Tim Allen Biography (2)

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Tim Allen honed his talents as a stand-up comic throughout the 1980s, providing the perfect lead-in to his highly successful ABC television series Home Improvement, for which he garnered a Golden Globe Award, an Emmy nomination, and was honored with the People's Choice Award for Favorite Male Performer in a Television Series for an unprecedented eight years in a row. While dedicated to the hit sitcom, Allen still found time to expand his talents.

He made his film debut in 1994, playing the historic holiday icon in the blockbuster hit The Santa Clause, earning him another People's Choice Award. He gave voice to the beloved yet deluded space ranger Buzz Lightyear in the computer-animated smash hit Toy Story and starred in Jungle 2 Jungle with Martin Short and For Richer or Poorer with Kirstie Alley.

While the Taylor family was still at the top of the prime-time charts, Allen revisited his comedy roots with a successful national concert tour that finished with a sell-out performance at Caesar's Palace, while finding time to pen his first book about the male perspective, Don't Stand Too Close to a Naked Man, which topped the New York Times Bestseller List. This was followed by his second bestseller I'm Not Really Here, which focused on such subjects as mid-life crisis, the family and quantum physics. In 1999, during the eighth and final season of Home Improvement, Allen was honored with a TV Guide Award for Favorite Actor in a Comedy Series. In a tearful farewell, Allen hung up his tool belt, shifting his film career into high gear.

To the delight of moviegoers, Allen reprised Buzz Lightyear in the smash-hit sequel Toy Story 2, which grossed more than $250 million. This was followed by the popular comedy Galaxy Quest, in which Allen portrayed the washed-up actor Jason Nesmith and his sci-fi alter ego Commander Peter Quincy Taggart, appearing opposite Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickman. Allen also starred in Joe Somebody opposite Jim Belushi and, in 2001, partnered with Rene Russo in Barry Sonnenfeld's ensemble comedy Big Trouble. In 2002, with an interesting departure from playing mythical icons and the average everyman, Allen took on the role of Critical Jim, a professional hit man, in the comedy Who is Cletis Tout? That same year he kicked off the holiday filmgoing season with The Santa Clause 2. In a brief return to television in April 2003, Allen's old Tool Time pals, Debbe Dunning and Richard Karn, joined him on stage for the live event ABC special The Users Guide to Home Improvement.

Following the completion of his work on Christmas With the Kranks, Allen segued into the starring role of The Shaggy Dog, a remake of the1950s family classic.

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