It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Tim Allen revealed how he’s stayed sober for more than two decades.
“I’ve been drugs and alcohol free for about 22 years,” Allen, 66, told Kelly Clarkson during an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, which aired on Wednesday, March 18.
The Colorado native was able to get his life on track thanks to someone who reached out to him and offered help.
“Because I had money and I was a star, people help, they enable you to get by,” he recalled about his experience. “The program I practice, it’s all about as soon as you get it, you gotta give it away.”
He explained that in order to stay sober you have to work on it.
“A kid can’t hold on to all these toys, and every time he sees a new toy, and he goes, ‘Mine.’ You gotta drop one of those before you can grab another one,” the Home Improvement alum said.
Allen added: “It doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a day-to-day thing. You gotta reprise every day.”
In addition to overcoming a battle with drugs and alcohol, the Toy Story star has had a long career, culminating in his current success on Last Man Standing.
“The word that keeps me alive is ‘grateful.’ I love what I do. I get far more enjoyment out of entertaining people than anything monetary,” the Santa Claus star told Us Weekly exclusively in January.
As for what makes the comedy, which he has starred on since 2011, so much fun to be a part of, Allen attributes it to format and the fans.
“I love the live audience we have,” he told Us. “I tell them every night, ‘This is old-school stuff, what television and broadcast started with.’ I don’t know the future, but this [show] is rare.”
Now in its eighth season, Allen has become one of few stars to be on two shows — Home Improvement and Last Man Standing — that have hit the 100-episode mark.
“We did the same thing as we did with Home Improvement,” the actor said. “It’s all about the relationships — we don’t get into topical stuff. But [now], I’ve just got girls, so you see how a man differs in his perspective when he has so many strong women around him.”
Last Man Standing airs on Fox on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET.
