Portrayed by Patricia Richardson Played by Patricia Richardson Significant other Tim Taylor | Spouse(s) Tim Taylor First appearance "Pilot" TV show Home Improvement | |
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Aliases Jill Patterson
Jillian Patterson Family Colonel Fred Patterson (deceased)
Lillian Patterson
Linda (sister)
Tracy (sister)
Carrie (sister)
Robin (sister)
Katie (sister)
Carol (sister) Children Brad Taylor
Randy Taylor
Mark Taylor Last appearance "The Long and Winding Road Part 3" Similar Al Borland, Clair Huxtable, Wind Dancer, Roseanne Conner, Debra Barone | ||
Jillian "Jill" Taylor (née Patterson) is a character in the TV sitcom Home Improvement played by Patricia Richardson. Jill is Tim Taylor's wife. Jill helps Tim raise their three sons (Brad, Randy, and Mark). Jill Taylor has appeared on critics' lists of "top TV" or "most memorable" moms. For this role, Richardson was nominated four times for Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress – Comedy Series and also received two nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy.
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Development
The writers planned from the start that Tim Taylor's wife would have a strong voice. Patricia Richardson had initially been reluctant to accept the role, concerned that Jill would be yet another "perfect" TV sitcom mother such as Clair Huxtable of The Cosby Show. She was reassured after seeing some scripts and talking to the series' producers. Early in the show's run, Richardson said, "What I want for this character is for her to be imperfect. I want her to make mistakes. I want her to be the wrong one in the relationship. I want her to blow it with Tim, and be the one who has to be punished. Because that's what life is like."
Background
Due to her father being in the Army, Jill and her four sisters grew up in a rigid environment. Jill and her siblings appear together in "Jill and Her Sisters" and "Taps".
Personality
It is established early in the series that Jill serves as the voice of reason for her husband and children. Jill is known for her common sense, but is also in-tune with her emotions; she has been described as "the epitome of understanding". However, she is not far above a multitude of bad habits and instances of poor judgement, selfishness and immaturity. Her desire to help others and solve problems appear to run parallel with a meddling streak. She is known to give bad advice with positive intentions. She does not always sincerely care about the good of other people when matchmaking them or the consequences of meddling in their affairs. She is also known to not own up to the mistakes she makes, blaming them on something else. And she is also prone to lying to get what she wants, something she herself boasts to be good at.
Jill loves sophisticated art forms such as theatre, ballet and opera. Jill offers a dichotomy to Tim's lovably-inept persona.
College and career
Throughout the course of the series, Jill progresses from being a fairly typical housewife to a career-focused working woman. Early in the series, Jill frequently has problems finding employment; in the pilot episode of the series, she laments to Tim about how she was passed over for a job interview. However, Jill ultimately goes back to school, majoring in psychology.
Politics
Jill's feminism is emphasized throughout the series, especially in its latter seasons. She and Tim would sometimes argue about a man and woman's "place" in the household. Despite Tim's frequent reluctance to understand Jill's point of view, he usually tries to compromise with her.
It is also revealed in "Taps" that Jill is a Democrat. In other episodes, Jill mentions attending protest rallies as a young woman without her father's knowledge. However, being the daughter of an Army father has influenced her personality somewhat. For example, in "Tanks for the Memories", she exhibits great skill in driving a tank.
Running gags
Cultural impact
The relationship between Jill and Tim Taylor has been discussed in academic papers about feminism and the men's movement. In May 2012, Jill was one of the 12 moms chosen by users of iVillage on their list of "Mommy Dearest: The TV Moms You Love".