Let’s be honest. If you were alive in the 1990s you probably had a crush on Jonathan Taylor Thomas. JTT. The dreamboat with the dimples.
WATCH: When Dakota Johnson met Jonathan Taylor Thomas
He was the man of the moment for a while there, starring in everything from The Lion King to I’ll Be Home For Christmas.
He had the cheeky smile, the wavy hair, the twinkle in his eye. And from what we can tell, pretty much every kid of that era would call him their childhood crush. For actress Dakota Johnson, the same can be said. Except she actually got to meet him.
In an interview with James Corden on The Late, Late Show this week, the actress bravely – so bravely! – opened up about her cringe-worthy encounter with JTT when she was young. The interaction was made worse by Dakota’s mother, actress Melanie Griffiths, getting involved.
When Corden asked about the interaction, Johnson said: “Well, my mum is the most amazing person, but she embarrasses me in front of a lot of people.”
Johnson called JTT a “total babe” before launching into her tale of spotting the famous child star on a trip with her mum.
“He was in the airport and I was like – I think I was eight – I was like ‘oh my god mum, it’s really him.’ I was like, we’re going to be married, we’re going to be together for ever, we’re the same, we [both] love each other.”
The actress then donned her best ‘Melanie Griffiths’ voice and re-enacted the moment her mother called JTT over to say hello in the middle of the airport – revealing she then ran away to hide behind a plant. In true chaotic Libra fashion.
“I was like across the airport, hiding behind a plant. Trying to be invisible behind this house plant. I was obvious… I was very visible… it was a house plant not, like, a tree.”
We may not have had the chance to meet JTT ourselves, but at least we didn’t do that.
If you’re wondering what JTT has been up to since not meeting Dakota Johnson, the answer is keeping very low-key.
After starring in basically everything in the 1990s, the actor kept it going for a few more cameo roles in the 2000s before taking a break to live a more normal life.
In 2013 he agreed to join his former co-star Tim Allen’s new series, Last Man Standing, for a few episodes. The family show had many similarities to their hit ’90s show Home Improvement and it served up a hit of nostalgia to see Allen and Thomas share the screen again.
Appearing in just a handful of episodes, here’s what JTT looked like all grown up…
As for why the now 40-year-old star stepped away from acting, it appeared to have a lot to do with the pressure of stardom from a young age.
“You are a part of their life, and there is a lot that is owed them,” he told The New York Times in 1997 of his fan base. “But it’s difficult because you want to make everyone happy, but if you try to do that, you’re setting yourself up for failure.”
While he’s taken a pretty hefty break from acting for the past nine years, he is inked to executive-produce an upcoming TV series for Sony.
Here’s hoping Johnson can somehow find him in Hollywood and right the wrongs of the past for a plant-free encounter.
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