While fans grew to love the characters in the beloved ‘90s sitcom “Home Improvement,” the rise to fame may have been overwhelming for some of the young actors.
Richard Karn, who played Al Borland on the show, shared that former child star Zachery Ty Bryan’s early fame may have led him to his troublesome adulthood, including multiple DUI arrests.
“When you got 12-year-olds in a position where they can buy their parents a house, that’s a very weird thing for that growing id and ego of a 12-year-old and what the world is. I’m sure that has something to do with it,” Karn told Fox News Digital.
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Karn’s comments come after Bryan, 43, was arrested twice this year for driving under the influence.
In October, Bryan refused to take a sobriety test at the time of his DUI arrest and apologized to police for “liking to drink.”
“I’m just a good dude, man. I don’t know why everybody – I’m sorry I like to drink,” Bryan told police Tpr. Kendrick Johnson at the time.
Bryan starred as Tim Allen’s oldest son in the classic sitcom, from 1991 to 1999.
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Allen portrayed Tim “The Toolman” Taylor, hosting the home improvement show “Tool Time.” He and his on-screen wife Jill raised three boys, including Bryan’s character.
Karn also shared his thoughts on the other “Home Improvement” child stars — Johnathan Taylor Thomas and Taran Noah Smith — and what they’ve been up to since their time on the show.
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“Jonathan is trying to be a director. Taran is doing great work with potable water for Third World countries and Zac … had some … problems with marriage.”
In 2020, Bryan faced legal trouble when he was arrested and entered a guilty plea after an altercation with his girlfriend at the time, Johnnie Faye Cartwright, at their apartment in Eugene, Oregon. He was previously married to Carly Matros, and they share four kids together.
Besides landing the role in “Home Improvement,” Thomas also voiced the role of young Simba in the 1994 Disney movie, “The Lion King.” He starred in “Home Improvement,” from 1991 until 1998, but left the show to focus on his education.
Smith went on to appear in “7th Heaven” and “Batman Beyond” while he was working on “Home Improvement.”
He was also embroiled in a legal battle with his parents when he was 17. He sued them for control of his $1.5 million trust fund and claimed they had squandered the money. According to an interview with Headline and Global News in 2016, Smith and his mother became estranged but eventually reconciled.
Since it’s been more than 30 years since “Home Improvement” first aired, Karn told Fox News Digital which cast members he’s still friends with.
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“I do keep in touch with Tim, and I keep in touch with Debbe Dunning, who played the ‘Tool Time’ girl. I haven’t seen much of Pam Anderson. We’re just on different tracks.
“Every once in a while I’ll see the boys and Pat [Patricia Richardson]. … Earl (Hindman) passed away, which is a shame because … he enjoyed life to its fullest.
“Tim and I actually did a show together about two years ago for the History Channel called ‘Assembly Required.’ Then, the second season was called ‘More Power’ because they didn’t think we assembled very well, I guess,” Karn joked.
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Karn admitted he didn’t realize Pamela Anderson was a Playboy model when they first met on the set of “Home Improvement.” He described his co-star as “very fun and bubbly” and noted that they both grew up in a small town on Vancouver Island.
However, Karn’s father was a huge fan and once asked Anderson to sign a Playboy magazine.
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“As soon as he found out that Pam Anderson was the ‘Tool Time’ girl, the next time he came down, he brought her copy of Playboy,” he explained.
“Pam was just so nonchalant and nice about it and goes, ‘Oh no, Mr. Karn, here, let me sign your copy of it.’ And it had to be from like ten years earlier … but, still, that was my dad. He did that,” Karn laughed.
As for a “Home Improvement” reboot, Karn told Fox News Digital whether he sees a potential new series in the future.
“A reboot would be a lot of fun to think about. I don’t know what the reality would look like or where that could go. I don’t see a reboot necessarily, but it resonates.”
Karn added that he believes “Home Improvement” resonates with fans decades later since it taught “family values,” saying the popular show was “wholesome and fun.”
