Throughout the years of entertainment television, Home Improvement is one of the most iconic shows to date. The case has become one of the most well-known and well-liked actors of their time. The show became one of the most-watched television series of the 90’s. After having such a wonderful run with Home Improvement, a few of the cast members were able to use the show as a spring board for successful careers. So what have the cast been up to all this time? Who stayed in show biz and who decided to leave the lime light all together? Here is the cast of Home Improvement 22 years later.
Tim Allen
Allen got his start in the entertainment industry through his stand up comedy. He became so well-liked for his stand up that ABC offered him two different sitcoms, which he turned down. It was when producer Matt Williams came up with the concept of a series that centered around Allen’s standup act that the beloved sitcom Home Improvement was born. After playing the lead in all eight seasons of the show, he earned an Emmy nomination for best lead actor in a comedy series in 1993. He went on to star in several movies, including “Santa Claus.” He eventually started in the series Last Man Standing beginning in 2011. The show ran for nine seasons, and will air its final season in 2021.
Patricia Richardson
Although Patricia wasn’t the first choice for Allen’s Home Improvement wife, she became loved and adored for her snarky but sweet portrayal of her character Jill Taylor. “I had never heard of Tim, and I didn’t know anything about it, and they sent me a tape of Tim. And I said, ‘Look, I’m nursing twins. You have to wait for me for 40 minutes while I’m doing that.’ And they said, ‘Oh yeah, we’ll do anything,” she told HuffPost. After the end of Home Improvement, Richardson continued to act. She began starring in Christmas movies like A Very Vintage Chirstmas and A Christmas in Tennessee. She also had guest appearances in shows like The West Wing, Last Man Standing and The West Wing.
Richard Karn
Richard Karn was also not the initial choice to play his role either. It was a chance of fate that he even found out about this role. Karn ran a red light and an agent ended up telling him about the open role at traffic court. After Home Improvement, Karn went on to host Family Feud from 2002 to 2006. He also had roles in shows like that 70’s Show, The Bold and The Beautiful, and also The Last Man Standing. Ironically, he linked back up with Tim Allen and they now co-host the History Challen show Assembly Required.
Jonathan Taylor Thomas
Home Improvement did a lot of great things for all the cast members. But none had to instant uptick of superstardom quite like Jonathan Taylor Thomas, who played the middle son Randy on Home Improvement. He started playing Randy at the young age of 10 years old. As he grew up on the show, so did his popularity.
He became quite the 90’s heartthrob. When he left the show in 1998, he did not initially continue his acting career and instead enrolled at Harvard University to study history and philosophy. After graduating though, Thomas returned to the entertainment world and guest appeared in shows like Last Man Standing and Ally McBeal. He has not been in any guest roles since 2015, but has also dabbled sporadically in directing.
