Some of the stars of Home Improvement had a reunion, giving fans of the sitcom a rare chance to see Patricia Richardson and her onscreen sons, Taran Noah Smith and Jonathan Taylor Thomas, all grown up.
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Jonathan Taylor Thomas Hasn't Been Publicly Photographed in Years
In the picture, which Richardson posted on her Instagram account yesterday, July 29, the actress is standing between the long-haired Smith and the bespectacled Thomas.
Richardson, who played the character of Jill Taylor for the entire run of Home Improvement, has three children in real life. That's probably why she captioned this nostalgic image, "My other boys."
Missing from the pic is Zachary Ty Bryan. Back in March, he was sentenced to 19 months in jail for violating his probation. The actor has had several brushes with the law over the years, including a domestic violence conviction and a DUI charge.
Thomas was a huge star in the 1990s. In addition to his role as Randy in Home Improvement, he was the voice of young Simba in The Lion King. Several Disney films capitalizing on his teen idol image followed.
The actor left the sitcom during its eighth season, though he did occasionally return. He's mostly retired from acting, but did make an appearance on star Tim Allen's most recent sitcom Last Man Standing.
Patricia Richardson Shared Why "Home Improvement" Ended
During its run from 1991 to 1999, Home Improvement was one of the biggest shows on television. But in 2024, Richardson said in an interview that a salary dispute led to the show's end.
"When I took the job, they said it wasn't meant to be the Tim Allen show. It was meant to be our show," she explains.
Richardson negotiated for a higher salary throughout the show's run. The network offered her residuals, but refused to give her a producer credit. She claims that the pay disparity between her and Allen forced Disney to prematurely end the show.
"I knew that Disney would in no way pay me that much. That was my way to say 'no' and was a little bit of a flip-off to Disney," explained Richardson. "I'd been there all this time, and they never even paid me a third of what Tim was making, and I was working my ass off. I was a big reason why women were watching."
