Jonathan Taylor Thomas Spotted for the 1st Time in Years: Pics (2024)

Once a heartthrob, always a heartthrob. Jonathan Taylor Thomas, best known for his roles in Home Improvement, Wild America and more ‘90s and early 2000 hits, was spotted out in Hollywood on June 20, photographed for the first time in nearly eight years.In photos obtained exclusively by Us Weekly, the actor, 39, was vaping and walking his dogs in California, dressed casually in jeans, a hoodie and sneakers.Thomas, who began acting in 1987 at age 7, last appeared on Last Man Standing, reuniting with his Home Improvement dad, Tim Allen. The Pennsylvania native starred in four episodes of the series between 2013 and 2015. He also directed three episodes of the sitcom.[sendtonews type="float" key="eoN2sWx29S-2838600-14453"]Before that, Thomas took a step away from the spotlight. After exiting Home Improvement in 1998 to focus on school — he graduated from Chaminade College Preparatory School and later attended Harvard University and Columbia University — he didn't look for a leading part. Instead, he landed guest spots on 8 Simple Rules and Veronica Mars and voiced six episodes of The Wild Thornberrys."You can't be trapped in this bubble called the acting industry," the I'll Be Home for Christmas actor told Premiere magazine in 1996. "The industry is neurotic and weird, and so when I go home and I play basketball with my friends, I'm not Jonathan Taylor Thomas. I'm just Jonathan. I don't like hanging out with other actors and actresses."In 1999, he noted that he made the right choice by leaving the family sitcom. "Had I stayed at the show and tried to do academically what I'm doing now, I would've, you know, put myself in an early grave," he said at the time.Although he's remained private, Devon Sawa, who starred alongside Thomas in 1997's Wild America, gave an update on the actor in 2019. "I spoke to Jonathan a month ago for the first time in a long time," he told Us exclusively at the time.For more hot celebrity news, listen to Us Weekly editors dish on top topics & trends with these clips from the Hot Hollywood Podcast!In the ’90s, Thomas was honest about starting his career so early and not knowing if acting was really what he wanted to do with his life."You should be focused on doing a good job, but every job has an end," Thomas, who voiced the young Simba in The Lion King in 1994, told Premiere. "You can't base your life around one thing. So that's why I focus on school, I play sports, I learn the technical side of [filmmaking]. Because sometime it'll change, and I'll have my education to fall back on."See the latest photos of Thomas below:

The actor walked two white pups.

Though in Hollywood, Thomas wore a New York Mets baseball cap.

Thomas has been open about thriving behind the camera as a producer and director.

The star pulled his mask down while outside.

This is the first time since 2013 that the actor has been publicly photographed.

He once said that while Hollywood hoped he'd become "the next Macaulay Culkin," he wanted to be "the next Ron Howard."

"I'm over that [nickname]," the Man of the House star told Conan O'Brien in 1998. "I've always been over that."

Two years later, he spoke about the fact that his romantic life wasn't in the spotlight, causing people to question his sexuality. "Pretty much in Hollywood you're not anyone until it's rumored that you're gay, so I wasn't that upset about it," he told Jay Leno at the time. "Not that there's anything wrong with it, but they're rumors and you should always be kind of careful with that internet stuff."

Thomas chose to turn down bigger films, including American Pie. "I heard from the directors that I was their top choice but the studio kind of had someone else in mind. Jonathan Taylor Thomas actually, from Home Improvement," Jason Biggs told Us in 2017. "They wanted to see that through because he was a name. ... I am incredibly grateful because I think he passed.“I think he actually had the offer, if I’m correct."