Timothy Allen Dick was born on June 13, 1953 in Denver, Colorado. Allen’s childhood was marked with small problems and accented by one very large tragedy. As a young child having an easily targeted last name, Allen was often the object of relentless teasing. His only defense became developing a quick wit and a tough skin. 

Then at the age of 11, Allen’s father was tragically killed when a drunk driver struck his vehicle. His mother, a community service worker, married her former high school boyfriend (whose own wife supposedly died in a car crash) two years after the accident. The family relocated to Birmingham, Michigan where Allen finished high school and eventually attended Western Michigan University. He graduated in 1975 with a degree in Television Production.

In 1978, Allen was arrested for attempted drug-dealing. He spent the next 28 months in jail, but when he returned, his outlook on life had changed. Accepting a friend’s dare, he performed his standup act at the Comedy Castle in Detroit. 

Allen then landed a spot in several cable productions featuring young standup comedians. The first was Comedy’s Dirtiest Dozen (1988), which effectively launched the career of Allen and fellow comedian Chris Rock. The second cable show was Tim Allen: Men Are Pigs (1991).

After perfecting this routine, which centered on cars, power tools, and his trademark grunting, Allen was approached by Disney to star in a television series. Allen shot down some initial suggestions, and finally pitched the idea of making a show about his prototype created in Men Are Pigs. Disney agreed, and Home Improvement aired in 1991. 

With Patricia Richardson as his wife, Earl Hindman as his wise neighbor across the fence, and Pamela Anderson as his beautiful TV show within a TV show assistant, the sitcom ran for eight successful seasons. Allen, a virtual unknown, became a superstar.

In 1994, while still filming Home Improvement, Allen starred in his first feature length film, the smash hit The Santa Clause. Allen played Scott Calvin, a man who inadvertently kills Santa and by contractual obligation and must take his place. The movie also featured Earl Hindman and Peter Boyle. The movie was so successful that Allen and crew signed on to do The Santa Clause 2 and recently completed The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause.

Allen’s career started with a standup routine noted for its vulgarity, but his film career has been nothing but family picture after family picture. On top of the previously mentioned films, Allen also starred in the family-geared Jungle 2 Jungle (1997), Christmas with the Kranks (2004), and The Shaggy Dog (2006).

His more adult-geared films include the 1999 comedy Galaxy Quest with Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, and Sam Rockwell, as well as the 2002 adaptation of Dave Barry’s novel Big Trouble. 

Outside the world of film, Allen also offered his name to the Tim Allen Signature Tools line, and he is a successful comedy author. His books I’m Not Really Here and Don’t Stand Too Close to a Naked Man, Vol. 1 were both very successful.

In early 2007 Tim Allen appeared in the hilarious movie Wild Hogs along with John Travolta,William H Macy, Martin Lawrence, Ray Liotta and a guest appearence by Peter Fonda. The film followed the outragious antics of four middle aged men trying to relive thier motorbiking twenties on a bike riding holiday across America.

Allen was married once to Laura Diebel from 1984 to 2003 when the couple divorced. They have one daughter together, named Kady.