The scene from The Lion King where young Simba tries to wake up his dead father is hard to forget. What makes the scene genuinely haunting is the emotion in Simba’s voice. It makes fans think about the actor behind the voice. It is none other than Jonathan Taylor Thomas, whose name and voice are enough to give viewers a flashback to a variety of popular films and television series from the 1990s.
Update May 11, 2023: This article has been updated with even more Jonathan Taylor Thomas acting roles.
Starting his acting career at the young age of nine, Jonathan Taylor Thomas has practically grown on the TV screen. Over the years, the actor has experimented with a variety of roles. From voice acting to even some behind-the-camera directing action, Thomas has quite a lot of performances to boast about. He was a teen heartthrob and an in-demand talent for over a decade. Here are some of Jonathan Taylor Thomas’ best performances, ranked:
7 The Adventures of Pinocchio (1996)
Magic may have given wood-carver Geppetto’s puppet life, but in New Line Cinema’s The Adventures of Pinocchio, it is Jonathan Taylor Thomas' voice that gives life to Pinocchio’s character. The puppet even resembles Jonathan Taylor Thomas to a somewhat creepy degree. As Pinocchio navigates through the real world, escaping from malicious puppeteers and learning how to become a real boy, the audience can't help but root for the mischievous puppet.
The credit for this obviously goes to Thomas for capturing the naivety and curiosity of the puppet whose nose always gives away his lies. Thomas does well in portraying Pinocchio as he goes through a variety of emotions and character traits. The final moments of the film are hard to forget as Pinocchio apologizes to Geppetto for not being a real boy. It is quite heart-wrenching, making the audience root for Pinocchio and hopes that his wish to become a real boy is granted. When the moment finally arrives, and Pinocchio becomes a real boy, the audience, along with the characters, is left in wonder.
Related: Pinocchio: How Guillermo del Toro's and Disney's 2022 Remake Compare
In addition, the audience finally gets to see and hear Jonathan (as opposed to just hearing his voice). The scene shows that Thomas is not just a skilled voice actor but also has facial expressions and body language to match the emotions in his voice. When Pinocchio runs through the beach, jumping in excitement. When he exclaims, "I'm a boy!" the wonder and happiness that echoes in his voice are reflected in Thomas' smile and his eyes.
6 I'll Be Home For Christmas (1998)
Seemingly every teenage girl in the late 90s got their perfect gift for the holidays in I'll Be Home For Christmas. In this extremely cheesy and chaotic Christmas film, Jonathan Taylor Thomas plays Jake Wilkinson, a college student going to school very far away from his family. When his dad promises Jake a car if he makes it home for Christmas dinner, he starts his cross-country trip to get home for the holiday. Along the way, he encounters plenty of strange obstacles that somehow teach him the real meaning of Christmas.
I'll Be Home For Christmas is most definitely not a perfect movie. Jake's relationship with his girlfriend is strange, to say the least. Just like in plenty of other late 90s to early 2000s comedies, she cheats on Jake with his rival and doesn't seem to know what open communication is, but it's hard not to find some charm in the movie with Thomas' performance. It's fair to say that his boyish charm is the very thing that makes this movie a holiday classic. For kids and teens in the late 90s, this was a Christmas staple and an add-on to so many Disney VHS.
5 Wild America (1997)
Wild America follows three brothers, Marty (Scott Bairstow), Mark (Devon Sawa), and Marshall (Jonathan Taylor Thomas), as they embark on a cross-country adventure to film their adventures with wild animals and the natural world around them. The film is loosely based on the teenage years of the real Stouffer brothers and their wildlife documentaries.
Jonathan portrays the youngest brother Marshal, who is eager for adventure and wants to accompany his brothers on their trip. Marshall often ends up being put in harm's way as a result of the trio’s adventures; however, the youngest is quick to take revenge. It’s particularly hilarious to see the youngest Stouffer dipping his brothers’ toothbrushes in the toilet or filling their canteens downstream in the same river where they relieved themselves. Thomas fills the movie with fun as he embraces his comedic side, perfectly capturing what it's like to be the youngest sibling.
4 The Extra (2006)
The audience finds Jonathan Taylor Thomas behind the camera lens for the first time with his short comedy film, The Extra. The short follows Clyde Baker, portrayed by Ryan Stiles, who often finds himself portraying minor background characters in student films. What makes the film hilarious is that Clyde takes his job very seriously. His dedication and preparation for the roles are second to none, yet the execution definitely has a lot of room for improvement.
Related: What Happened to Jonathan Taylor Thomas' Career?
It’s interesting to see Thomas' vision as a director. He builds up tension by dramatizing the shots, with serious blue tones and extreme close-ups, only for a comedic scene to cut through the tension. The actor even makes an appearance in the short as a student director. While there may not be much of an acting performance from Thomas in The Extra, it is a performance from him as a director. For such a simple short, it shows a lot about how Thomas sees being an actor.
3 Tom and Huck (1995)
Based on Mark Twain’s popular novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Tom and Huck follows the titular characters as they witness a murder and embark on a series of adventures to clear the name of a man that was wrongly accused. Tom Sawyer, portrayed by Jonathan Taylor Thomas, comes from a stable family with access to education, while his friend Huck, portrayed by the late Brad Renfro, isn't as lucky.
Jonathan Taylor Thomas does well in portraying Twain's Tom. He portrays just the right amount of arrogance and is too clever for his own good. But also possesses the intelligence and the capacity to rise above the situation surrounding him. Thomas really goes all out, portraying young Tom as he loses the innocence of his youth, witnessing a murder and then confessing what he saw.
2 Home Improvement (1991-1998)
Home Improvement follows the daily life of TV show host Tim Taylor and his family, consisting of his wife and three mischievous sons. One could say that Jonathan Taylor Thomas practically grew up on the set of Home Improvement. He started the show when he was just ten years old, portraying the baby-faced middle son, Randy Taylor. When the sitcom ended in 1998, the 17-year-old was every young girl’s crush.
Thomas’ role in the sitcom centered more around humor. Along with his brothers, Thomas delivered hilarious jokes that would have the audience clutching at their stomachs as they laughed. Thomas even appeared on Last Man Standing, Tim Allen's newest show, in a Home Improvement-type reunion. The actor may have aged more since season eight of the show, but his posture and characteristics remained the same. It’s pretty nostalgic to see him portray Randy, even if it was for a short period of time.
1 The Lion King (1994)
Thomas' performance as young Simba in Disney’s The Lion King is an unforgettable one. The actor displays a wide range of emotions as young Simba just through his voice acting skills. Mufasa’s death was a particularly emotional scene, with Simba trying to nudge his father awake. The young lion’s voice held so much emotion, making the scene feel unforgettable. Just the sound of him calling out, "Dad?" is enough to make anyone cry.
In contrast, the audience gets a glimpse of his young and carefree side when Simba meets Timon and Pumba. His voice is cheery and light as he sings along with his friends and eats bugs. Matthew Broderick takes over for the older Simba, but considering how much of The Lion King is focused on young Simba, it really is Jonathan Taylor Thomas's role for a majority of the film. The wide range of emotions displayed by the young actor makes the movie compelling to watch.
