Why Tim Allen’s Shifting Gears Character Matt Is Not A ‘Man’s Man’

Tim Allen proud of how he did Shifting Gears his previous sitcom roles were different — starting with the unusual “man’s man.”

“He’s more like me. I’m more of an artist. I’m a design student and a philosopher and my standup comedy is really about disturbing people in a good way,” Allen, 71, exclusively told We are every week. “I come from a big family run by women. So I have a very different perspective from men. I don’t think we’re running things. That’s why I want this guy. He’s not a ‘man’s man’ in that term, and he doesn’t try to be anything other than what he does.

Actor notes Matt is “not like other guys” he revived.

“It’s a new character and it’s closer to (who I am). I have the grief of my life for the loss of my father,” he shared. “I was blessed to be a comedian and this is it (character). If I were to do it all over again, I would want to be closer to the (male) me.

Before Matt, Allen was known for playing Tim “The Toolman” Taylor on the ABC sitcom Home Improvementwhich ran from 1991 to 1999. He continued to Last Man Standingwhere he played Mike for nine seasons on ABC. Shifting Gearson the other hand, follows widowed father Matt (Allen) and his estranged daughter, Riley (Kat Dennings), as they find themselves together and working fix their relationship.

“Since the beginning, (said the creative team) we’ve never seen Tim Allen in a sitcom with a romantic interest. And I said, ‘Well, I just lost my wife so I can’t see it.’ So I like where we are,” Allen said we. “I said, ‘If it happens over time and happens organically with two people who don’t agree then that’s OK. I’m just being really careful about it. I just want it to happen where it’s organic and right.

In addition to Allen and Dennings, 38, Shifting Gears also stars Seann William Scott, Daryl “Chill” Mitchell, Maxwell Simkins and Barrett Margolis. Jenna Elfmanwhile, cast in a recurring role as enthusiastic choreographer Eve Drake, who owns a dance studio across from the classic car restoration shop that Allen’s character runs.

we exclusively revealed earlier this month that Shifting Gears hosted a reunion between Allen and Nancy Travis. The duo previously shared the screen in Last Man Standingwhere Travis, 63, played Allen’s onscreen wife.

“The Nancy Travis story is really, really smart,” Allen teased before reflecting on her off-screen friendship with Travis. “Nancy Travis once told me (something) after I called her at the time Last Man Standing. I said, ‘Did you talk to the girls (who played with our daughters) over the summer?’ Then there was a long pause and he said, ‘Tim, these aren’t our daughters and I’m not your wife.'”

He joked: “He’s really amazing about it because sometimes when they get into trouble on the show, I say, ‘How do you think they feel?’ And he’d say, ‘Tim, they’re actors. We’re just reading (what’s on the page but) he’s not really upset.'”

Meanwhile Allen had fun shaping his character Shifting Gears, he admitted at first not sure about join the show.

“It was a complicated decision. I do Disney+ Santa Claus series at the time and I said, ‘I can’t even think about it now,'” he continued. “Do I want to do linear TV? I’m very sad about how streaming has ruined television. So if I’m going to do it, I want to elevate it.”

It used to be his sitcom back in the day eventually caused by Allen to think again. “I finished Mike Baxter (in Last Man Standing) and Tim Taylor (in Home Improvement),” he said. “So if I were to do it again, I would focus on three things: I want a man who lost his wife recently, so he is dealing with grief; I want a man with a family that doesn’t get along; And then he had a custom car shop. “

Shifting Gears will air on ABC Wednesday at 8pm ET before streaming the next day on Hulu.