Tim Allen’s Massive ‘Home Improvement’ Salary Revealed As Co-Star Patricia Richardson Opens Up About Pay Disparity That Led To Show’s End
Patricia Richardson, who portrayed Tim Allen's loving wife, Jill, on all eight seasons of Home Improvement, opened up about why the beloved show ended on ABC.
Patricia Richardson Opens Up About Pay Disparity On Home Improvement ( Photo Credit – IMDb )
Advertisement
Tim Allen’s impressive paycheck may have inadvertently put a wrench into the smooth operations of the sitcom Home Improvement, culminating in the series’ untimely end. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, actress Patricia Richardson, who portrayed Tim Allen’s loving wife, Jill, on all eight Home Improvement seasons, opened up about why the beloved show ended on ABC.
Home Improvement Premiered in 1991, starring Tim Allen as Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor, a home improvement television show host. Patricia Richardson played his wife Jill and mom to three mischievous boys, Brad, Randy, and Mark (Zachery Ty Bryan, Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Taran Noah Smith). The show ended in 1997, earning 7 Primetime Emmy Awards and establishing a loyal fanbase.
In a new interview with the Los Angeles Times, Richardson explained why the popular series ended after eight seasons. Tim Allen’s massive salary was reportedly one of the contributing factors in her decision to turn down a ninth season. In the wake of the revelation, here’s how much Tim Allen was paid during his tenure on the show.
Tim Allen’s Impressive Home Improvement Salary Revealed
The popular sitcom Home Improvement helped cement Tim Allent’s popularity and clout in the 90’s, resulting in him eventually taking home a massive salary per episode. According to The Richest, The Santa Claus actor, who has a net worth of $100 Million, earned between $200,000 and $300,000 per episode for at least six seasons.
It should be noted that a season of Home Improvement consisted of at least 20 episodes, which amounted to a small fortune when multiplied by the collective episodes per season. According to Celebrity Net Worth, by 1998, Allen, who had established himself as an A-list celebrity, was being paid about $1.25 million per episode on “Home Improvement.”
In comparison, Tim Allen’s co-star on the show, Patricia Richardson, who has a reported net worth of $20 million, was paid significantly less.
Patricia Richardson Says Pay Disparity Led To Her Exit From Home Improvement
In an interview with the LA Times, Patricia Richardson cited the pay disparity as one reason she quit the series at its height of popularity. She revealed she contemplated leaving the series to spend time with her kids when the producers offered her $1 million per episode for the 25-episode ninth season.
Meanwhile, Tim Allen was reportedly offered $2 million per episode. Richardson said that while Allen jumped at the offer, she demurred and demanded the network pay her $2 million an episode and give her an executive producer credit. Richardson countered with the same deal they’d reportedly offered Allen.
However, after the network refused, she decided to leave the show. Patricia Richarson said she was annoyed with Tim Allen for not backing her when she demanded equal pay and noted the actor was upset with her for leaving the show.
Richarson recalled, “I’d been there all this time, and they never even paid me a third of what Tim was making, and I was working my ass off. I was a big reason why women were watching. I was mad at Tim because he was leaving me alone, being the only person saying no, which made me feel terrible and like the bad guy, and he was upset with me for leaving.”
For years, it was reported that Tim Allen and Patricia Richardson had mutually decided to end the show. The new revelations prove otherwise.
