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Background:
For many, comedian Tim Allen is popular as family man Tim Taylor, his role in
the long-running sitcom “Home Improvement” (1991-1999), which brought him two
Golden Globe Awards and a TV Guide Award, as well as an Emmy and four Golden
Globe nominations. He also made a name for himself as a funny, but touching,
actor after impressively playing Scott Calvin in The Santa Clause (1994, won a
People’s Choice Award), a role he reprised in the sequel The Santa Clause 2
(2002) and the upcoming The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006).
Allen, who netted an Annie Award for his voiceover work in Toy Story 2 (1999)
and a Saturn Award for his performance in Galaxy Quest (1999), was critically
acknowledged as a talented humorist. He became a three-time Kid’s Choice’s
Favorite Male Actor recipient and a three-time People’s Choice’s Favorite Male
Television Performer. In 1995, Allen was also named TV Guide’s “TV Funniest
Star,” the People’s Choice “Favorite Comedy Motion Picture Actor,” and was
listed on the Kid’s Choice “Hall of Fame.”
Off camera, Allen published two autobiographical books, “Don’t Stand Too Close
to a Naked Man” (1994) and “I’m Not Really Here” (1996). He is also the owner of
Boxing Cat Productions (a graphic arts, design and commercial production
company) and the power tool brand Tim Allen’s Signature Tools (manufactured by
Ryobi). In 1998, he received an Honorary Degree and The Distinguished Alumni
Award from his alma mater, Western Michigan University.
On a darker note, in 1978, young Allen, who was introduced to cocaine while in
college, was sentenced to 2 years and 4 months for cocaine possession. He again
was arrested in 1997, this time for DUI, in which he received a year of
probation and was ordered to seek counseling. As for his private life, Allen is
the former husband of Laura Diebel, with whom he shares a daughter.
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Childhood and Family:
Tim Allen was born Timothy Allen Dick on June 13, 1953, in Denver, Colorado. He
is one of nine siblings to real-estate salesman Gerald Dick and
community-service worker Martha Dick. When he was 11, his father died in a car
accident, and two years later, his mother married an Episcopalian deacon. The
family then moved to Birmingham, Michigan.
Tim, who became a class clown while in high school, studied acting at the
University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. In 1974, he transferred to Western Michigan
University in Kalamazoo, where he was also active in WIDR, the University’s
student radio station. Graduating with a degree in Television Production, Tim
then worked as a creative director for a Detroit advertising firm. He tried
stand-up comedy in 1979 after being challenged by a friend.
On April 7, 1984, Tim tied the knot with landscape designer Laura Diebel, who
once worked as the chief executive officer of Tim Allen Signature Tools. Tim and
Laura divorced in 2003. Their daughter, Kady, was born in 1989.
Buzz Lightyear
Career:
On a dare from his friend, Tim Allen was seen on stage at Detroit’s Comedy
Castle in 1979, where he did his first stand-up performance. He continued doing
comedic stage acts and began writing stand-up material for the TV series “An
Evening at the Improv” (1982), amid his day job at a local ad company. He also
co-wrote and performed in a recorded stand-up performance titled Comedy’s
Dirtiest Dozen (1988), featuring uprising comedian Chris Rock and the veteran
performer Bill Hicks. Allen, who appeared in the drama Tropical Snow (1989) as a
baggage handler, acquired the role of Tim Taylor in the long-running comedy
variety series “ABC TGIF” (1990-2001).
Allen wrote, executive produced and starred in his own special program Tim
Allen: Men Are Pigs (1991), before having a breakthrough with the family sitcom
“Home Improvement” (1991-1999, also served as executive consultant), which was a
spin-off of his TGIF character. Wittily delivering the role of family man Tim
Taylor in the series, the comedian later took home two Golden Globes and a TV
Guide for Best Actor, as well as an Emmy and four Golden Globe nominations. In
the course of the popular sitcom, Allen, who reportedly received $1.25 million
per episode for its last season, also tried to be one of the directors,
screenwriters and executive producers.
After previously being spotted by a Disney representative while performing in a
comedy club, the humorist was cast as Scott Calvin, a divorced man who
unexpectedly had to do Santa Claus’ tasks, in the family holiday movie The Santa
Clause (1994). For his touching portrayal, Allen won a People’s Choice for
Funniest Actor and earned two MTV Movie nominations, one for Best Breakthrough
Performance and another for Best Comedic Performance. Allen then provided the
voice for character Buzz Lightyear in the computer-generated animated movie Toy
Story (1995) and received an MTV nomination for Best On-Screen Duo (shared with
Tom Hanks who voiced the cowboy toy Woody).
A three-time Kid’s Choice’s Favorite Male Actor, in 1995, Allen also became TV
Guide’s “TV Funniest Star,” received a People’s Choice for Favorite Comedy
Motion Picture Actor, and was listed on the Kid’s Choice “Hall of Fame.” After
starring as Michael Cromwell in the remake Jungle 2 Jungle (1997) and guest
starring in a couple of TV series, including the sitcom “Spin City” (1998), he
reprised his animated character in Toy Story 2 (1999, won an Annie for Best Male
Voice Acting and received a second MTV nomination). He also won a Saturn for
Best Actor for his entertaining performance as Jason Nesmith in the family
sci-fi movie Galaxy Quest (1999).
Next up for Allen, he continued voicing Buzz Lightyear in the video-released
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins (2000), played Joe Scheffer
in the romantic comedy Joe Somebody (2001) and revived the role of Scott Calvin
in The Santa Clause 2 (2002). He also narrated the self-executive produced TV
special program These Guys (2003) before carrying out the part of Luther Krank
in the comedy holiday film Christmas with the Kranks (2004), an adaptation of
John Grisham’s novel “Skipping Christmas.” Recently, the actor was seen in the
fantasy comedy The Shaggy Dog (2006, also produced).
Allen, who became a three-time People’s Choice Favorite Male Television
Performer, will appear in the third installment of the Santa Clause movies, The
Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006), reprising his Scott Calvin role. He
will also be seen as the titular former superhero in Zoom (2006), before taking
part in the upcoming comedy films, Walt Becker’s Wild Hogs (2007) and Simon
Beaufoy’s In the Pink (2007, also featuring Cher and Britney Spears).
Awards:
- Saturn: Best Actor, Galaxy Quest, 2000
- Annie: Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting by a Male
Performer in an Animated Feature Production, Toy Story 2, 2000
- TV Guide: Favorite Actor in a Comedy, “Home Improvement,” 1999
- People’s Choice: Favorite Male Television Performer, 1999
- People’s Choice: Favorite Male Television Performer, 1998
- People’s Choice: Favorite Male Television Performer, 1997
- Kid’s Choice: Favorite Male Actor, 1996
- Kid’s Choice: Favorite Male Actor, 1995
- Kid’s Choice: Hall of Fame, 1995
- People’s Choice: Favorite Comedy Motion Picture Actor, 1995
- TV Guide Reader’s Poll: TV’s Funniest Star, 1995
- Kid’s Choice: Favorite Male Actor, 1994
- People’s Choice: Funniest Actor in a Comedy Motion Picture, Santa
Clause, 1994
- Golden Globe: Best Actor in a Leading Role--Musical or Comedy Series or
Television Movie, “Home Improvement,”1994
- Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series -
Comedy/Musical, “Home Improvement,” 1991
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