Tim Allen Was Not ‘Anywhere Near A Mentor’ For The Home Improvement Kids. Why It Was Different With Last Man Standing’s Kaitlyn Dever

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It’s wild to think Tim Allen’s been playing a dad on TV for so long! Seriously, the actors who played his kids on Home Improvement are actually older than the actress, Kat Dennings, who plays his daughter on Shifting Gears now – I haven’t even tried to figure out the ages of the kids from The Santa Clause! But Tim says getting older has helped him become a better on-screen dad. He had a good connection with his TV sons, but he feels like he was able to really mentor Kaitlyn Dever on Last Man Standing and be a stronger father figure to her.

Now that Season 2 of Shifting Gears is on TV as part of the 2026 lineup, Allen spoke with US Weekly about how his role on set has changed over time. He discussed his close relationship with Dever, who visited the set of his new sitcom in 2025, explaining that their similar senses of humor helped him become a more involved mentor.

I worked as a mentor on ‘Last Man Standing’ with Kaitlyn Dever because I connected with her comedic timing. I focused on supporting her as much as possible, and I was surprised to see how she subtly incorporated my suggestions into her performances.

It’s incredibly fulfilling as a parent when your child quietly uses advice you’ve given them. While Dever isn’t actually his daughter – he jokingly calls his colleagues ‘wife’ and ‘daughters’ – it’s especially touching that she remembered and valued his guidance. Children are expected to listen to their parents, but it’s unusual for them to apply advice from someone they work with.

Allen spoke about how hard it was when Gabrielle left the show, admitting he missed her dearly, like a family member. That’s why her occasional appearances as Eve Baxter were always such a highlight for everyone on set.

Unlike his previous work, Home Improvement transformed Tim Allen from a well-known comedian who appeared on talk shows into a major television star. Becoming a father on screen felt a little strange for him at first, as he explained:

Playing a father figure felt really fresh to me, and honestly, it took some getting used to. For a long time, I felt more like the cool, playful older brother – particularly when I was working with the young actors on Home Improvement. It just felt more natural to me at first!

It’s interesting to note that Last Man Standing premiered in 2011, a full 22 years after Home Improvement and the Taylor family first became popular. Reflecting on that time, Tim Allen wasn’t quite ready to guide or mentor a younger cast.

Fortunately, Allen didn’t have the job of raising Zachary Ty Bryan, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, or Taran Noah Smith to be good people. He acknowledged that their actual parents and guardians deserved the credit for that.

Being a TV parent is simple when things go smoothly, but if it’s challenging, it feels like you’re not making a difference. When I worked on ‘Home Improvement,’ I was new to the industry and wasn’t able to offer much guidance to the young actors. I grew into that role later on, but the kids already had supportive families at home.

Allen has remained friends with Jonathan Taylor Thomas throughout the years, even as Thomas transitioned into directing (along with a few appearances on Last Man Standing). Allen would love to have him on Shifting Gears, but it depends on Thomas’s availability. Ideally, it would be amazing to have both Thomas and Kaitlyn Dever guest star in the same episode – that would be fantastic!

You can watch Shifting Gears on ABC Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. New episodes become available on Hulu the following day for subscribers.

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2026-01-19 16:39