Though Tim Allen isn't heard from much these days in terms of celebrity drama, '80s and '90s kids haven't forgotten about him. Most adults who grew up watching TV in the '90s remember Tim Allen as Tim Taylor on 'Home Improvement.'
Not only did the show feature America's dad Tim, but it also had hunky teen stars of the era, like Zachery Ty Bryan and Jonathan Taylor Thomas. But for anyone who thought Tim Allen faded into obscurity after his 200+ episodes on 'Home Improvement' ended was sorely mistaken.
In fact, one of the most iconic roles in the animated film industry went to Tim Allen. That is, only after Jim Carrey turned it down, to begin with.
To be fair, there were two opportunities that Jim Carrey passed on that led to Tim filling in. But only one of them turned out to be a mega moneymaker.
The other lesser-known missed chance by Jim Carrey was the movie 'Joe Somebody,' claims Factinate. The 2001 film actually came after Tim's breakout role in 'Toy Story,' though, and is probably less notable to Jim as a key opportunity that he missed.
For Tim, his foray into becoming Buzz Lightyear in 1995 led to a decades-long journey with the 'Toy Story' franchise. And despite Tim Allen's troubled past, it does seem that family comedies are where his talents best emerge. Not to mention, animated kids' movies have a huge and lucrative market throughout their evolution.
Anyway, Tim admitted in multiple interviews that Pixar wanted Jim Carrey for Buzz, notes IMDb, but the budget didn't allow for it. Imagine being Jim Carrey and realizing, years later, that you passed on such a big moneymaker for the initially low pay! Or, maybe Jim never knew about the missed chance; he may have settled for a lower paycheck for that type of gig.
Clearly, that low pay rate paid off for Allen, even if the studio didn't get their first pick. Besides, fans can't imagine anyone else as Buzz Lightyear today, regardless of their talents in other movies.
Because in addition to all the main films ('Toy Story 4' came out in 2019), multiple holiday specials and shorts have been produced. Though no actor could have had the foresight to recognize the gem that the franchise represented, it's clear that the movies have sustained Tim Allen's career and put him on producers' shortlists for family-friendly projects.
In all the time he's been Buzz, Tim has also portrayed Santa Clause multiple times — and he's won acting awards for both roles. Though Tim has hinted at a potential 'Home Improvement' reboot over the years, maybe he'll be satisfied with a 'Toy Story 5' or a 'The Santa Clause 4.'
