Tim Allen

Tim Allen (born Timothy Allen Dick, 13.6.1953)

Tim Allen is an American comedian and actor. Amongst his best known performances are his appearances in the Home Improvement TV sitcom and the films The Santa Clause and Toy Story.

Tim Allen: Childhood

Tim Allen was born in Denver, Colorado, to Martha Katherine Dick and Gerald M. Dick. His mother was a community service worker and his father was an estate agent. When Tim was 11 years old, his father died in a car accident, when a drink-driver collided with his vehicle. Tim is the eldest of five brothers.

The family later moved to Detroit, after his mother married her childhood sweetheart.

Tim Allen attended the Ernest W. Seaholm High School in Birmingham. Whilst at high school, he studied theatre and music. He later studied at Kalamazoo's Western Michigan University.

In 1975, Allen embarked on his career as a comedian, when one of his friends dared him to perform at a comedy night. This led to a number of appearances in TV commercials and on Gary Thison's cable comedy show Some Semblance of Sanity.

Tim Allen: Career

Tim Allen moved to Los Angeles, where he became a member of The Comedy Store and started doing stand-up appearances on talk shows.

Between 1991 and 1999, Tim Allen was the star of the sitcom Home Improvement, in which he played Tim 'The Tool-Man' Taylor. The show, which was created by Carmen Finestra and Matt Williams, also starred Patricia Richardson, Zachery Ty Bryan and Richard Karn.

In 1994, Allen starred in the Christmas hit The Santa Clause, the highest grossing film at the time. At the same time, his book, Don't Stand Too Close To A Naked Man was at the top of the New York Times best-seller list.

In 1995, Tim Allen provided the voice of Buzz Lightyear in the smash hit animation Toy Story. Other actors to provide voices for the film include Tom Hanks and Don Rickles.

Since 2006, Tim Allen has narrated the 'Pure Michigan' TV and radio commercials for the travel agency Travel Michigan.

Tim Allen: Personal Life

In 1978, Allen was arrested for possession of 1.4lb of cocaine. He served 28 months imprisonment in Minnesota. In 1997, he was arrested for drink-driving and was sentenced to one year of probation as well as entering a rehab clinic.

Between 1984 and 2003, Tim Allen was married to Laura Deibel. They a daughter together, named Katherine, who was born in 1989. In 2006, Tim Allen married the actress Jane Hajduk in Grand Lake, Colorado, having dated for five years. Both Allen and Hajduk appeared in the film Zoom. In March 2009, Hajduk gave birth to their first child, a daughter named Elizabeth.

In 1995, Allen won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series, for his work in Home Improvement.

In 1999, Tim Allen was awarded a star on the Hollywood walk of Fame. The star is at 6898 Hollywood Boulevard.

Tim Allen and Steve Saleen raced Mustangs in the SCCA World Challenge. Their team was named the Saleen/Allen 'RRR' Speedlab.