Who could have forgotten about how Toy Story, Cars, Shaggy Dog, and Santa Clause filled us up with laughter growing up, making us slip Disc 1 and 2 into our DVD players in more repeats than we care to admit?
Only Tim Allen can do that.
But, behind the wholesome, fun image of his characters we all loved, the now 66-year old comedian has recently spoken out in public about his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction.
A Not-So Disney-Like Childhood
Before he became known as “Buzz Lightyear” from Toy Story 1 to 4 (1995-2019), “Dave Douglas” from The Shaggy Dog (2006), and “Santa Claus” from, of course, Santa Clause Trilogy (1994-2006) which we all loved as kids growing up, Allen was also once a kid himself.
Unknown to many, the well-loved actor experienced a challenging, tragic childhood.
Born as Timothy Allen Dick on June 13, 1953 in Denver, Colorado, Tim Allen had a difficult time during the early parts of his life. His odd surname, Dick, made him the center of attention as a child, but in the worst way possible — bullying. Allen used his wits as his greatest weapon to fight against his bullies, oftentimes shutting them down with wise responses whenever he got picked up on.
Growing up, Allen was very close to his father, Gerald M. Dick. Unfortunately, the man died after being killed by a drunk driver back when the comedian was only 11 years of age. At the time of his father’s wake, his mother moved to Detroit where she then got back in touch with her high school sweetheart who was a wealthy businessman. The couple then decided to tie the knot and pair up for good to raise Allen and his five other siblings on their own.
Tim Allen before the fame
The future comedic star was known to be doing very well at school during his teenage years. He earned his high school diploma at Seaholm High School, enrolling to Central Michigan University in college but was quick to transfer to Western Michigan University where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Television and Radio Production.
It was also at this school where Allen met his future long-term girlfriend, Laura Deibel, who introduced him to selling narcotics as a way to earn money, changing the course of his life from then on.
Having a strong background in the field, Allen took a position at a sporting goods store right after graduating in 1976 where he was instantly offered the job of being the company’s in-house advertising agent.
Allen then found huge success in the business a few years later and eventually married Deibel, whom he would share more than two amazing decades of his life until their divorce in 2003.
However, the moderate success did not stop the then-married couple from dealing drugs to make even more money.
Eventually he was arrested and while out on bail, Allen tried his luck on stand-up comedy. The comedian made his debut at Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle in Detroit, just a month away from his scheduled trial.
After successfully going through his court appearance, the comedian received a reduced sentence as he agreed to testify against his partner, sentenced to serve a total of 8 years in federal imprisonment instead.
Behind and Beyond Bars: Allen’s Comedic Success
Allen’s flair for comedy proved to have no bounds as he finds home from his newfound audience
While serving his time inside the prison, the comedian saw an opportunity to enhance his talent for humor. He began telling random lines around and later on became well-known inside the prison for his ability to put a smile on even the toughest guards and toughest prisoners.
Because of his good conduct, Allen was granted parole after serving 28 months in jail.
He headed back to Detroit right after serving his jail time and began working at an advertising agency by day and at a comedy bar by night. He continued to pursue his dreams by becoming a regular at the Comedy Castle, making the audience burst into tears — out of laughter — with his hyper-masculine persona.
When asked about what he learned from being imprisoned, Allen told The Washington Times that the experience was eye-opening for him and that being imprisoned made him shift his focus back to his real passion, “It was a watershed moment. It put me in a position of great humility and I was able to make amends to friends and family and refocus my life on setting and achieving goals.”
Taking advantage of the momentum he is currently enjoying at his comedy career, Allen soon ventured into the world of commercial acting where he appeared in several advertisements for Mr. Goodwrench.
Adding to his growing success in the comedy world, Allen’s then wife Laura gave birth to an angel whom they named Katherine.
The comedian, now fueled by the fact that he is now a father, worked as hard as he could to provide a comfortable life for his family. And, by 1990, Allen’s Men are Pigs routine was adapted into a Showtime television special, catapulting him to fame. In this act, the comedian cracked satirical jokes about the society’s view of men who love hardware.
This performance by the comedian had an immediate impact as his routine caught the attention of many, including the Chairman of Disney’s Studios, Jeffrey Katzenberg and Walt Disney’s CEO Micheal Eisner, who offered him the leading roles for their upcoming small-screen adaptations of Turner & Hooch (1989) and The Dead Poets Society (1989). Having huge faith in himself and his talent, Allen decided to turn the offers down and fought for his own material.
Eventually, he persuaded the studio to use his works as the basis of their new sitcom entitled Home Improvement, thus blessing the television with the ever-iconic Tim “The Toolman” Taylor.
Despite having a ticket to success, the comedian has found himself back in his old ways again and in 1997, Allen got busted due to driving under the influence (DUI). After that incident, he decided that he needed to change and admit himself into rehab, and from that day on, the comedian never looked back again on his old habits and decided to be sober for good.
Putting the friend in You’ve Got a Friend in Me
If there’s one song fitting for his recovery journey, it would definitely be You’ve Got a Friend in Me.
The Toy Story star in an interview with the Huffington Post highlighted the importance of reaching out for help as told by a physician friend, just as the song suggests.
“For me, I was done! I was just done!” the comedian declared, “[If] you need help, the first thing you go to [is] the phone book, and it’s free. It’s a program that’s always got its doors open, there are no dues or fees.”
Continuing to recount his experience with drugs, Allen said that addiction is “a disease of the soul and the mind” tearing up not just himself but also the people surrounding him.
“It’s a matter of hitting a personal bottom… I was tired of my excuses; I was tired of the shame and the guilt… so much energy to manage it. It was unmanageable. I sat there [and] I said to whatever God that was watching over me: ‘Help me! I will do what you want. I’m a guy who doesn’t like ‘organized’ anything but AA is just brilliant to me.”
From that day forward, Allen has never got anywhere near his past habits, and according to him, this is the “best decision ever.” Just like that — with the aid of professional help and personal drive — decided to leave his old habits behind, and never looked back.
Been through the same struggles as Tim Allen? You don’t have to be a Hollywood actor to speak up — comment below and let’s chat about your success story.
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