It’s rare for a sitcom to pass the 100-episode mark — and rarer still for one actor to star in two shows that have crossed that milestone. But Tim Allen isn’t just any actor. Best known as Tim “the Toolman” Taylor on Home Improvement, Allen opened up with Us Weekly about why Last Man Standing is so successful in its eighth season.
“We did the same thing as we did with Home Improvement,” the actor, 66, says in the latest issue of Us on newsstands now. “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.”
Another key point in sitcom success? Pure family love, the comedian says.
“We never make fun [of each other]. It’s an affectionate family,” he tells Us. “I like the fact that we honor and make fun — at the same time — marriage, institution, kids, babies, people. But in the same way, we honor it. We’re not being snarky about it.”
Overall, the actor constantly reminds himself of how lucky he is with his career. “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 Toy Story star says. “I love the live audience we have. 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.”
Last Man Standing airs on Fox Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET.
With reporting by Marc Lupo
