Many people recognize Tim Allen as the lovable family man from Home Improvement.
His endearing portrayal of Tim Taylor on the hit family drama catapulted the stand-up comedian to fame.
However, a few people may be aware that he was once a drug dealer.
Tim Allen’s Drug and Prison Journey
Page Contents
Allen drank his first drink at the age of ten after seeing cowboys drinking whiskey in movies.
A year later, however, he lost his beloved father in an alcohol-impaired driving accident.
The tragedy exacerbated his drinking and drove him to steal alcohol, as he admitted on an episode of the WTF With Marc Maron podcast.
“After my father died, I really just played games with people, told adults what they wanted to hear, and then stole their booze,” the Last Man Standing star explained.
As he grew older, the actor went to college and began dealing drugs, but he was apprehended on October 2, 1978.
Police apprehended him at the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport after discovering him with over 650 grams of cocaine.
He almost received a life sentence for it, but because he cooperated in revealing other people’s identities, he was only sentenced to three to seven years in prison.
Tim Allen Discusses His Prison Time
In the same podcast, the Home Improvement star discussed his time in prison. He was sentenced to three years in prison, but he was released two years and four months later.
Allen was transferred to three different prisons after being arrested, and during that time, he learned how to survive.
He explained that he took things one day at a time and did what he was told.
The actor used humor to get along with people and adjust to his new surroundings, but he discovered that sarcasm did not work well in prison.
After eight months, Allen had gotten used to his new life and compared it to “camp.”
“There were some good times. We got better food on Saturday. “Eventually, I moved from a holding cell to my own cell,” the Home Improvement star revealed.
He went on to say that he was so proud of his cell that he called his mother to tell her about it.
Tim Allen Reflects on Overcoming Adversity
Allen discovered he could make everyone laugh while in prison, and after his release, he pursued his talent.
He began doing stand-up at the Comedy Castle and gained popularity, attracting the attention of Disney executives Jeffrey Katzenberg and Michael Eisner.
Allen persuaded them to let him go to Home Improvement, a comedy sitcom, and the rest is history.
He has been sober for nearly 23 years. The actor discussed how he did it during an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show.
He claimed that someone approached him before he became sober.
“People helped, they enabled you to get by because I had money and I was a star,” he said of his experience.
He added that it did not happen overnight and that one had to take things one day at a time.
He now focuses on his lifestyle by eating healthy, drinking plenty of water, and exercising on a regular basis.
Also Read: Kenny Holland Marries His Girlfriend And Expands His Family
