Whatever Happened To The Cast Of Home Improvement?

If you grew up or watched network television during the 1990s, "Home Improvement" was undoubtedly on your entertainment radar. Based on the inimitable stand-up stylings of comic Tim Allen, the ABC show followed the life of the Detroit-area Taylor family and its patriarch, television home improvement guru Tim "The Toolman" Taylor. Airing for eight seasons from 1991 to 1999, the show was one of the most successful sitcoms of its decade — receiving two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series — and continues to be name-checked alongside the greatest sitcoms of all time. The show also made Allen a household name and turned Jonathan Taylor Thomas into a teen heartthrob.

More recently, the show was back in the news amid reports that a "Home Improvement" mini-reunion was slated to occur in the Season 2 premiere of Allen's current sitcom, ABC's "Shifting Gears," in which he stars opposite Kat Dennings. Allen will be joined on the episode by "Home Improvement" alums Patricia Richardson, Richard Karn, and Debbe Dunning, according to Deadline. The return of the show to the public consciousness — if it ever left at all — raises the question: What happened to its cast over the nearly three decades since it left the air? Here's the latest info on the comings and goings of "Home Improvement's" stars.

While Tim Allen had already made a name for himself on the stand-up circuit before landing the deal for "Home Improvement," it was the highly-rated sitcom that launched him into the stratosphere and opened some significant doors in his acting career. In 1995, Allen made his debut in the original "Toy Story" as the voice of Buzz Lightyear, an iconic role that endeared him to multiple generations of children. He did the same with 1994's "The Santa Clause" and its sequels, and received his geek cred by starring in 1999's "Galaxy Quest." Allen has also had big television hits since "Home Improvement" ended with "Last Man Standing" (2011-2021). Still, his turn as Tim Taylor, a husband, father to three boys, and television presenter of questionable competency, remains one of his most memorable characters.

Now, Allen has his hands full with "Shifting Gears," which had the best cross-platform viewership for a debuting ABC series since "The Conners" in 2018, per The Wrap, after launching on the network in January 2025. Allen is slated to go "to infinity and beyond" at least one more time in "Toy Story 5." I'm so blessed to be Buzz Lightyear, to be honest," Allen told Collider in December 2024. "It's gonna be fun. I think we're a year out. ... It's a really good story, guys. It's really good."

Patricia Richardson was already a veteran actress when she landed her role as Jill Taylor, but "Home Improvement" was her big Hollywood breakout. It almost didn't happen — Frances Fisher was originally hired to play the Taylor matriarch opposite Tim Allen, but got the axe during rehearsals for the pilot. "Frances is a great actress, but in this role with Tim, she came off more as a victim to him than his equal," explained Richard Karn, via News.com.au. Enter Richardson, who held her own with Allen, notching four Emmy and two Golden Globe nominations for her work on the show. Unfortunately, she had to battle for respect from the network behind the scenes. When she pushed for equal pay as the series reached its end, she was rebuffed by ABC, sealing "Home Improvement's" fate. "I'd been there all this time, and they never even paid me a third of what Tim was making," she told the Los Angeles Times in 2024, via Deadline.

Despite those issues, Richardson reunited with Allen in a guest spot on "Last Man Standing," and she'll do so again on "Shifting Gears." Prior to her latest reunion with Allen, she appeared in later episodes of "Grey's Anatomy" (in 2022-23) and starred alongside Tom Wopat in the 2022 film "County Line: No Fear." She has made waves in the press with her lengthy white mane, which she began growing out during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Zachery Ty Bryan played the oldest of the Taylor sons, Brad Taylor, on "Home Improvement" for the duration of the series' run. Brad was a star soccer player who, occasionally, picked on his younger brothers, but was good at heart. He was also the only one of the Taylor brothers to get caught smoking marijuana or get into trouble with the law, plot points that stand out even more given Bryan's real-life struggles after the show. Bryan went on to appear in films like 2006's "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift" and "Annapolis," in addition to racking up a multitude of other film and television credits.

Despite his incredible acting success and former status alongside "Home Improvement" co-star Jonathan Taylor Thomas as a teen idol, Bryan has had his issues over the years. According to People, Bryan was arrested by Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, police in January 2025 for suspected second-degree domestic violence. Bryan was previously arrested on suspicion of domestic violence on two occasions and was also arrested on multiple DUI charges. Bryan's TV mom, Patricia Richardson, cited Bryan's legal issues as one of the reasons a true "Home Improvement" reunion or reboot will never happen. "I mean, Zach is now a felon," she said on the "Back to the Best" podcast in 2024, via Entertainment Weekly. At the least, Bryan's life has gotten pretty messy recently. His last acting credit came on the 2022 Netflix series "The Guardians of Justice."

Few captured the imagination of the Tiger Beat generation like Jonathan Taylor Thomas. From his breakout as the wisecracking Randy Taylor on "Home Improvement" to his turn as the voice of young Simba in the Disney animated classic "The Lion King," JTT fully ingrained himself into the lives of millennial children and teens alike. In 1998, he won Favorite Television Actor at Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards. However, acting wasn't always at the forefront of his mind; in 1998, he left "Home Improvement" just before the show ended to focus on his education.

For those wondering what Thomas is up to now, the former star has acted only sporadically since the show ended, and he hasn't appeared in a feature film since the mid-2000s. He did cameo in three episodes of "Last Man Standing," though, and even served as a director on some episodes. In January 2025, Kat Dennings revealed she was fanning out internally when Thomas visited the "Shifting Gears" set, saying on "The View," via People, "I was in love with Jonathan Taylor Thomas as anyone in this age bracket was ... I was losing my mind, but I was trying to act cool and I think I succeeded until now, because now he can see that I was not playing it cool at all." During her 2024 "Back to the Best" appearance, Patricia Richardson said that Thomas now "wants to direct and write."

Taran Noah Smith played the youngest of the three Taylor boys, Mark Taylor, ostensibly the geek and the runt of the family. The character famously took a hard left turn into the goth and punk realms during later seasons. Smith recounted the sudden transition during a 2025 podcast episode of "The Best Show With Tom Scharpling," explaining that one of the "Home Improvement" writers was seemingly using the show as an outlet to dig into their real life. "After about halfway through the season, I'm in wardrobe, black fingernails, and dog collar and all the stuff on, and I went backstage and came face to face with his son, who was not in wardrobe, but looked just like me, and we had this very awkward moment of like, 'Oh, I'm your dad's way of kind of dealing with you, sorry," Smith said, via Entertainment Weekly.

In real life, Smith stepped away from acting after "Home Improvement" ended. According to Us Weekly, he later owned a vegan restaurant and catering company and did volunteer work in the Philippines. Those are listed on a LinkedIn page in his name, which also lists technical roles, such as a submersible technician, among his work experience. Smith's current job, as listed on the page, is that of a sea recovery technician for Elon Musk's SpaceX. The most recent credit on his IMDb page is a one-shot on the animated series "Batman Beyond" in 1999.

Any host worth their salt should have a loveable sidekick, like Ed McMahon for Johnny Carson, Vanna White for Pat Sajak, John Madden for Pat Summerall, and the list goes on and on. In "Home Improvement," the sidekick to Tim Allen's Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor on the show within the show, "Tool Time," was the bearded and flannel-shirt-wearing Al Borland, portrayed by Richard Karn. Unlike Taylor, who at times seemed out of his depth in the actual home improvement department, Borland was a capable and experienced carpenter who took his assistant role seriously. Karn landed the role, which originally belonged to Stephen Tobolowsky, thanks to a chance encounter with an agent in traffic school. After he was done with Al and "Home Improvement," Karn continued to work in Hollywood and even served as one of the hosts of "Family Feud."

More recently, Karn played a news anchor in the 2024 Paul Rodriguez film "Holy Cash" and appeared in two episodes of the rebooted "Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction" series, which has yet to air outside of Germany. He previously appeared in several episodes of the 2019 Hulu comedy "Pen15." A slimmed-down Karn was also seen partnering with the lawn care company DoMyOwn as its "chief solutions officer" in 2025; videos featuring the actor in the role have appeared on the company's Instagram account.

One of "Home Improvement's" most memorable characters managed to attain fan-favorite status without ever having been fully seen on the show. As the Taylor family's across-the-fence neighbor, Wilson, actor Earl Hindman was a scene stealer with an air of reasonableness, a wealth of stories and knowledge hewn from a lifetime of unique experiences, and the sage advice he would offer Tim Allen's character time and time again throughout the series' run, even as his face was always obscured by the barrier that separated the neighbors' properties or some conveniently placed object or other.

Hindman was already known for his theater work, his portrayal of Bob Reid on the soap opera "Ryan's Hope" during the 1970s and '80s, and films like 1974's "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three," 1985's "Silverado," and 1987's "Three Men and a Baby" before he got the "Home Improvement" gig. But his turn as the Taylors' neighbor and Tim's confidante has gone down as his defining role. Sadly, Hindman died after battling lung cancer just a few years after "Home Improvement" ended, in 2003.

Those who weren't diehard fans of the show may not remember that the '90s' answer to the pin-up girl and the actress who made "Baywatch" an international smash hit, Pamela Anderson, was also an early member of the "Home Improvement" cast. During the sitcom's first two seasons, and again during a S6 episode, Anderson played Lisa the tool girl, who starred alongside Tim Taylor and Al Borland on the show within the show, "Tool Time." Lisa's only job on the show was to bring the boys the tools and materials they were demonstrating and to look pretty doing it, and Anderson excelled in that portrayal. She left the show after S2 due to conflicts with her "Baywatch" commitments. Anderson was replaced on the show by Debbe Dunning, who played a new tool girl, Heidi.

Fast-forward to now, and Anderson is in the midst of a mini-Renaissance in her career. In 2024, Anderson starred as Shelly Gardner in the Gia Coppola-directed drama "The Last Showgirl," receiving Best Actress nominations at the Golden Globes and SAG Awards for her efforts. Then, the following year, she won acclaim for her turn alongside Liam Neeson in the reboot of "The Naked Gun." "I feel like I've just started my career now, so I'm just really excited to be such a part of this and to play a real character," she told People at the U.K. premiere. Meanwhile, she and Neeson were media darlings for their budding friendship and romance.

When Pamela Anderson left "Home Improvement" to become an international superstar with "Baywatch," the show within the show, "Tool Time," was left without a tool girl to assist Tim Taylor and Al Borland with their on-air projects. Enter Debbe Dunning, who portrayed Lisa the tool girl's successor, Heidi Keppert, from Seasons 3 to 8 on "Home Improvement." Prior to joining the ABC sitcom, Dunning had appeared briefly in the 1988 film "Dangerous Curves" and the long-running Fox series "Married... with Children." However, her face became recognizable on a much larger scale thanks to her role on "Home Improvement." Unlike Pamela Anderson's Lisa, Heidi is eventually given more to do on the show, eventually showing up at times outside of the cozy confines of the "Tool Time" set.

In September 2025, Dunning took to Instagram to share behind-the-scenes footage of her upcoming appearance alongside Tim Allen, Richard Karn, and Patricia Richardson on "Shifting Gears." Outside of the upcoming reunion with her former co-stars, Dunning continues to make waves with her movie-star looks. She continues to spread the "Home Improvement" love on the convention circuit, where she recently delighted fans by showing up in full "Tool Time" attire.

Fans of Adam Sandler and his troupe of acting buddies will undoubtedly recognize Blake Clark. The longtime character actor has appeared in films like "The Waterboy," "50 First Dates," and "I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry," in addition to his numerous other screen credits and longtime efforts as a stand-up comic. In "Home Improvement," he played Harry Turner, owner of Harry's Hardware, a location Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor regularly visits throughout the show. Later, Al Borland partners up with Harry as a minority owner of the shop.

In 2025, Clark reprised his "Waterboy" role of Farmer Fran — in the spiritual sense, anyway — by striking the same nipple-pinching, seemingly-aroused pose among a crowd of people as Beach Man. More recently, he landed a spot as a primary cast member on the Netflix series "Leanne," playing the titular character's father, Daddy John. The Leanne Morgan brainchild was picked up for a second season in September 2025.

Veteran actress Bonnie Bartlett played Lucille Taylor on "Home Improvement," the widowed mother of Tim Allen's Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor. In the show's lore, Lucille raised Taylor and his brothers alone since childhood after their father. She appeared on several episodes of "Home Improvement" in her recurring role as the fun grandmother to the Taylor boys and a confidante to her son and daughter-in-law. Bartlett landed the part after decades of Hollywood success, having appeared in everything from "Little House on the Prairie" in the '70s and "St. Elsewhere" and the Arnold Schwarzenegger film "Twins" in the '80s to "L.A. Law" and "SeaQuest DSV" in the '90s.

Now in her 90s, Bartlett is still the better half of what Remind Magazine dubbed the longest celebrity marriage ever, having married "Knight Rider" and "Boy Meets World" star William Daniels way back in 1951. Bartlett's last screen credits came in 2017 in two episodes of the "Breaking Bad" spin-off, "Better Call Saul." Regarding her incredible longevity, both in her career and her life, Bartlett offered some practical advice in June 2025, telling BuzzFeed, "All I can say is, keep exercising, don't drink, don't smoke. Take care of yourself first, and I don't mean being selfish, I just mean take care of your mind, take care of your body. It's a tough world out there."

Queens comic Jim Labriola entered the "Home Improvement" fray relatively early in the series' nearly decade-long run to play the role of Benny Baroni. Baroni was depicted as Tim Taylor's friend who frequents the local hardware store to hang out and take advantage of the store's free donuts and coffee. He's essentially the show's lovable derelict, and Labriola landed the role, in part, due to his longtime friendship with Tim Allen, which was forged on the stand-up comedy circuit. After "Home Improvement," Labriola had a recurring role on the short-lived, 1994 Fox series "Monty." He also appeared alongside Allen in both 1994's "The Santa Clause" and 2001's "Joe Somebody."

More recently, Labriola made headlines by standing guard in front of Franklin, Tennessee's Army and Navy Career Center following the tragic shootings at a pair of military facilities in Chattanooga in 2015, which resulted in the deaths of five U.S. Marine Corps and Navy personnel. He continues to ply his trade as a comic, releasing comedy albums and guesting on the Christian Broadcasting Network's "The 700 Club." He has also appeared on the podcast, "The Big Bad Broadcast," which launched in 2021.