Jonathan Taylor Thomas Photographed for the First Time in Years During Rare Outing in L.A.

For the first time in nearly eight years, former '90s heartthrob Jonathan Taylor Thomas has been spotted out public.

The Home Improvement alum, 39, was photographed walking two dogs while out in Los Angeles last week. The star kept a low profile in a dark hoodie, New York Mets hat and sunglasses.

This marks the first time Thomas has been photographed in public in nearly eight years.

Thomas is best known for starring on Home Improvement as Randy Taylor. He ultimately exited the Tim Allen-led sitcom in 1998 to focus on his education. He graduated from Chaminade College Preparatory School in 2000 and went on to attend Harvard University, where he studied philosophy and history. He later graduated from the Columbia University School of General Studies in 2010.

Since leaving Home Improvement, Thomas has made guest appearances on several shows, including, Ally McBeal, Smallville and 8 Simple Rules. He additionally lent his voice to animated characters on The Wild Thornberrys and The Simpsons.

Thomas took a break from acting for nearly a decade until he reunited with Allen, 68, on Last Man Standing. The former child star appeared on four episodes airing between 2013 to 2015. He also directed three episodes of the series, which ended in May after nine seasons.

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Thomas previously spoke to PEOPLE about his decision to leave Hollywood, saying he had no regrets about giving up acting.

"I'd been going nonstop since I was 8 years old," Thomas, who also starred in films including I'll Be Home for Christmas and Speedway Junky, told PEOPLE in 2013. "I wanted to go to school, to travel and have a bit of a break."

"To sit in a big library amongst books and students, that was pretty cool. It was a novel experience for me," he added.

Thomas added that he "never took the fame too seriously" before walking away. "It was a great period in my life," he said. "But it doesn't define me."

He continued, "When I think back on the time, I look at it with a wink. I focus on the good moments I had, not that I was on a lot of magazine covers."