The Real Reason You Don't Hear From Zachery Ty Bryan Anymore

Who could forget "Home Improvement?" In hindsight, this iconic '90s sitcom played things fairly by the book, with nearly every episode reliably employing the "solve the problem of the week in 22 minutes or less" that's still commonly employed by similar lighthearted series today. Nonetheless, "Home Improvement" was uniquely elevated by its snappy writing and the memorable performances of its cast. It starred the likes of Tim Allen, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Earl Hindman, and Patricia Richardson, and, of course, Zachery Ty Bryan as the eldest of the Taylor family's three sons.

"Home Improvement" notably launched the teen heartthrob careers for both Bryan and his co-star Thomas (also known as JTT in his early years). As they matured and got older, they eventually transitioned into regular acting roles and were involved in several notable projects during the early 2000s. Unlike Thomas, however, Bryan has been all-but-absent from the entertainment scene in recent years — but there are some very specific and admittedly problematic reasons for why he's been living a more private life these days.

For those wondering why they're not regularly seeing Zachery Ty Bryan on their TV or cinema screens anymore, it's partially because the professional has mostly been retired from the acting industry for well over a decade now. 2009 saw Bryan take on one of his currently-penultimate acting credit, starring as Thor (not the Marvel superhero version) in the critically-panned SyFy flick "Thor: Hammer of the Gods." That same year, Bryan started his very own production company, Vision Entertainment Group, with him beginning work in a behind-the-scenes role for future projects. Several years later, the "Home Improvement" star revealed that he had moved away from acting entirely to focus on this other venture. "I don't miss acting at all," he said in an interview with FOX411 in 2012. "It's my roots, so I will always be open to it, but I always knew that some day I would end working behind-the-scenes."

While Bryan has mostly remained true to his word about leaving his acting days behind him, 2022 did see the creative finally return to acting for one notable role. He appeared as part of the main cast for Netflix's superhero spoof series "The Guardians of Justice (Will Save You!)," in which he portrayed Mike, one of the aides of Christopher Judge's President Nukem. Beyond his role in this series, however, it's unknown whether Bryan may be formulating a full-scale return to acting in the near future.

There's yet another element to why the general public hasn't heard much from Zachery Ty Bryan in recent years, and it has to do with a couple of different controversies involving the star. Back in October of 2020, Bryan was arrested for a domestic violence incident between him and his girlfriend at the time, just a month after divorcing his high school sweetheart Carly Matros in September. Per a report from Yahoo Entertainment, there were as many as eight charges brought upon him, but he specifically pled guilty to two charges of menacing and assault in the fourth degree. Ultimately, Bryan agreed to three years of probation, as well as an immediate end to the relationship. 

Roughly one year after the domestic abuse incident, Bryan became engaged to Johnnie Faye. In November of 2022, the pair announced that they were expecting twins.

Bryan has also come under fire for his outspoken political stances. As reported on by PopCulture.com, the actor deleted his Twitter account after receiving backlash for penning a tweet in support of former U.S. President Donald Trump. Bryan has continued to share similar messages expressing his support for the controversial political figure and his strong anti-Democrat views on other social media platforms.