During an appearance on The Best Show with Tom Scharpling podcast, Smith reveals that the idea for Mark’s goth phase stemmed from the show’s head writer drawing inspiration from his own son. After the break between Home Improvement seasons 6 and 7, Smith’s Mark returned to his suburban Detroit home with black fingernails, a leather collar, and a shaved head. Read what he had to say below:
So, it wasn’t mine. The whole storyline of the older brothers beating up on me or teasing me didn’t really work anymore because now I was taller than both of them.
I found out later the head writer on the show, he had a son that was right around my age. And after about halfway through the season, I’m in wardrobe, black fingernails, and dog collar and all the stuff on, and I went backstage and came face to face with his son, who was not in wardrobe, but looked just like me, and we had this very awkward moment of like, ‘Oh, I’m your dad’s way of kind of dealing with you, sorry.’
What The Inspiration Behind Mark’s Goth Phase Means
A Writer’s Son Inspired Mark’s Most Drastic Shift
As for the future of Home Improvement, Allen has expressed interest in a reunion, even suggesting a spinoff about “the kids’ kids.” When it comes to Taran Noah Smith, bringing back the full cast might be a challenge. The actor, who was just 7 when the show began and 16 when it ended, left Hollywood after the series wrapped. Instead, he pursued various ventures, including running a vegan restaurant, doing humanitarian work in the Philippines, and teaching people how to pilot submarines with the Community Submersibles Project.
Our Take On Mark’s Goth Phase
A Relatable Look At Growing Pains
