Last Man Standing meets Home Improvement? It’s happened before! In season 4 of the Fox series, Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Patricia Richardson — who played Tim Allen’s son and wife, respectively, on Home Improvement — made cameos on the Fox series.
So, with the sitcom heading into its eighth season, could the cast of the 1994 hit show up once again? Never say never, Allen, 66, says in the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now.
“I can’t say, because some of this is in negotiation, but I always love stunt casting,” the Golden Globe winner says. “There’s a whole bunch of people we’ve reached out to. So yes, that’s always fun. When it’s kind of relevant, we will do that!”
The Toy Story star also explains that he has a lot in common with his Last Man Standing character, Mike Baxter — a similar feeling he had when playing Tim “The Toolman” Taylor.
“I was never sure whether Tim Taylor was really smart or really lucky because you’re never sure whether he was really stupid when you talked to Wilson,” the comedian says, noting that he’s shocked at how long both Home Improvement and Last Man Standing lasted. Home Improvement aired on ABC for eight seasons while Last Man Standing ran for six seasons on ABC before getting canceled despite stellar ratings. However, Fox decided to pick it up and continue the story.
“I never would have thought any of this would have gotten to this point,” he shares with Us. “I look back and the word that keeps me alive is ‘grateful.’ I love doing what I do. I get far more enjoyment out of entertaining people than monetary. Monetary, of course, is a component that is positive, but I love entertaining. I love the live audience we do for Last Man Standing. I tell them every night, ‘This is old school stuff, what television and broadcast started with. I don’t know the future of it — I don’t even want to sense it. But this is rare stuff.’ It’s a real pleasure to do it. It’s a great art form.”
For more from Allen, pick up the new issue of Us Weekly.
Last Man Standing season 8 premieres on Fox Thursday, January 2, at 8 p.m. ET.
With reporting by Marc Lupo
