-• Taran Noah Smith is an American former actor.
-• He starred as Mark Taylor in the family comedy series “Home Improvement” (1991-1999).
-• He has appeared in only four TV series and two movies prior to retiring from acting in 1999.
-• He is a vegan and runs a non-dairy cheese manufacturer and restaurant Playfood Inc.
-• He is 38 years old, 6ft 1in (1.85m) tall, has blue eyes and curly brown hair, and has an estimated net worth of over $300,000.
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Who is Taran Noah Smith?
American former actor Taran was born in San Francisco, California USA, on 8 April 1984, making Aries his zodiac sign. He appeared in only four TV series and two movies prior to retiring from acting in 1999, and is probably still best known for starring as Mark Taylor in all 203 episodes of the family comedy series “Home Improvement”, which also starred Earl Hindman and Tim Allen, and was created by David McFadzean and Carmen Finestra. It follows the lives of TV show host Tim ‘The Tool Man’ Taylor and his family, the series aired from 1991 through 1999 and won 50 of its 113 award nominations, including seven Primetime Emmy wins.
Education and early life
Taran was raised alongside his sister Ariandrea ‘Aria’ Hilary Smith in San Francisco, by their mother Candy Bennici and father David Smith; his sister’s today a successful model. Taran was 17 when he accused his parents of using the money from his trust fund, and he did it mostly because they didn’t allow him to take his $1.5 million from the fund before turning 18; Taran later apologized to his family, and stated that he realized they were only trying to protect him.
He was five years old when he made his debut TV series appearance, playing a supporting character in several episodes of the comedy “ABC TGIF” in 1989. The series was created by Jim Janicek, starred Bronson Pinchot, Mark Linn-Baker and Jay Mohr, and is a compilation of short family sitcoms; it aired from 1989 through 2018.
Taran had just completed his elementary education when he stopped shooting for “Home Improvement” in 1998, and he then attended a local high school in San Francisco, matriculating in 2002. He continued his education at the University of Southern California, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in 2005, and with a Master’s degree two years later.
Roles in movies
The year 1995 saw Taran play Tim ‘Timmy’ Cratchet in the fantasy “Ebbie”, directed by George Kaczender, and which starred Susan Lucci, Wendy Crewson and Ron Lea. It follows three spirits of Christmas who’ve visited the store owner Elizabeth ‘Ebbie’ Scrooge.
Taran’s only other film role was playing the main character Brian Ferris in the 1998 family drama “Little Bigfoot 2: The Journey Home”, written and directed by Art Camacho, and which also starred Stephen Furst and Michael Fishman. The movie follows a man and his children as they’re trying to protect Little Bigfoot from a wealthy landowner who wants to make a circus attraction out of him.
Roles in TV series
In 1997, Taran played Peter McKinley in the episode “See You in September” of the family comedy “7th Heaven”, and had only one other TV series role: he voiced Patrick in the 1999 episode “Rats” of the hit animated action adventure “Batman Beyond”. It was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, starred Will Friedle, Kevin Conroy and Lauren Tom, and follows teenager Terry McGinnis who’s become the new Batman, and is fighting crime in futuristic Gotham; the series aired from 1999 through 2001 and won five of its 19 award nominations.
Other credits
Taran received special thanks for the 2010 action adventure comedy movie “Bold Native”.
Some of his talk-show appearances have been in “E! True Hollywood Story”, “Child Star Confidential” and “Christy’s Kitchen Throwback”.
Awards and nominations
Taran’s won two Young Artist Awards: the first in 1992 for Best Performance by an Actor Under Ten, and the other in 1995, for Outstanding Youth Ensemble in a TV Series (shared with Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Zachery Ty Bryan), both for his performance in “Home Improvement”.
He was nominated for two other Young Artist Awards in 1993 and 1999, also for “Home Improvement”.
Life after acting
Taran gained control over his $1.5 million trust fund in 2002, and three years later founded his non-dairy cheese manufacturer and restaurant Playfood Inc. together with his now former wife Heidi; Taran’s vegan, and the restaurant specializes in serving organic and vegan foods.
He went on to join the Community Submersibles Project as their technical manager, teaching people how to pilot submarines.
Most recently, in 2022, Taran became an integration technician at Space Exploration Technologies Corp, also known as SpaceX.
Love life and marriage with Heidi van Pelt
Taran attracted a lot of the media’s attention when aged 17, he married 16 years his senior Heidi Van Pelt on 27 April 2001; she’s a nutritional counselor, and was once the owner of the entertainment company Emergent Films. Heidi once hosted the radio show “Raw Health”, and is also vegan.
Taran and Heidi met when he was 14, as they were both members of an animal rights group, and it’s widely believed that they began dating around the same time.
They had been together for six years when Taran filed for divorce on 2 February 2007, accusing Heidi of financial fraud, claiming that she forwarded their mutual funds to her own company; the divorce was finalized in the same year, and Taran was made the sole owner of the company Playfood Inc.
Taran hasn’t mentioned other girls whom he’s been with, seems to be single as of January 2023, was married to Heidi van Pelt, and doesn’t have children.
Interesting facts and hobbies
Taran’s followed by only 144 people on Instagram, but has posted just two pictures onto the social media network.
He’s become passionate about travelling, and aims to visit at least one new country every year; Taran’s favorite place to travel to is the Italian commune Riomaggiore.
He doesn’t like to work out at the gym, but goes for a run nearly every day.
Taran’s a huge dog-lover, and has two pet dogs.
Some of his favorite actors are Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Samuel L. Jackson, and some of his favorite movies include “12 Monkeys”, “Pulp Fiction”, and “Terminator”.
Height, eyes and wealth
Taran’s age is 38. He has blue eyes and curly brown hair, is 6ft 1in (1.85m) tall and weighs about 170lbs (77kgs).
Taran’s net worth’s been estimated at over $300,000, as of January 2023.
