The transformation of Mark Taylor into a goth on the set of Home Improvement has finally been explained. Taran Noah Smith, the actor who portrayed Mark, the youngest son of Tim (played by Tim Allen) and Jill (portrayed by Patricia Richardson) on the popular sitcom, recently shed light on the unexpected journey his character took into the goth subculture. During a recent appearance on The Best Show with Tom Scharpling podcast, he revealed the origins of this surprising change in his character’s appearance.
“It wasn’t my idea,” Smith chuckled as he recounted the evolution of his character. “The dynamic of the older brothers picking on me didn’t quite fit anymore since I was now taller than both of them.” According to Smith, the decision to give his character a goth makeover was made during the break between seasons 6 and 7. However, it was only later that he pieced together where this concept may have originated from.
“I later discovered that the head writer of the show had a son around my age,” Smith explained. “About halfway through the season, I found myself decked out in black fingernails, a dog collar, and all the goth attire, and then I encountered his son backstage, who, despite not being in costume, bore a striking resemblance to me. It led to this awkward moment of realization, like, ‘Oh, I guess I’m the manifestation of your dad’s attempt to connect with you, sorry.'”
Home Improvement, which chronicled the life of Tim Taylor (played by Allen), a host of the home improvement show “Tool Time,” along with his wife Jill and their three sons Brad (portrayed by Zachery Ty Bryan), Randy (played by Jonathan Taylor Thomas), and Mark (potrayed by Smith), ran for eight successful seasons on ABC. In a recent interview in 2023, Allen hinted at the possibility of a reunion and even entertained the idea of a spinoff involving the next generation of the Taylor family.
“One of the recent discussions we’ve had is imagining a scenario where Home Improvement revolves around the children of the original characters,” Allen shared. “If they all had kids, and I’m a grandparent, perhaps it could be called Home Re-Improvement or something along those lines. It’s definitely been considered.”
However, Smith, who was a fixture on the show from the age of 6 to 16, has since distanced himself from Hollywood following the conclusion of the series. His post-acting endeavors have included a brief stint operating PlayFood, a vegan restaurant and catering business, volunteering for the nonprofit organization Communitere in the Philippines, and contributing to the Community Submersibles Project, as reported by Us Weekly.
