What time is it? Tool time! ‘Home Improvement’ was one of the most beloved sitcoms of the 1990s. So, where are Tim Allen, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, and more after all these years?
Home Improvement premiered in September 1991 and became an instant hit. The ABC sitcom made a superstar out of Tim Allen, who starred as Tim “The Toolman” Taylor. The series followed the trials and tribulations of Tim as he hosted his home improvement show Tool Time and raised his three boys. The show ran for eight seasons before coming to an end in 1999.
This means it's been over 20 years since the last episode of Home Improvement, and yet most of the cast remains close. Many of Tim’s former co-stars have popped up on his latest show, Last Man Standing, for reunions. From their movies and TV shows since Home Improvement to their personal lives, HollywoodLife has the latest on what the cast is up to these days.
Tim Allen
Tim Allen played Tim “The Toolman” Taylor. (Everett Collection)
Tim Allen, 67, starred as Tim “The Toolman” Taylor on Home Improvement from 1991 to 1999. The series kicked off Tim’s acting career. Tim earned five Golden Globe nominations for his performance and won Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy in 1995. During Home Improvement’s run, Tim began voicing the role of Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story franchise and starred as Scott Calvin/Santa Claus in The Santa Clause films.
He also starred in Jungle 2 Jungle, Galaxy Quest, Big Trouble, Christmas with the Kranks, Wild Hogs, El Camino Christmas, and more. He is currently starring as Mike Baxter on the ABC/FOX sitcom Last Man Standing. The show will come to an end in 2021 after nine seasons.
Tim was married to Laura Deibel from 1984 to 2003. They legally separated in 1999. They have a daughter, Katherine, together. Tim married Jane Hajduk in 2006 after five years of dating. Their daughter, Elizabeth, was born in 2009.
Patricia Richardson
Patricia Richardson, 70, starred as Jill Taylor for all eight seasons of Home Improvement. She was cast in the role just three months after giving birth to twins. For her role as Jill Taylor, Patricia was nominated for four Emmys and two Golden Globes. She was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award in 1997 for her performance in Ulee’s Gold.
She went on to star as Dr. Andy Campbell in the series Strong Medicine from 2002 to 2005. She played Sheila Brooks in nine episodes of The West Wing in 2005 and 2006. Patricia has starred in a number of TV movies over the years, including Bringing Ashley Home, Chance at Romance, Snow Bride, and more. She reunited with Tim Allen for two episodes of Last Man Standing.
Patricia was married to Ray Baker from 1982 to 1995. They have three children together. In 2002, she was living with her boyfriend at the time, retired psychologist Mark Cline, according to People.
Jonathan Taylor Thomas
Jonathan Taylor Thomas played Randy Taylor. (Everett Collection/Shutterstock)
Jonathan Taylor Thomas, 39, starred as Randy Taylor on Home Improvement. Jonathan was one of the most in-demand young stars of the 1990s. He voiced young Simba in the 1994 Disney film The Lion King and Pinocchio in the 1996 film The Adventures of Pinocchio. Jonathan also starred in live-action films like Man of the House, Tom and Huck, and I’ll Be Home for Christmas.
JTT left the show in 1998 to focus on school. His last episode aired in December 1998. He graduated from Chaminade College Preparatory School in 2000 and studied philosophy and history at Harvard University. He graduated from the Columbia University School of General Studies in 2010.
After Home Improvement, Jonathan went on to appear in several TV shows and movies. His notable TV credits include guest-starring roles on 8 Simple Rules, Ally McBeal, Smallville, and Veronica Mars. He resurfaced on television in 2013 for the first time since 2005. He reunited with Tim Allen on Last Man Standing for four episodes that aired from 2013 to 2015. Jonathan also directed three episodes of the show. Jonathan is very private, so not much is known about his personal life.
RELATED VIDEO: Jonathan Taylor Thomas Looks Unrecognizable in First Photos Taken of '90s Heartthrob in Years
Zachery Ty Bryan
Zachery Ty Bryan starred as Brad Taylor. (Everett Collection/Shutterstock)
Zachery Ty Bryan, 39, starred as the oldest Taylor kid, Brad Taylor, on Home Improvement. He was a main cast member for all eight seasons. During Home Improvement, Zachery appeared in an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in 1995 and the 1996 movie First Kid. Since Home Improvement, he’s made appearances on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Smallville, Veronica Mars, Burn Notice, and more. Zachery starred in films like True Heart, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, and more. His latest TV project was the 2009 TV movie Thor: Hammer of the Gods. He was a producer of The Grief Tourist in 2012.
The actor married Carly Matros in 2007. They have four children together: twins Taylor and Gemma, Jordana, and Pierce. In October 2020, Zachery was arrested for allegedly choking his current girlfriend in Oregon, according to Us Weekly. Zachery pled guilty to “menacing — constituting domestic violence, and assault in the fourth degree — constituting domestic violence” in February 2021, TODAY reported.
Taran Noah Smith
Taran Noah Smith played Mark Taylor. (Everett Collection)
Taran Noah Smith, 36, starred as the youngest Taylor son, Mark Taylor. Taran had just one role following Home Improvement, a guest-starring voice role in a 1999 episode of Batman Beyond. Taran quit acting after that. He married Heidi van Pelt in 2001 when he was just 17 years old. She was 33 years old at the time. When he was 18, he gained control of his $1.5 million trust fund and accused his parents of squandering his fortune, according to Variety. After Home Improvement, Taran ran a vegan restaurant and catering company called PlayFood. Taran and Heidi divorced in 2007. As of 2019, Taran was working for the Community Submersibles Project as the Technical Manager.
Richard Karn
Richard Karn played Al Borland. (Everett Collection)
Richard Karn, 65, starred as Al Borland throughout the eight seasons of Home Improvement. After the show ended in 1999, Richard went on to host the game show Family Feud from 2002 to 2006. He also hosted the game show Bingo America for one season in 2008. Like many of his Home Improvement co-stars, Richard has appeared on Tim Allen’s show Last Man Standing. He also guest-starred on shows like True Jackson, VP and The Bold and the Beautiful.
He played Fred Peters in five episodes of the critically-acclaimed Hulu series PEN15. He is currently one of the co-hosts of the History Channel series Assembly Required, alongside Tim and April Wilkerson. Richard has been married to Tudi Roche since 1985. They have a son named Cooper.
Debbe Dunning
Debbe Dunning played Heidi Keppert. (Everett Collection)
Debbe Dunning, 54, starred as Heidi Keppert, a Tool Time girl, from 1993 to 1999. She went on to appear in films like The Spiral Staircase, Now You Know, and more. Starting in 2017, she began hosting the travel show, Debbe Dunning’s Dude Ranch Round-Up, on DirecTV’s The Cowboy Channel. Debbe married Steve Timmons in 1997. They have three children: Spencer, Stoney, and Sysco. Debbe and Steve split in 2018.
Pamela Anderson
Pamela Anderson played Lisa. (Everett Collection)
Pamela Anderson, 53, starred as Lisa, the very first “Tool Girl” on Tool Time. The actress appeared in the first two seasons of the show, and the role of Lisa was her TV debut. She was written out of the series so she could go on to play C.J. Parker on Baywatch. She also starred in the series V.I.P. from 1998 to 2002. Her films after Home Improvement include Raw Justice, Barb Wire, Blonde and Blonder, and more. The actress and model, who is also a passionate animal rights activist, has also appeared on Dancing With the Stars and Dancing on Ice.
Pamela married her first husband, Tommy Lee, in 1995 after only knowing him for four days. They divorced in 1998. They have two sons together: Brandon and Dylan. She went on to marry Rick Salomon in 2007. Their marriage was annulled in 2008. They remarried in 2014 but divorced a year later. In January 2020, Pamela married Jon Peters. They split a month later, and Pamela has since denied they were ever legally married. Pamela married bodyguard Dan Hayhurst on Christmas Eve in 2020.
Earl Hindman
Earl Hindman played Wilson. (Everett Collection)
Earl Hindman starred as Wilson, Tim’s neighbor, on Home Improvement for all eight seasons. After Home Improvement, he guest-starred on an episode of Law & Order in 2000 and appeared in the film Final in 2001. His last role was in a 2002 episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Earl died of lung cancer in 2003 at the age of 61.
This article originally appeared on Hollywood Life and is syndicated by Cheapism.
