Tim Allen, 71, Tools Around TV Again

Why grief and loss?

My wife in the series just passed away from a heart attack [while] jogging. I’m very upset about it. I've always admired people in my life, in my parents’ life, people that go through grief and still have a sense of humor. I don't understand that. So now I want to investigate that. And I want to investigate restoration, and I want to investigate what a parent is like with a daughter who he does not like and she does not like him. And is it possible to restore a relationship that was really flawed? And that's Kat Dennings [who plays Allen’s daughter]. How the heck we got her, and how the heck she and I get along? 

You have two daughters of your own [Elizabeth, 15, with wife Jane Hajduk, and Katherine, 35, with ex-wife Laura Deibel]. How are those relationships?

I'm not a perfect guy by any means. And I've made some mistakes with both my daughters, where I became a smaller person and wasn't able to see through and be their parent. And sometimes I'm their parent and a parent that I never had, so I'm kind of making it up. And then sometimes I'm an authentic guy and a good listener. And I said, so damage has been done. The reality of relationships, it's over time.

What’s the best advice your dad gave you?

My real father was killed when I was a little boy [his father died in a car accident, colliding with a drunk driver, when Allen was 11] and my stepfather Bill — who I love to this day — he was my mom’s first boyfriend. She went off to college and met my father. My stepfather’s wife passed away within years of my dad, and they found each other again. One time he just said, “Let’s not discuss politics, and let’s not ask people about their money. It’s none of your business.” And nowadays, that’s all we talk about. At least in my group. And he [also] said, “Don’t compete with your family.” My first wife — divorced many, many years ago but a good friend — we competed with each other. I never thought that we were doing that, but we were. He saw that and he said, “It’s not a good idea to compete with your wife.”

Tim Allen during a 1992 taping of "Home Improvement." The show ran from 1991 to 1999.

Bob D'Amico/Courtesy Everett Collection

Out of all the things you’ve done in your career, what’s been the most fun?

There's nothing quite like the experience of a sitcom. It's kind of a combination of stand-up, theaters, movies — and then live. It's theater mixed. For other actors, if you've never done situation comedies with a live audience, it's very, very different. It's vaudeville. I think of George Burns and Gracie Allen way back when, when they'd look at the audience, they'd do these little skits. And we're still kind of like that. I don't take it lightly.

Did your life turn out the way you thought it would?

What I said I'd like to do is very different from [how] my career [turned out]. I never really thought about this. I wanted to be like Richard Pryor after some difficulties in my past life and making some terrible mistakes. I've always been a funny guy. My father was a funny guy. My granddad was a funny guy. My uncle was a funny guy, and I always thought it would be great to be the center of attention.

You also still go out on the road — I see you have tour dates lined up?

Stand-up is really what I do. I've been doing concerts for almost 35 years. It's hard to believe — Vegas, Chicago, New Orleans, Nashville, all the cities I've been able to do.

Do you ever think about retiring?

I have an interest when I'm sitting still. I love sitting still. I'll put it like Jay Leno, my good friend: “What do you do when you're retired? You just sit.” I really love what I do. ... I was so happy on the set. I'm happy around my family — I’m happy the way you are with family. On the set, I was euphoric because I was making the crew laugh.