If you grew up in the nineties, you knew Mark Taylor. He was the youngest, slightly sensitive, often-bullied son on Home Improvement, the kid who went from a cute bowl-cut toddler to a goth teenager right before our eyes. Taran Noah Smith spent seven years of his childhood under those hot studio lights, filming 210 episodes alongside Tim Allen and Patricia Richardson. Then, the show ended in 1999, and he basically vanished from Hollywood.
Most child stars follow a predictable trajectory. They either transition into "serious" adult acting, or they spiral in a very public, very messy way. Taran did neither. He didn't want the spotlight, and honestly, he hasn't looked back once.
🔗 Read more: Kim Kardashian Fake Porn: What Most People Get Wrong About Celebrity Deepfakes
The Reality of Being Mark Taylor
You’ve got to imagine what it's like starting a "career" at age seven. For Taran Noah Smith, the set of Home Improvement wasn't just a job; it was his entire social structure. He wasn't there because he had a burning passion for the craft of acting—he was a kid who happened to be good at following directions and had a face the camera loved.
By the time he was 16, he was done. Literally. When the show wrapped, he made it clear he had no intention of pursuing more roles. He once told reporters that he never really had the chance to decide what he wanted to do with his life because he was always busy being what others needed him to be on screen. That's a heavy realization for a teenager.
It wasn't just about burnout, though. There was the money.
That Massive Legal Battle With His Parents
This is where things got messy. Around the time he turned 18, Taran discovered that his trust fund—the millions he had earned over nearly a decade of primetime television—wasn't exactly where he thought it would be. He ended up in a high-profile legal dispute with his parents, David Smith and Candy Bennici. He accused them of mishandling his earnings and using his money to buy a mansion in Marin County.
It was a classic "Coogan Law" situation, even though those laws are supposed to prevent exactly this. He eventually gained control of his finances, but the relationship was fractured for years. Interestingly, his mother later wrote a book titled Stardom Happens: A Parent’s Guide to Screen Success, which offered a bit of a mea culpa and advice for other stage parents. They eventually reconciled, which is a rare happy ending for these kinds of tabloid-heavy family feuds.
Marriage, Veganism, and Non-Dairy Cheese
While most 17-year-olds were worrying about prom, Taran Noah Smith was getting married. He wed Heidi Van Pelt in 2001. The age gap was the thing everyone talked about—she was 16 years his senior. It was a tabloid firestorm. They weren't just a couple, though; they were business partners.
Together, they started Playfood.
Ever heard of it? It was one of the early pioneers in the vegan food space, specifically focusing on raw, vegan cheese. This was long before you could find five different brands of cashew milk at every local grocery store. They were based in Missouri for a while, running a business that was, by all accounts, ahead of its time.
The marriage didn't last. They divorced in 2007. The business eventually folded too. But it showed something about Taran: he was an entrepreneur at heart, someone who preferred working with his hands and building things rather than reciting lines for a sitcom.
Why He Never Returned to the Screen
People always ask why he hasn't done a reboot or a guest spot. Tim Allen and Richard Karn have stayed close, even doing the show Assembly Required together recently. Taran? He stays away.
📖 Related: Who Shares Your Cake? October 30th Celebrity Birthdays You Might Have Missed
He found a different kind of fulfillment. He spent time as a merchant marine. He learned how to sail. He became a technical wizard. If you look at his life post-2010, it’s all about engineering and physical labor. He worked as a technical manager for a company called Community Submersibles, which is basically as cool as it sounds. He was helping people build and pilot small submarines for undersea exploration.
It’s a far cry from the Taylor family garage.
The Arrest and the Pivot
Life wasn't always smooth sailing, though. In 2012, he made headlines for a DUI and drug possession charge (marijuana, which was a different legal beast back then). He took the plea, did the community service, and stayed out of the news. It felt like a momentary lapse rather than a downward spiral.
Lately, his focus has shifted toward disaster relief. He joined Burners Without Borders, a grassroots volunteer organization. When Hurricane Harvey hit the Gulf Coast, Taran was on the ground. He wasn't there as a celebrity; he was there as a guy with a toolkit who knew how to fix things. He spent months in Texas and later in Puerto Rico, helping rebuild communities.
Where is Taran Noah Smith Now?
Currently, he works for SpaceX. Yeah, Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
He isn't an astronaut, but he’s a "Lead Integration Technician." Think about that for a second. The kid who played with tools on a fictional TV set now spends his days working on actual rockets that go into orbit. It’s poetic, in a way. He finally found a way to use "tools" for something that felt real to him.
He seems genuinely happy. He lives a quiet life, avoids the "former child star" circuit, and rarely does interviews unless it’s about his technical work or his volunteer efforts. He’s the ultimate example of someone who successfully "opted out" of the Hollywood machine.
Actionable Takeaways from Taran's Journey
If you're looking for the "lesson" in Taran Noah Smith’s story, it’s about the power of the pivot.
- Financial Literacy is Non-Negotiable: Even with millions in the bank, Taran had to fight for control. If you're a high-earner or have kids in the industry, understanding the "Coogan Account" specifics and fiduciary duties is vital.
- Burnout is a Signal, Not a Failure: Walking away from a multi-million dollar acting career at 16 was a massive risk, but it saved his mental health.
- Skills Over Fame: Taran's transition to SpaceX proves that technical skills—welding, engineering, mechanics—provide a longevity that celebrity status never can.
- Privacy is a Choice: You don't owe the public a "where are they now" update. Living a quiet, productive life is often the biggest win of all.
If you find yourself stuck in a career that feels like a costume you didn't choose, Taran's life is proof that you can take the costume off, pick up a wrench, and build something entirely new. Even if that something is a rocket ship.