Jonathan Taylor Thomas Biography

Fast Facts

• Received the first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards in 1999
• Won a ShoWest Convention Award for Young Star of the Year in 1996
• Studied philosophy and history at Harvard University and spent a year at St․ Andrews University in Scotland before graduating from Columbia University in 2010
• Made his screen acting debut as the voice of the title character in the TV series "The Adventures of Spot" in 1987
• Quote: "I never took the fame too seriously․ It was a great period 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 moments I had, not that I was on a lot of magazine covers․"
• Quote: "I think it's bad that celebrities are put up on pedestals․․․Just because you appear on TV or in movies doesn't make you [better than] any other person․․․if I'm not helping people, then it's not worth idolizing me․"
• Quote: "An education is a more surefire guarantee that you have possibilities opened to you․"
• Well known for his role as Randy Taylor in "Home Improvement" and as the voice of Simba in "The Lion King․"
• Continued to do voice-over work after "The Lion King," working on projects like the English dub of the Studio Ghibli film "Pom Poko" and the animated series "The Wild Thornberrys․"
• Has been a strict vegetarian from a very young age
• Reunited with his TV dad, Tim Allen, on Allen's family comedy series "Last Man Standing" in 2013