Jonathan Taylor Thomas was born Jonathan Taylor Weiss on September 8, 1981, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to Claudine (Gonsalves) and Stephen Weiss. He has an older brother, Joel, and is proud of his Pennsylvania Dutch (German) and Portuguese ancestry.
Growing up, Jonathan developed a fondness for the music group Boyz II Men, and his favorite TV shows were Roseanne (1988) and Grace Under Fire (1993). He also enjoyed staying informed about current events by watching CNN news.
Jonathan is a dedicated vegetarian, having made the decision to follow a plant-based diet at the tender age of four. He is also committed to not supporting products tested on animals, believing it to be morally wrong to cause harm to any living being.
When Jonathan was just four years old, his family relocated from Bethlehem to Sacramento, California. By the age of seven, he was already working as a model for print advertisements in Sacramento. Over the next few years, he appeared in TV commercials for Kellogg's cereal, Mattel toys, and numerous other products.
As he grew older, Jonathan began to seek out more substantial roles. In 1989, he landed the part of Kevin Brady, the son of Greg Brady, in the TV special The Bradys (1990). Then, in 1990, he secured his most significant role to date as Randy Taylor on the popular TV show Home Improvement (1991). What set Jonathan apart from other aspiring actors was his uncanny resemblance to his TV dad-to-be, Tim Allen.
Tragedy struck in 1991 when Jonathan's parents divorced. He went on to live with his mother and brother, continuing to work in feature-length films. He voiced the character of young Simba in Disney's The Lion King (1994) and appeared alongside Chevy Chase in Man of the House (1995). His other notable film roles include Tom and Huck (1995),The Adventures of Pinocchio (1996),Wild America (1997),and I'll Be Home for Christmas (1998).
