Timothy Alan Dick known professionally as Tim Allen, is an American comedian, actor,
voice-over artist and entertainer.
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, The Santa Clause film series, and Galaxy Quest.
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, a community-service worker, and Gerald M. Dick, a real estate agent.
He is the third oldest of five brothers.
His father died in a car accident, colliding with a drunk driver, when Allen was 11.
Two years later, his mother married her high school sweetheart, a successful business executive,
and moved with her six children to Birmingham, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, to be with
her new husband and his three children.
Allen attended Ernest W. Seaholm High School in Birmingham, where he was in theater and
music classes.
He then attended Central Michigan University and transferred to Western Michigan University
in 1974.
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.
In 1998, Western Michigan awarded Allen an honorary Fine Arts degree and the Distinguished
Alumni Award.
Career Allen started his career as a comedian in
1975.
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.
Despite his admitted limited acting range, Allen rose to fame in acting with the television
series Home Improvement produced for ABC by Wind Dancer Productions, a company he co-founded
with producer Carmen Finestra.
Allen played Tim "The Tool-Man" Taylor.
During one week in November 1994, he simultaneously starred in the highest grossing film, 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.
The following year, he provided the voice of Buzz Lightyear in the blockbuster Toy Story.
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.
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.
Allen hosted the 8th Annual TV Land Awards on April 25, 2010.
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.
Allen currently stars in another ABC sitcom, Last Man Standing.
He plays the role of Mike Baxter, a dad who is fighting for his manhood in his house filled
with women.
Personal life On October 2, 1978, Allen was arrested in
the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport for possession of over 650 grams 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 2 years and 4 months in Federal Correctional
Institution, Sandstone in Sandstone, Minnesota.
Allen had the Federal Bureau of Prisons Register # 04276-040.
Allen was raised as an Episcopalian.
He was married to Laura Diebel from April 7, 1984, until they legally separated in 1999.
Their divorce was finalized in 2003.
They have a daughter, Katherine, 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.
In 1997, Allen was arrested for DUI in Birmingham, Michigan, and was recorded as having a 0.15
percent blood-alcohol content.
He was sentenced to one year probation.
He entered a rehabilitation clinic for alcohol abuse as part of his court obligation.
On January 5, 2009, it was announced that Allen and Hajduk were expecting their first
child together.
In March 2009, Allen's second child, a girl named Elizabeth, was born.
Filmography Film
Television Video games
Books Don't Stand Too Close to a Naked Man – ISBN
0-7868-6134-7 I'm Not Really Here – ISBN 0-7868-6257-2
Awards and honors 1992: Won People's Choice Award for Favorite
Male Performer in a New TV Series 1993: Nominated for one Emmy Award for Home
Improvement 1993–97: Nominated for Golden Globe Award
for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy for Home Improvement five consecutive
times, winning once in 1995 1993–99: Won People's Choice Award for Favorite
Male TV Performer nine consecutive times 1994–99: Nominated for Kids' Choice Award
for Favorite Male TV Actor six consecutive times, winning four times
1995: Won People's Choice Award for Favorite Comedy Motion Picture Actor
1995: Nominated for MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance and Best Comedic
Performance for The Santa Clause 1996: Won the Kids' Choice Awards Hall of
Fame award 1997: Nominated for Blockbuster Entertainment
Award for Favorite Actor/Actress – Family 1997: Nominated for Golden Satellite Award
for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical for Home Improvement
1999: Won Annie Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting by a Male Performer
in an Animated Feature Production 1999: Named a Disney Legend for his work on
the Toy Story and The Santa Clause franchises. 1999: Won a TV Guide Award for Favorite Actor
in a Comedy for Home Improvement 2004: Received a Star on the Hollywood Walk
of Fame at 6898 Hollywood Blvd for contributions to the television industry
2007: Nominated for Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor for The Santa Clause 3: The
Escape Clause, The Shaggy Dog and Zoom 2007: Nominated for Golden Raspberry Award
for Worst Screen Combo for The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
2007: Nominated for Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Remake or Rip-off for The Shaggy
Dog 2009: The cast of Home Improvement was honored
with a Fan Favorite award at the TV Land Awards 2011: Nominated for Kids' Choice Award for
Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie 2012: Won a TV Guide Award for Favorite Comeback
for Last Man Standing References
External links
Official website Tim Allen at the Internet Movie Database
Tim Allen at AllMovie