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One of the longest reigning and most popular teeny bopper idols of the 1990s, Jonathan Taylor Thomas first found favor playing the son of Tim Allen on ABC's long-running, phenomenally popular sitcom Home Improvement. With a mop of dull-blonde hair and a dimpled, impish grin, it is small wonder that he captured the hearts of young girls across the country. With help from a lucrative contract from Disney, he broke into feature films, voicing the young Simba in The Lion King (1994). He made his live-action feature-film debut opposite Farrah Fawcett and Chevy Chase in the family comedy Man of the House (1995).

He was born in Bethlehem, PA, but raised in Sacramento, CA, after the age of four. Before starting grade school, he was a locally popular child model. This led to national exposure and appearances in commercials for such companies as Burger King. The youth made his acting debut on the short-lived resuscitation of The Brady Bunch playing the son of Greg Brady. The show immediately sank into oblivion, but it did open doors for the young actor, who next landed the role of wiseacre son Randy on Home Improvement. In the years to come, Thomas would remain active on screen, appearing on shows like The Wild Thornberrys and 8 Simple Rules.