What Caused Jonathan Taylor Thomas To Quit Home Improvement Before Its Time?

Jonathan Taylor Thomas, who played Randy Taylor on Home Improvement for seven seasons, left the show in 1998 to focus on his education. He enjoyed school and had plans to attend college after leaving the show. Thomas left the show during its final season, but later confirmed that he left to pursue his own real-life education.

After leaving Home Improvement, Thomas continued to do some guest spots until 2005 when he unofficially retired. He had been a massive child star and had plans to attend college. Thomas left early in the eighth and final season, with his character moving to Costa Rica in the second episode. In real life, Thomas wanted to pursue his own education, and the workload for Home Improvement wouldn’t have allowed him to do so.

In an interview with Conan O’Brien, Jonathan Taylor Thomas revealed that he left Home Improvement to focus on his education and not feature in the finale. Thomas did not actually leave acting after exiting “Home Improvement” and enrolling in college. He appeared in the 1999 film Speedway Junky and voiced Tyler Tucker in The Wild Thornberrys from 2000 to 2001.

Thomas left Home Improvement to go back to school and have a more normal life, enjoying school and having plans to attend college. He left the show early in the eighth and final season, with his character moving to Costa Rica in the second episode.