Tim Allen
Timothy Alan Dick (born June 13, 1953), known professionally as Tim Allen, is an American actor and comedian. He is known for playing Tim "The Toolman" Taylor on the ABC sitcom Home Improvement (1991–1999) and Mike Baxter on the ABC/Fox sitcom Last Man Standing (2011–2021). He voices Buzz Lightyear for the Toy Story franchise and played Scott Calvin and Santa Claus in The Santa Clause franchise (1994–present). Allen's other films include Tropical Snow (1988), Galaxy Quest (1999), Joe Somebody (2001), Zoom (2006), Wild Hogs (2007), The Six Wives of Henry Lefay (2009), Crazy on the Outside (2010), 3 Geezers! (2013), and El Camino Christmas (2017).
Tim Allen | |
|---|---|
Allen in 2012 | |
| Born | Timothy Alan Dick June 13, 1953 Denver, Colorado, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1975–present |
| Spouses |
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| Children | 2 |
| Comedy career | |
| Medium | Stand-up, film, television |
| Education | Central Michigan University Western Michigan University (BA) |
| Genres | Observational comedy, physical comedy, surreal humour |
| Subject(s) | Marriage, gender differences, family, everyday life, social awkwardness, politics |
| Website | timallen |
Early life
Allen was born in Denver, Colorado, on June 13, 1953. He is the third oldest of six children of Martha Katherine (née Fox), a community-service worker, and Gerald M. Dick, a real estate agent.[1][2] Allen has two older brothers, two younger brothers, and a younger sister. His father died in a car accident in November 1964, colliding with a drunk driver when Allen was 11.[1][3] Two years later, his mother married her high school sweetheart, a business executive,[2] and moved with her six children to Birmingham, Michigan, to be with her new husband and his three children.[4] Allen has said the move meant going from "being in a cool group at one school to being at the bottom [of the social hierarchy at another]."[5]
Allen attended Seaholm High School in Birmingham, where he was in theater and music classes (resulting in his love of classical piano). He then attended Central Michigan University before transferring to Western Michigan University in 1974.[6] At Western Michigan, Allen worked at the student radio station WIDR. In 1976 he received a Bachelor of Science degree in communications, specializing in radio and television production, with a split minor in philosophy and design.[4]
Career
Allen started his career as a comedian in 1975.[1] On a dare from one of his friends, he participated in a comedy night at Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle in Royal Oak, a suburb of Detroit.[7] While in Detroit he began to get recognition appearing in local television commercials and appearing on cable comedy shows such as Gary Thison's Some Semblance of Sanity. Following his release from prison in 1981, he returned to comedy. He moved to Los Angeles and became a regular performer at The Comedy Store. He began performing stand-up appearances on late-night talk shows and specials on record and film.[1] In 1998, Western Michigan awarded Allen an honorary fine arts degree and the Distinguished Alumni Award.[6]
Despite his admitted limited acting range (he once told a magazine his range as an actor is "... strictly limited. I can only play a part if I can draw on personal experience, and that well can go dry pretty quickly"),[8] Allen rose to fame in acting with the ABC sitcom Home Improvement (1991–1999) produced for ABC by Wind Dancer Productions, a company he co-founded with producer Carmen Finestra. Allen played the main character Tim "The Tool-Man" Taylor.[1] In November 1994, he simultaneously starred in the highest-grossing film (Walt Disney Pictures' The Santa Clause), topped The New York Times bestseller list with his book Don't Stand Too Close to a Naked Man, and appeared in the top-rated television series (Home Improvement) within one week.[1] Home Improvement ran until 1999, for which he was paid US$1.25 million per episode.[9]
In 1995, Allen provided the voice of Buzz Lightyear in the Disney/Pixar blockbuster Toy Story.[10] In 1997, he starred in the family comedy Jungle 2 Jungle from Disney. The next year he returned to voice Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story 2, which was a financial and critical hit.[11] In 1999, he starred in the sci-fi parody Galaxy Quest alongside Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, and Sam Rockwell.[12]
In 2002, he reprised his role as Scott Calvin in The Santa Clause 2. Two years later, he starred as Luther Krank in Christmas with the Kranks. In 2006, Zoom was released, starring Allen as Jack Shepard. The same year, he also starred in The Shaggy Dog and The Santa Clause 3. 2008 marked his first dramatic turn with a supporting role as an aging action film star in David Mamet's Redbelt.[13]
Allen began narrating the "Pure Michigan" television and radio commercials for the "Travel Michigan" agency. These commercials can be seen and heard throughout the Midwest and began airing nationally in 2009.[14]
In December 2009, he started a preview tour of Crazy on the Outside, a film that debuted in January 2010. Allen accompanied the film, helping promote it with a series of stand-up acts beforehand. During the performances, he told audiences he planned a 2010 comedy tour. Allen also directed the film, marking his film directorial debut.[15]
Allen hosted the 8th Annual TV Land Awards on April 25, 2010.[16] That same year, he became the official voice of the Chevrolet Cruze, narrating commercials for the vehicle, and he became the voice of Campbell Soup Company's "It's Amazing What Soup Can Do" campaign.[17] Allen returned to ABC with the sitcom Last Man Standing (2011–2017). He played the role of Mike Baxter, a conservative father fighting for his manhood in a house filled with women.[18] The character is loosely based on his own life, as a Republican father of three girls.[19] After six seasons, the show was canceled in May 2017. ABC Entertainment Chief Channing Dungey denied claims of political bias against Allen, explaining that the network could not accommodate the program on their schedule.[20] On May 11, 2018, Fox TV's CEOs and chairmen announced that Fox had officially picked up Last Man Standing for a seventh season.[21][22][23][24]
Shortly before the cancellation of Last Man Standing, Allen had been announced as part of the cast of the Netflix original comedy film El Camino Christmas (2017).[25] In 2018, he had a cameo voice role as Buzz Lightyear in Ralph Breaks the Internet. In 2019, he voiced the character in Toy Story 4 and appeared as himself in No Safe Spaces a documentary film.[26] In 2022, it was announced that Allen would reprise the role of Scott Calvin in a Disney+ mini-series, The Santa Clauses, based on The Santa Clause franchise.[27]
On June 30, 2022, the History Channel series More Power premiered, with co-host Allen reunited with Richard Karn. The show covered the history of tools and included field reports of people who use powerful tools.[28]
Personal life
Allen was raised as an Episcopalian.[2] He married Laura Deibel on April 7, 1984. Their daughter, Katherine, was born in December 1989. He and Deibel legally separated in 1999 and finalized their divorce in 2003.[29] Allen married actress Jane Hajduk on October 7, 2006, in a small private ceremony in Grand Lake, Colorado.[30][31] They had been dating for five years.[30] Their daughter, Elizabeth, was born in March 2009.[32]
On October 2, 1978, Allen was arrested at the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport for possession of over 650 grams (1.43 lb) of cocaine.[33][34][35][36] He subsequently pleaded guilty to felony drug trafficking charges and provided the names of other dealers in exchange for a sentence of three to seven years rather than a possible life imprisonment.[33] He was paroled on June 12, 1981, after serving two years and four months in Federal Correctional Institution, Sandstone, in Sandstone, Minnesota.[37][38][39]
In 1998, Allen was arrested for driving under the influence in Birmingham, Michigan. At the time, his blood alcohol content was 0.15, nearly double the legal limit in Michigan.[40] He was sentenced to one-year probation and entered a rehabilitation clinic for alcohol abuse as part of his court obligation.[41]
Allen is a supporter of the Republican Party.[42] He criticized those taking part in the 2021 United States Capitol attack, calling the incident "horrible, embarrassing, and shameful" and opining that the rioters must have had inside help. He also said the riot had caused people to be embarrassed to be known as conservative.[5]
Allen is a car enthusiast and competed in endurance racing for Saleen in a co-owned car in the 1990s, including the 24 Hours of Daytona.[43][44] He also has an impressive car collection, which he houses in a former paint shop in Southern California. As of 2022, the collection includes a 1956 Ford F-100 custom made by McLaren, a 1965 Shelby Cobra, and 1966 Ferrari 330 GTC, which by itself is estimated to be worth over $3,410,000.[45][46]
Allen is also involved in philanthropic efforts to help reduce homelessness.[47]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Tropical Snow | Baggage Handler | ||
| Comedy's Dirtiest Dozen | Himself | |||
| 1994 | The Santa Clause | Scott Calvin / Santa Claus | ||
| 1995 | Toy Story | Buzz Lightyear | Voice role | |
| 1997 | Meet Wally Sparks | Himself | Cameo | |
| Jungle 2 Jungle | Michael Cromwell | |||
| For Richer or Poorer | Brad Sexton | |||
| 1999 | Toy Story 2 | Buzz Lightyear | Voice role | |
| Galaxy Quest | Jason Nesmith | |||
| 2000 | Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins | Buzz Lightyear | Voice role; direct-to-video | |
| 2001 | Who Is Cletis Tout? | Critical Jim | ||
| Joe Somebody | Joe Scheffer | |||
| 2002 | Big Trouble | Eliot Arnold | ||
| The Santa Clause 2 | Santa Claus / Scott Calvin / Toy Santa | |||
| 2004 | Christmas with the Kranks | Luther Krank | ||
| 2006 | The Shaggy Dog | Dave Douglas | Also producer | |
| Cars | Buzz Lightyear Car | Voice cameo | ||
| Zoom | Jack Shepard / Captain Zoom | |||
| The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause | Santa Claus / Scott Calvin | |||
| 2007 | Wild Hogs | Doug Madsen | ||
| 2008 | Redbelt | Chet Frank | ||
| 2009 | The Six Wives of Henry Lefay | Henry Lefay | Also executive producer | |
| 2010 | Crazy on the Outside | Tommy Zelda | Also director | |
| Toy Story 3 | Buzz Lightyear | Voice role | ||
| 2011 | Toy Story Toons: Hawaiian Vacation | Voice role; short films | ||
| Toy Story Toons: Small Fry | ||||
| 2012 | Toy Story Toons: Partysaurus Rex | |||
| Chimpanzee | Narrator | Documentary | ||
| The Penguin King | U.S. version | |||
| 2013 | 3 Geezers! | Tim | ||
| Adventures of the Penguin King | Narrator | |||
| 2017 | El Camino Christmas | Larry Michael Roth | ||
| 2018 | Ralph Breaks the Internet | Buzz Lightyear | Voice cameo | |
| 2019 | Toy Story 4 | Voice role | ||
| No Safe Spaces | Himself | Documentary | [48][49] |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Tim Allen: Men Are Pigs | Himself | Stand-up special | |
| 1991 | Tim Allen Rewires America | Stand-up special | ||
| 1991–99 | Home Improvement | Tim Taylor | Lead role (204 episodes); also executive producer (seasons 6–8) | |
| 1996 | 68th Academy Awards | Buzz Lightyear (voice) | Television special | |
| The Drew Carey Show | Himself | Episode: "The Front" (Uncredited) | ||
| 1997 | Soul Man | Tim Taylor | Episode: "Communion Wine and Convicts" | |
| 1998 | The Larry Sanders Show | Himself | Episode: "Flip" | |
| Spin City | Rags (voice) | Episode: "The Kidney's All Right" | ||
| 2000 | 72nd Academy Awards | Buzz Lightyear (voice) | Television special | |
| 2004 | The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius | Meldar Prime (voice) | Eisoxe: "Win, Lose and Kaboom" | |
| 2011–2021 | Last Man Standing | Mike Baxter / Tim Taylor | Lead role (194 episodes); also executive producer | [50][51] |
| 2013 | Toy Story of Terror! | Buzz Lightyear (voice) | Television specials | |
| 2014 | Toy Story That Time Forgot | |||
| 2015 | Cristela | Mike Baxter | Episode: "Last Goose Standing" | |
| 2016 | 88th Academy Awards | Buzz Lightyear (voice) | Television special | |
| 2020 | Reno 911! | Space Force Commander | Episode: "Space Force" | |
| 2021 | Assembly Required | Himself (host) | 10 episodes; also creator and executive producer | [52] |
| 2022 | More Power | 10 episodes; also creator and executive producer | [53] | |
| 2022–present | The Santa Clauses | Scott Calvin / Santa Claus | Lead role (6 episodes); also executive producer |
Video games
| Year | Title | Voice role | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Home Improvement: Power Tool Pursuit | Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor | ||
| 1999 | Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue | Buzz Lightyear | ||
| 2001 | Toy Story Racer | |||
| 2009 | Toy Story Mania! | |||
| 2010 | Scene It? Disney Magical Moments | |||
| Toy Story 3 | ||||
| 2016 | Disney Magic Kingdoms | |||
| 2022 | Disney Dreamlight Valley |
Accolades
Awards and nominations
Other honors
- 1999: Named a Disney Legend for his work on the Toy Story and The Santa Clause franchises[60]
- 2004: Received a motion pictures star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6834 Hollywood Boulevard for his contributions to the film industry[61]
- 2017: Inducted into the Diecast Hall of Fame[62]
Honorary scholastic degrees
| Year | Degree | School | Location | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Doctor of Fine Arts (DFA) | Western Michigan University | Michigan | Gave commencement address | [63] |
| 2021 | Doctor of Fine Arts (DFA) | Hillsdale College | Michigan | Gave commencement address | [64] |
This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (June 2021) |
Books
- Don't Stand Too Close to a Naked Man (1994) – ISBN 0-7868-6134-7
- I'm Not Really Here (1996) – ISBN 0-7868-6257-2
References
- ^ a b c d e f Stated in interview on Inside the Actors Studio
- ^ a b c Rader, Dotson (October 27, 2002). . Parade. Archived from the original on November 26, 2006. Retrieved February 25, 2007 – via timallen.com.
- ^ "Tim Allen Biography". Yahoo! Movies.
- ^ a b . timAllen.com. Archived from the original on June 17, 2010. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
- ^ a b Hibberd, James (January 12, 2021). "Tim Allen breaks silence on Capitol attack: 'Shameful' and bad for conservatives". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b "WMU awards Tim Allen honorary degree". Western Michigan University. June 27, 1998. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
- ^ "Tim Allen". Pioneers of Television. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ "Tim Allen: 'Home' is where the heart is". Midwest Today Magazine. April–May 1996. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
- ^ Cowie, Peter (1999). The Variety Insider. Penguin Publishing Group. p. 19. ISBN 0-399-52524-6.
- ^ Price, David (2008). The Pixar Touch: The Making of a Company. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. p. 129. ISBN 978-0-307-26575-3.
- ^ Price 2008, pp. 175, 185.
- ^ Lee, Benjamin (April 6, 2016). "Sam Rockwell: Alan Rickman's death undid plans for Galaxy Quest 2". The Guardian. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- ^ Fleming, Michael (May 14, 2007). "Tim Allen tops Mamet's 'Redbelt'". Variety. from the original on April 25, 2015. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
- ^ "Tim Allen and Pure Michigan". michigan.org. Retrieved March 23, 2015.
- ^ "Stand Up and Show It Tour Dates". TimAllen.com.
- ^ Ward, Kate (March 30, 2010). "Tim Allen to Host TV Land Awards". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 31, 2010.
- ^ Brady, Shirley (September 7, 2010). . Brandchannel. Archived from the original on September 13, 2010. Retrieved January 23, 2011.
- ^ "Tim Allen to Join ABC's The Last Days of Man". TV Guide. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
- ^ "Tim Allen: 'I'm What They Call Fiscal Conservative' – Washington Free Beacon". Washington Free Beacon. September 28, 2015.
- ^ . Moviepilot. Archived from the original on September 6, 2017. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- ^ Corriston, Michele (May 11, 2018). "Tim Allen's Last Man Standing Is Returning to TV 1 Year After Cancellation". People. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
- ^ Levin, Gary (May 11, 2018). "Last Man Standing' resurfaces at Fox, a year after ABC canceled it". USA Today. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 11, 2018). "'Last Man Standing' Resurrected at Fox For Season 7 With Original Cast Led By Tim Allen". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
- ^ Battaglio, Stephen (May 14, 2018). "Tim Allen's 'Last Man Standing' returns – this time on Fox's fall schedule". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
- ^ Busch, Anita (April 25, 2017). "'Hidden Figures' Filmmaker Ted Melfi Lines Up Strong Ensemble Cast For 'El Camino Christmas' At Netflix". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- ^ Rosenberg, Lily (June 23, 2019). "'Toy Story 4': Meet the Voices Behind Each Animated Performer". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (January 14, 2022). "'Santa Clause' Series Starring Tim Allen Ordered at Disney Plus". Variety. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
- ^ Lee, Luaine (June 27, 2022). "TV Tinsel: From her first acting role, 'there was no going back' for ascendant Lucy Boynton". Hastings Tribune. Retrieved July 1, 2022 – via Tribune News Service.
- ^ . Deseret News. Salt Lake City. March 15, 2003. Archived from the original on November 2, 2015. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
- ^ a b . People. October 9, 2006. Archived from the original on October 1, 2012. Retrieved December 4, 2008.
- ^ Dibdin, Emma (October 13, 2018). "Tim Allen and His Wife Jane Hajduk's Relationship Rivals Even His Best TV Romances". Country Living. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ Lapowsky, Issie (March 30, 2009). . New York Daily News. Archived from the original on April 4, 2009. Retrieved January 1, 2011.
- ^ a b "Celebrity arrests they wish they could forget". CBS News. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ Margaritoff, Marco (November 8, 2021). "How Tim Allen Went From Cocaine-Trafficking Criminal To 'Home Improvement' Star". Retrieved March 27, 2022.
- ^ Parker, Ryan (March 3, 2021). "Tim Allen Opens Up About Infamous Drug Arrest, Laughs Off Trump Critics". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
- ^ Nugent, Annabel (March 3, 2021). "Tim Allen reflects on time in prison on drug trafficking charges: 'I learned to shut up'". Independent. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
- ^ Pratt, Monica (March 3, 1997). "650-Lifer Punishment Is a Crime". Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Retrieved January 9, 2010.
- ^ Connelly, Chris (April 1997). . Ladies' Home Journal. Archived from the original on November 13, 2010. Retrieved September 25, 2010 – via timallen.com.
- ^ King, Gary C. "Tim Allen: From Convicted Drug Dealer to Hollywood Star". Investigation Discovery. Retrieved September 25, 2010.
- ^ "Tim Allen Enters Rehab Clinic". CBS News. April 17, 1998. Retrieved January 21, 2010.
- ^ Sutton, Larry; Baram, Marcus (April 17, 1998). . New York Daily News. Archived from the original on July 7, 2009. Retrieved February 24, 2009.
- ^ Cohn, Paulette. . Fox News. Archived from the original on November 21, 2015. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
- ^ Huffman, John Pearley (January 31, 2018). "What I'd Do Differently: Tim Allen". Car and Driver. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
- ^ "Tim Allen and others to drive at Daytona". Motorsport.com. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
- ^ Anderson, Brad (May 5, 2021). "Tim Allen Is A Car Nut – And This Is His Incredible Collection". Carscoops. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
- ^ Dyer, Nathan (June 29, 2022). "Tim Allen's Updated 2023 Car Collection". CarHP. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
- ^ Michelle, Kati (October 13, 2021). "Tim Allen raises awareness about the homeless, tries to do his part". www.outsider.com. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Schultz, Marisa (January 29, 2018). "Tim Allen joins docudrama taking down PC culture". New York Post.
- ^ "Review: Free speech doc 'No Safe Spaces' clearly sides with one set of voices". Los Angeles Times. November 15, 2019.Archived at Ghostarchive and the : "No Safe Spaces Roundtable "Can't Say It Anymore"" – via www.youtube.com.
- ^ Petski, Denise (December 4, 2020). "'Last Man Standing': Tim Taylor Meets Mike Baxter In 'Home Improvement' Crossover". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
- ^ Hibberd, James (December 4, 2020). "Tim Allen revives Home Improvement character for a Last Man Standing crossover episode". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
- ^ "Tim Allen on How New History Show 'Assembly Required' is Like a Real Version of 'Tool Time'". February 18, 2021.
- ^ "'More Power': 'Home Improvement' Stars Tim Allen and Richard Karn Reunite for History Channel Show". Collider. June 6, 2022.
- ^ a b "People's Choice Awards". E! News.
- ^ "Tim Allen". Television Academy.
- ^ a b . Golden Globe Awards. Archived from the original on August 30, 2008.
- ^ . IMDb. Archived from the original on December 30, 2006. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
- ^ TV Guide Book of Lists. Running Press. 2007. p. 40. ISBN 978-0-7624-3007-9.
- ^ "People's Choice Awards 2017: Nominees and Winners List". Us Weekly. January 18, 2017.
- ^ "Disney Legends: Tim Allen". Walt Disney Company.
- ^ "Tim Allen". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
- ^ . Archived from the original on November 24, 2017. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
- ^ (PDF). Western Michigan University. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 16, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021. Archived at Ghostarchive and the :"Tim Allen WMU Honorary Degree". youtube.com. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Hillsdale College grants honorary degrees at commencement".Archived at Ghostarchive and the :"Tim Allen Address One Hundred Sixty-Ninth Commencement 2021". youtube.com. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
External links
- Official website
- Tim Allen at IMDb
- at the TCM Movie Database
- Tim Allen at AllMovie