Many people recognize Tim Allen as the charming family patriarch from Home Improvement. His sympathetic depiction of Tim Taylor in the hit family drama launched the stand-up comedian to fame. However, a few people may know that he was once a drug dealer.
Tim Allen’s Drug and Prison Journey
Allen had his first drink at age ten after seeing cowboys drinking whiskey in movies. A year later, though, he lost his beloved father in an alcohol-impaired driving accident.
The tragedy intensified his drinking and drove him to steal alcohol, as he acknowledged on an episode of the WTF With Marc Maron podcast.
“After my father died, I really just played games with people, told grownups what they wanted to hear, and then stole their drinks,”
The Last Man Standing star explained. As he grew older, the actor went to college and began peddling narcotics, but he was apprehended on October 2, 1978. Police arrested him at the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport after discovering him with over 650 grams of cocaine.
He almost earned a life sentence for it, but because he helped reveal other people’s identities, he was only sentenced to three to seven years in prison.
Tim Allen Discusses His Prison Time
The Home Improvement star discussed his time in prison in the same podcast. He was condemned to three years in jail, but he was released two and four months later. Allen was sent to three different prisons after being arrested, and throughout that time, he learned how to live.
The actor utilized humor to get along with people and adjust to his new surroundings. But he discovered that sarcasm did not work well in prison. He explained that he took things one day at a time and did what he was taught.
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 actor revealed. He said 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, which drew the attention of Disney executives Jeffrey Katzenberg and Michael Eisner.
Allen persuaded them to let him go to Home Improvement, a comedy show, and the rest is history. He has been sober for about 23 years. During an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, the actor discussed how he pulled it off. Moreover, he claimed that someone approached him before he became sober.
“People assisted, they enabled you to get by because I had money and I was a star,”
He said of his experience. He went on to say that it didn’t happen overnight and that it had to be done one day at a time.
“He said he now focuses on his lifestyle by eating healthy, drinking plenty of water, and exercising on a regular basis.”
