Tim Allen

For those of the same or a similar name, see Timothy Allen (disambiguation).

Tim Allen

Allen at the set of Last Man Standing in 2012
Birth name Timothy Alan Dick
Born June 13, 1953[1]
Denver, Colorado, U.S.
Medium Stand up, television, film
Genres Observational comedy, blue comedy, physical comedy, character comedy
Subject(s) Marriage, gender differences, family, everyday life
Spouse
Children 2
Notable works and roles Tim Taylor on Home Improvement
Scott Calvin / Santa Claus in The Santa Clause
Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story franchise
Website timallen.com

Timothy Alan Dick[2][3] (born June 13, 1953), known professionally as Tim Allen, is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his role in the sitcom Home Improvement. He is also known for his starring roles in several popular films, including the Toy Story film series (as the voice of Buzz Lightyear), The Santa Clause film series, and the science fiction action comedy film Galaxy Quest (1999).[4][5] Since 2011, he has starred as Mike Baxter in the ABC sitcom Last Man Standing.

Early life

Born in Denver, Colorado, Allen is the son of Martha Katherine (née Fox), a community-service worker, and Gerald M. Dick (1923–1964), a real estate agent.[4][6] He is the third oldest of five brothers. His father died in a car accident, colliding with a drunk driver, when Allen was 11.[4][7] Two years later, his mother married her high school sweetheart, a successful business executive,[6] and moved with her six children to Birmingham, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, to be with her new husband and his three children.[8] Allen attended Ernest W. 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 and transferred to Western Michigan University in 1974.[9] At Western Michigan, Allen worked at the student radio station WIDR and received a Bachelor of Science degree in communications specializing in radio and television production in 1976 with a split minor in philosophy and design.[8] In 1998, Western Michigan awarded Allen an honorary Fine Arts degree and the Distinguished Alumni Award.[9]

Career

Allen started his career as a comedian in 1975.[4] 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. 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. He later moved to Los Angeles and became a regular performer at The Comedy Store. He began to do stand-up appearances on late-night talk shows and specials on record and film.[4]

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"),[10] Allen rose to fame in acting with the television series Home Improvement (1991–1999) produced for ABC by Wind Dancer Productions, a company he co-founded with producer Carmen Finestra. Allen played Tim "The Tool-Man" Taylor.[4] During one week in November 1994, he simultaneously starred in the highest grossing film (The Santa Clause), topped the New York Times best-seller list with his book Don't Stand Too Close to a Naked Man, and appeared in the top rated television series (Home Improvement).[4] The following year, he provided the voice of Buzz Lightyear in the blockbuster Toy Story.[4] Simultaneous with his time acting in Home Improvement, Allen formed a race team with Steve Saleen and race driver Bob Bondurant, called the Saleen/Allen "RRR" Speedlab. The team raced Saleen Mustangs in the SCCA World Challenge, with Allen and Saleen as the team's drivers.

In 1997 he starred in the family comedy Jungle 2 Jungle from Disney. The film was poorly received by critics. The next year marked the final year of Home Improvement, for which he was paid $1.25 million per episode. The next year he returned to voice Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story 2 which was a financial and critical hit. Also in 2000 he starred in the sci-fi parody Galaxy Quest alongside Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman and Sam Rockwell.

In 2006, Zoom was released, featuring Allen as Jack Shepard. The same year, he also starred in The Santa Clause 3 and The Shaggy Dog.

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.[11]

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 that he planned a 2010 comedy tour. Allen also directed the film, marking his film directorial debut.[12]

Allen with Jay Leno at the 45th Emmy Awards

Allen hosted the 8th Annual TV Land Awards on April 25, 2010.[13] 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's "It's Amazing What Soup Can Do" campaign.[14]

Allen currently stars in another ABC sitcom, Last Man Standing. He plays the role of Mike Baxter, a father who is fighting for his manhood in his house filled with women.[15]

Personal life

On October 2, 1978, Allen was arrested in the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport for possession of over 650 grams (1.43 lb) of cocaine. He subsequently pleaded guilty to 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. He was paroled on June 12, 1981, after serving two years and four months in Federal Correctional Institution, Sandstone in Sandstone, Minnesota.[16][17][18] Allen had the Federal Bureau of Prisons Register # 04276-040.[19]

Allen was raised as an Episcopalian.[6] He was married to Laura Diebel from April 7, 1984, until they legally separated in 1999. Their divorce was finalized in 2003.[20] Their daughter Katherine was born in 1989. Allen married actress Jane Hajduk on October 7, 2006, in a small private ceremony in Grand Lake, Colorado. They had dated for five years.[21] In March 2009, their daughter Elizabeth was born.[22]

In 1997, Allen was arrested for DUI in Birmingham, Michigan, and was recorded as having a 0.15 percent blood-alcohol content.[23] He was sentenced to one year probation. He entered a rehabilitation clinic for alcohol abuse as part of his court obligation.[24]

In September 2014, Allen, like his character Mike Baxter in Last Man Standing, became a licensed amateur radio operator under the callsign KK6OTD.[25][26]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1988 Tropical Snow Baggage Handler
1988 Comedy's Dirtiest Dozen Himself
1989 Rodney Dangerfield: Opening Night at Rodney's Place Himself
1990 Tim Allen: Men Are Pigs Himself
1991 Tim Allen Rewires America Himself
1994 Santa Clause, TheThe Santa Clause Scott Calvin / Santa Claus
1995 Toy Story Buzz Lightyear (voice)
1997 Meet Wally Sparks Himself Cameo
1997 Jungle 2 Jungle Michael Cromwell
1997 Soul Man Tim Taylor Episode: "Communion Wine and Convicts"
1997 For Richer or Poorer Brad Sexton
1998 Spin City Rags (voice) Episode: "The Kidney's All Right"
1999 Toy Story 2 Buzz Lightyear (voice)
1999 Galaxy Quest Jason Nesmith
2000 Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins Buzz Lightyear (voice) Video
2001 Who Is Cletis Tout? Critical Jim
2001 Joe Somebody Joe Scheffer
2002 Big Trouble Eliot Arnold
2002 Santa Clause 2, TheThe Santa Clause 2 Santa Claus / Scott Calvin / Toy Santa
2003 Top Speed Narrator
2004 Christmas with the Kranks Luther Krank
2006 Cars Buzz Lightyear Car (voice)
2006 Shaggy Dog, TheThe Shaggy Dog Dave Douglas
2006 Zoom Jack Shepard/Captain Zoom
2006 Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, TheThe Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause Santa Claus / Scott Calvin
2007 Fired! Documentary
2007 Wild Hogs Doug Madsen
2008 Redbelt Chet Frank
2009 Six Wives of Henry Lefay, TheThe Six Wives of Henry Lefay Henry Lefay
2010 Crazy on the Outside Tommy Zelda Also director
2010 Toy Story 3 Buzz Lightyear (voice)
2010 I Am Comic
2011 Hawaiian Vacation Buzz Lightyear (voice) Short film
2011 Small Fry Buzz Lightyear (voice) Short film
2012 Partysaurus Rex Buzz Lightyear (voice) Short film
2012 Chimpanzee Narrator Documentary
2012 Penguins 3D Narrator U.S. version
2013 Geezers! Tim
2017 Toy Story 4 Buzz Lightyear (voice)

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1991–99 Home Improvement Tim Taylor Series; also executive producer (seasons 6–8)
2003 These Guys Narrator (voice) Movie
2004 Jimmy Neutron: Win, Lose and Kaboom Meldar Prime (voice) Movie
2011–present Last Man Standing Mike Baxter Series
2013 Toy Story of Terror! Buzz Lightyear (voice) Special
2014 Toy Story That Time Forgot Buzz Lightyear (voice) Special
2015 Cristela Mike Baxter Crossover appearance: "Last Goose Standing"

Video games

Year Title Role
1994 Home Improvement: Power Tool Pursuit Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor
1996 Toy Story Activity Center Buzz Lightyear
1999 Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue Buzz Lightyear
2001 Toy Story Racer Buzz Lightyear
2010 Scene It? Disney Magical Moments Buzz Lightyear

Books

Awards and honors

References

  1. ↑ "Today in history". The New York Times. Associated Press. June 12, 2014. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Tim Allen Marries Longtime Girlfriend Jane Hajduk - Marriage, Tim Allen". People.com. October 9, 2006. Retrieved December 13, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Actor hesitant to revisit cell on celluloid". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. March 2, 1997. Retrieved December 13, 2011.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Stated in interview on Inside the Actors Studio
  5. ↑ Tim Allen, Galaxy Quest enhanced edition DVD commentary.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Rader, Dotson (October 27, 2002). "Facing My Fear of Intimacy". Parade – via timallen.com.
  7. ↑ "Tim Allen Biography". Yahoo! Movies.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Tim Allen: Actor: Biography". timAllen.com. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "WMU awards Tim Allen honorary degree". Western Michigan University. June 27, 1998. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
  10. ↑ "Tim Allen: 'Home' is where the heart is". Midwest Today Magazine. April–May 1996. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Tim Allen and Pure Michigan". michigan.org. Retrieved March 23, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Stand Up and Show It Tour Dates". TimAllen.com.
  13. ↑ Ward, Kate (March 30, 2010). "Tim Allen to Host TV Land Awards". News Briefs (Entertainment Weekly). Retrieved March 31, 2010.
  14. ↑ Brady, Shirley (September 7, 2010). "Campbell's Soup Shirks Canned Cool for Wholesome Warmth". brandchannel. Retrieved January 23, 2011.
  15. ↑ "Tim Allen to Join ABC's The Last Days of Man". tvguide.com. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
  16. ↑ Pratt, Monica (March 3, 1997). "650-Lifer Punishment Is a Crime". Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Retrieved January 9, 2010.
  17. ↑ Connelly, Chris (April 1997). "Broken Home". Ladies' Home Journal. Retrieved September 25, 2010 – via timallen.com.
  18. ↑ King, Gary C. "Tim Allen: From Convicted Drug Dealer to Hollywood Star". Investigation Discovery. Discovery. Retrieved September 25, 2010.
  19. ↑ "Timothy A Dick." Federal Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved on January 9, 2010.
  20. ↑ "Actor Tim Allen and wife settle their divorce | Deseret News (Salt Lake City) Newspaper | Find Articles at BNET". Findarticles.com. March 15, 2003. Retrieved September 2, 2010.
  21. ↑ "Tim Allen Marries Longtime Girlfriend Jane Hajduk". People.com. October 9, 2006.
  22. ↑ Lapowsky, Issie (March 30, 2009). "It's a girl for Tim Allen, wife Jane Hajduk". Daily News (New York). NYDailyNews.com.
  23. ↑ "Tim Allen Enters Rehab Clinic". CBS News (CBS Interactive). April 17, 1998. Retrieved January 21, 2010.
  24. ↑ Sutton, Larry; Baram, Marcus (April 17, 1998). "Self – 'Improvement': Tim Allen Enters Rehab". New York Daily News. Retrieved February 24, 2009.
  25. ↑ http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/license.jsp?licKey=3628906
  26. ↑ "Actor Tim Allen Gets His Ham Ticket For Real". ARRL. 2014-09-30.
  27. ↑ Tim Allen Emmy Nominated
  28. ↑ "Golden Globes". GoldenGlobes.org.
  29. ↑ "Disney Legends". Walt Disney Company.
  30. ↑ TV Guide Book of Lists. Running Press. 2007. p. 40. ISBN 0-7624-3007-9.
  31. ↑ Allen "Hollywood Walk of Fame database". HWOF.com.

External links

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