Jonathan Taylor Thomas was the end-all and be-all of ’90s teen idols.
Not only didhe star in major TV and movie hits, but he was also a serious heartthrob.
The soft, raspy voice?
He even took home aFavorite Television Actor winat the Kids' Choice Awards in 1998.
Did he finally decide to put his own happiness first?
Did the fame get to be too much?
Did he always have other plans for his life?
Read on and discover what really happened to Jonathan Taylor Thomas.
“I’ve always been this fly-fishing nut,” he said toThe Morning Callin 1996.
It wasn’t long, though, before the fishing nut turned into a serious star.
He also somehow fit in time to hang out with friends, which was important to him.
I’m just Jonathan."
I can’t tell you how many shows I’ve done with full-blown migraine headaches."
He note, “But we saw him onHome Improvementand just thought his voice was right.
It gives him a very distinctive character.”
“Simba’s like me,” Thomas said in the samePeoplearticle.
“Real curious, fun-loving, always getting into mischief.”
He spent long hours in front of the microphone to bring Simba to life.
Jonathan Taylor Thomas hated being called JTT
While Jonathan Taylor Thomas loved acting, he hated fame.
The young star even hated being on all the magazine covers.
But he went on to say that he was exhausted from being swarmed by fans.
In that sameinterview with O’Brien, he said, “I’m over that.
I’ve always been over that.”
He was always very clear on his long-term career goals and they didn’t include acting.
He was already preparing for his exit.
He said, “Every job has an end.
I mean, it’s not the end of your life!
you’re free to’t base your life around one thing.”
Because sometime it’ll change, and I’ll have my education to fall back on."
Thomas' practical approach to stardom was just one display of his general level-headedness.
I don’t think it’s a good idea that he didn’t show up."
He said it was about going to school, but then he did some films.
Did he want to do films?
Did he want to go to school?"
Did Jonathan Taylor Thomas' mom have something to do with his exit?
Jonathan Taylor Thomas' mom, Claudine, has always been close with her son.
Did he feel pressure from his mom to bow out of showbiz?
There’s no evidence to support this idea at all.
But Jonathan Taylor Thomas didn’t go to any old school he attended three elite universities.
Thomas started his scholastic journey at Harvard University.
He then spent a year studying abroad at St. Andrews University in St. Andrews, Scotland.
The Wild Thornberrysaired on Nickelodeon from 1998 to 2004.
Thomas’six-episode arcwas in the show’s third season in 2000.
He played Tyler Tucker, Eliza’s cousin.
Jonathan Taylor Thomas also popped up on hit TV shows likeSmallville,8 Simple Rules, andVeronica Mars.
OnSmallville, Thomas played Ian Randall, a metahuman with the power to create copies of himself.
The three episodes originally aired in 2004.
Then, in 2005, Thomas guest-starred in one episode ofVeronica Mars.
Thomas' first guest appearance onLast Man Standingwas in 2013.
In that episode, Thomas briefly played a different character: Randy, her son.
JTT taking a turn in the director’s chair isn’t surprising.
He first gave fans a clue he had directorial hopes back in 1996, when he was just 13.
Thomas was even telling his friends about his plans to direct.
Jonathan Taylor Thomas has also pursued producing and writing.
Jonathan Taylor Thomas regrets nothing
Jonathan Taylor Thomas doesn’t regret leaving the spotlight.
He wanted to go to school, see the world, and try new things.
And that’s just what he did.
The actor has no social media accounts none that are available to the public, at least.
No one is even exactly sure where he lives.
“I never took the fame too seriously,” he said in the samePeopleinterview.
“It was a great period in my life, but it doesn’t define me.”
He noted, “When I think back on the time, I look at it with a wink.
