that Thomas “kicked the agent in the stomach” when deputies tried to detain him.
Thomas was then arrested, transported, and booked at the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station on these charges, and the driver, who has not been named, was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.
The case will be sent to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office for consideration of filing.