What Happened to the Taylor Family?

After 'Roseanne' became popular, networks began looking for other stand-up comedians with acts that could be turned into sitcoms. Veteran comic Tim Allen had been honing just such an act for more than a decade. His theme of men being dumb animals at heart, with a love of all things mechanical, was an obvious fit.

'Home Improvement' (1991-'99) remained one of the top-rated sitcoms for nearly the entire '90s, peaking at No. 1 in its third season. Allen, Pam Anderson, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, and Zachery Ty Bryan all became household names during the series' run. Now, 10 years after the final season ended, many of the actors are still in the mainstream, while others have fallen into the clichéd hit sitcom lull that follows. -- y Ryan McKee

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Tim Allen
Played: Tim Taylor

Then: Allen's character, Tim "The Toolman" Taylor, was based on a stereotypically masculine, ultimately clueless, character from his stand-up act. Born Timothy Allen Dick, he learned to make others laugh by necessity. His budding stand-up career took a hiatus for 28 months in 1978 when a cocaine arrest landed Dick in jail. Afterward, he smartly dropped Dick (unlike Andy). His first stand-up special, 'Tim Allen: Men Are Pigs' in 1990, inspired producers to build a sitcom around the character.

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Tim Allen
Played: Tim Taylor

Now: The success of his sitcom-father persona led to similar movies roles in 'The Santa Clause,' 'Toy Story,' 'The Shaggy Dog,' et al. The former convicted felon found his niche in family-friendly comedies, even winning a Disney Legend award. He recently reunited with his 'Galaxy Quest' co-star Sigourney Weaver to make his directing debut, 'Crazy on the Outside,' and will promote it with a stand-up tour starting in December, while the much anticipated 'Toy Story 3' will hit theaters in 2010.

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Patricia Richardson
Played: Jill Taylor

Then: After earning a BFA in acting from Southern Methodist University, Richardson moved to New York and reportedly won a role on her first audition: understudy of young Gypsy Rose Lee in the Angela Lansbury revival of 'Gypsy.' A recurring role in the sitcom 'Double Trouble' (starring Katey Sagal's twin sisters) and a small part in the cult fave horror 'C.H.U.D.' followed. Finally, her big break came as wife and mother -- and Tim's reality check -- Jill Taylor. If not for her, the three boys would have been blown up or decapitated.

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Patricia Richardson
Played: Jill Taylor

Now: After receiving high praise on the sitcom, including four Emmy nominations, and earning critical acclaim in the '97 indie 'Ulee's Gold,' she jumped to drama and became Dr. Andy Campbell in the series 'Strong Medicine.' When that show ended, after eight seasons, she moved from health care to politics as a campaign director in the final two seasons of 'The West Wing.' Watch for her in the upcoming films 'Lost Dream' and 'Beautiful Wave' ... both of which sound better than 'C.H.U.D.'

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Jonathan Taylor Thomas
Played: Randy Taylor

Then: Thomas working as a model and commercial actor at the tender age of 7. He landed his first sitcom role on the short-lived dramedy 'The Bradys,' a spin-off on 'The Brady Bunch,' and even played Macaulay Culkin in an 'In Living Color' sketch. Supposedly, he won the role of Randy because casting directors thought he looked like Tim Allen. His portrayal of the smartest and most devious son made him a huge hit with the Teen Beat crowd, but he left the show in 1998 to pursue his studies.

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Jonathan Taylor Thomas
Played: Randy Taylor

Now: For those who didn't live through it, the height of Thomas' celebrity is tough to imagine based on his public absence now. In 1999, Nickelodeon awarded him their first Lifetime Achievement Award for his role as Randy. He voiced young Simba in 'The Lion King,' but that's the only other role that's held up. Most recently he appeared in '8 Simple Rules' and an episode of 'Veronica Mars.' His quest for a life outside of acting led him to Harvard University, but he didn't graduate.

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Zachery Ty Bryan
Played: Brad Taylor

Then: Bryan appeared in print and TV ads at a young age in his home state of Colorado, which led him to Los Angeles and his most famous role, as 'Home Improvement''s oldest -- and dumbest -- son, Brad. Brad experimented with pot, got bad grades, wanted to skip college for a pro soccer career, amongst other issues. But each season he had a trendy new '90s hairstyle and new love interest. Outside of the show, Bryan scored roles in 'First Kid' with Sinbad and reportedly played Brian Bosworth's son in 'Stone Cold,' but all his scenes were cut.

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Zachery Ty Bryan
Played: Brad Taylor

Now: As 'Home Improvement' came to an end, Bryan picked up roles in 'Principal Takes a Holiday' and 'The Rage: Carrie 2.' He's worked consistently, appearing in small parts on 'Boston Public,' 'Shark,' 'Knight Rider' and 'Smallville,' where he played a high school baseball player using steroids made from meteor rock. In 'The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift,' he played a high school quarterback, even though he was in his mid-20s at the time. Most recently, he led the Vikings as Thor against the werewolves in the TV movie 'Hammer of the Gods.'

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Taran Noah Smith
Played: Mark Taylor

Then: The baby of the Taylor family, Smith's character Mark was sensitive and related most with his mother. He cowered from his older brothers and attempted to relate with his family with sad little grunts. It turns out the real Smith wasn't far from his character. His mom, Candy Bennici, is a script supervisor and began carting Smith and his sister to auditions. By age 7, he had 'Home Improvement,' but didn't do much acting outside of that.

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