Tim Allen is talking plainly about the parts of fatherhood he did not handle well the first time.
The Toy Story 5 actor told Us Weekly that he “never really wanted to be a dad” before becoming a parent and described fatherhood as a “work in progress.”
Allen, 73, has two daughters. He shares Kate, 36, with his first wife, Laura Deibel, and Elizabeth, 17, with his wife, Jane Hajduk.
He said his early years with Kate were different from the way he has parented Elizabeth, and he tied that change directly to sobriety. Allen said he was not sober for some of Kate’s formative years and later made amends with her.
Allen Said He Was Gone Often When Kate Was Young
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Allen told Us Weekly that Kate’s mother did most of the raising when his oldest daughter was young because he was away so often. He also said raising daughters was different from what he knew growing up in a family with seven boys and two girls.
The actor said he focused less on what he called “girl stuff” and more on teaching finances and self-reliance. He said that approach worked for both boys and girls.
Allen also said he has learned over time that his older daughter heard more than he realized. He told Us Weekly that Kate sometimes repeats things he used to say, leaving him surprised that the lessons stayed with her.
Sobriety Changed His Second Experience as a Father
Allen said sobriety gave him a different relationship with parenting when Elizabeth was born. He told Us Weekly that he made amends with Kate and that Elizabeth never knew the version of him from before his sobriety.
Fox News reported that Allen has been sober for nearly 30 years. In the Us Weekly interview, he said the difference between the two chapters of fatherhood is something he has thought about often.
Allen also said he and Kate have talked about those years, and he said she does not hold them against him.
He Also Looked Back at His Prison Sentence
Allen connected the fatherhood discussion to the period of his life before his career took off. He told Us Weekly that after college he got into criminal trouble and later spent two years in prison.
He said incarceration pushed him to read about people who built successful lives from difficult circumstances and to think more seriously about where he wanted his own life to go. Allen said he had humiliated his family, friends, and himself and did not want to repeat that mistake.
Toy Story 5 Brought the Interview Back to Family
Allen made the comments while promoting Toy Story 5, where he returns as Buzz Lightyear opposite Tom Hanks as Woody. Us Weekly reported that the new film puts Buzz, Woody, and the other toys up against the pull of technology after Bonnie gets a tablet named Lilypad.
The interview also included a personal update on Elizabeth, who is heading toward her senior year. Allen said he and Hajduk still go down to her room to say good night, and he expects to miss that routine when she leaves home.
Toy Story 5 opens in theaters June 19.