Actor Tim Allen recently opened up about the role faith has played in his life and the lessons he has learned after three decades of sobriety, and what it means to be part of the “Toy Story” movies, a franchise that has connected with multiple generations of families.
During an interview with Us Weekly, the actor and comedian said he remains amazed by the lasting appeal of “Toy Story,” which debuted in 1995. The actor noted that few people involved with the original film anticipated the cultural phenomenon it would become.
“When we first saw ‘Toy Story,’ everybody was in the room going, ‘I don’t know what to make of this.’ [The] powers-that-be were very unsure it would [translate]. [They] thought, ‘Maybe we just go right to DVDs,'” Allen said.
Three decades later, the franchise is preparing to release its fifth installment. Allen said he was particularly struck by the film’s willingness to address children’s relationship with technology.
“They’re into tech, and yet they’re putting a light on their own tech,” Allen said.
At a screening of “Toy Story 5,” Allen, the voice of Buzz Lightyear, said the room became quiet during a scene depicting children absorbed in their phones. The actor praised Pixar, calling it courageous to re-encourage kids to play.”
Beyond “Toy Story,” Allen has built a career that includes starring roles in the “Santa Clause” film series and the television sitcoms “Home Improvement” and “Last Man Standing.” Allen now stars in the ABC comedy series “Shifting Gears,” playing the lead character Matt Parker.
Despite his decades in Hollywood, Allen acknowledged that working in the entertainment industry at this point in his life comes with challenges.
“I’m getting too experienced. I’ve done so many things that when we start a new project, it’s challenging to hear new people tell me how the business works. I’m respectful because they’re either bosses or higher-ups, but the comic [inside me] wants to say something outlandish,” he said.
“There’s a point where you’re too mature for something [so you just say,] ‘You guys deal with this, and I’ll deal with something else.’ There are moments where I lose my patience, but I don’t want to be rude. I don’t want to be like, ‘Don’t look me in the eye,'” Allen added. “I’m a successful actor because of the people who watch and because of the people who do all the real work, from craft services to camera people.”
The television and film actor also reflected on the impact of losing his father at a young age and the challenges he faced afterward.
Allen was 11 when his father, real estate agent Gerald M. Dick, was killed by a drunk driver in November 1964, according to USA Today. The actor’s father was driving Allen’s mom and a car full of children home from a football game in Colorado when a drunk driver swerved and collided with the vehicle.
Allen said he “turned into a different person” after the accident that claimed his father’s life.
“Trauma has that effect. I turned into my spiritual or metaphysical or religious self. My blood father was really involved in pruning the car [and] all the stuff I really like now,” he said. “My dad got me into that. I really missed that connection. I didn’t have that with my stepfather, but he was an extremely wonderful guy.”
The actor’s life later took another difficult turn in 1978 after he was arrested at a Michigan airport with over a pound of cocaine in his luggage. After he pleaded guilty to the charges, the actor spent two years in a federal prison while in his mid-20s.
During his incarceration, Allen began studying the lives of successful people and thinking seriously about the future he wanted.
“I did not want to do that ever again,” Allen told Us Weekly. “I humiliated my family, friends and myself. I did not want to make that mistake [again].”
Regarding the role that faith has played in his life, the actor said he’s been “a questioner most of [his] life.” He added that it’s “been a long path to learn [how to] accept things as they are.”
“If I look back at the horrible things that have happened to me or to others, am I supposed to be OK with that? Or is it none of my business? For a long time, I still enjoyed church services now and then, but underneath, I was going, ‘I don’t like this Creator because you can take anybody any time you want for no reason,’” Allen explained.
“I’ve learned to stop asking,” he added.
The “Shifting Gears” actor also discussed how sobriety has affected his role as a father. His oldest daughter, Kate, was born in 1989, a time when he was still struggling with addiction. His younger daughter, Elizabeth, has only known him as a sober father.
“I was not sober for some of [Kate’s] formative years. I made amends to her,” Allen said. “With the younger one, I see how much different it is when I’ve been sober almost 30 years. She never knew any of that guy. I’ve thought about it many times, and I’ve talked to Kate, and she doesn’t hold it against me.”
Last June, Allen revealed that he had begun reading the New Testament after finishing the Old Testament and said he was “amazed” by Paul’s letter to the Romans, describing the experience as a meaningful part of his continuing spiritual journey.
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
