Patricia Richardson (75) has posted a photo on Instagram showing her between two of her former TV sons from 'Home Improvement'. On the left side of the image stands Taran Noah Smith (42) with long hair and a full beard, on the right, wearing dark sunglasses, Jonathan Taylor Thomas (44). 'My other boys', the mother of three wrote alongside it, adding a red heart.
The photo received special attention because of Jonathan Taylor Thomas, who played middle son Randy Taylor on the sitcom. He retired from acting in 2005 and has since withdrawn almost completely from public life. Before that, he was one of the most famous child stars of his time: in 1994, he voiced young Simba in 'The Lion King', and in 1996 he played the title role in 'The Adventures of Pinocchio'.
First image in years
The photo is the first new image of him in years. Most recently, Thomas had taken on a few guest appearances in Tim Allen's (72) series 'Last Man Standing' between 2013 and 2015. Allen played the lead role on 'Home Improvement' as father and DIY king Tim Taylor.
On the 'Back to the Best' podcast, Richardson explained in 2024 that her former co-star 'isn't really interested in acting'. 'He wants to direct and write scripts', she explained about Thomas. Taran Noah Smith, who played youngest son Mark, is also 'no longer an actor'.
No hope for a reboot
Anyone hoping the photo signals a reboot of the cult series is likely to be disappointed. Allen had confirmed to 'Us Weekly' in June that there is indeed interest in a 'Home Improvement' comeback - but the conversations about it aren't leading anywhere. They talk about 'how it could continue, but they're not getting anywhere', Allen said. Among the actors who played the three sons, there are currently personal disagreements. 'They have their own issues. I always thought it would be cool if there was a story about them. That's a bit of a challenge at the moment, to say the least.'
This is primarily due to Zachery Ty Bryan (44), who played eldest son Brad. The actor is in prison after being sentenced to 19 months in Oregon in March 2026 for violating his probation conditions. He had previously already received a 16-month sentence for driving under the influence in 2024.
