Jonathan Taylor Thomas was born Jonathan Taylor Weiss on September 8, 1981 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to Claudine (Gonsalves) and Stephen Weiss.24 He has an older brother named Joel Thomas Weiss.1 Jonathan's ancestry is Pennsylvania Dutch (German) on his father's side and Portuguese on his mother's side.12

Growing up, Jonathan moved with his family to Sacramento, California when he was four years old.2 His parents divorced in 1991, and he lived with his mother and brother after that.24 Jonathan has been a vegetarian since the age of four because he believes it is wrong to hurt animals.24

As a child, Jonathan enjoyed listening to the music group Boyz II Men and watching TV shows like Roseanne and Grace Under Fire. He also liked keeping up with current events by watching CNN.24 Jonathan's uncle, Jeff Weiss, is an actor and playwright who has mentored him throughout his career.3

Jonathan Taylor Thomas landed his breakout role as middle son Randy Taylor on the hit ABC sitcom Home Improvement in 1991.2 The show, which starred comedian Tim Allen as accident-prone TV host Tim "The Toolman" Taylor, became a massive success and ran for eight seasons until 1999.

On the series, Thomas played the mischievous and sarcastic Randy, who often teamed up with older brother Brad (Zachery Ty Bryan) to torment younger sibling Mark (Taran Noah Smith). His character was known for his witty one-liners and for frequently mocking his father's questionable handyman skills.2

Home Improvement launched Thomas to teen idol status in the 1990s.1 He remained with the show for its first seven seasons before departing in 1998 to focus on academics.2 His last regular appearance was in a two-part episode in which Randy left for an environmental study program in Costa Rica. Thomas made a special guest appearance in the show's final season.

Jonathan Taylor Thomas provided the voice of young Simba in Disney's 1994 animated classic The Lion King.12 As a cub, Simba is an energetic and adventurous prince who can't wait to be king. Thomas brought youthful exuberance and charm to the character.

The Lion King featured an all-star voice cast, with Thomas starring alongside Matthew Broderick as adult Simba, James Earl Jones as Mufasa, Jeremy Irons as Scar, Moira Kelly as Nala, Nathan Lane as Timon, Ernie Sabella as Pumbaa, and Rowan Atkinson as Zazu.3 The actors' performances, combined with the film's groundbreaking animation and memorable music, helped make The Lion King a critical and commercial success.

With a worldwide gross of $968 million, it became the highest-grossing release of 1994 and the highest-grossing animated film at the time.1 The Lion King received four Academy Award nominations, winning for Best Original Score and Best Original Song with "Can You Feel the Love Tonight."2 The American Film Institute ranked it 4th in their list of the 10 greatest animation films of all time.1