Through his career as a Disney legend, comedian Tim Allen has brought joy to fans through the fictional roles he's played under the House of Mouse. One of those is the character of Santa Claus, which he’s set to reprise in The Santa Clauses (which is part of the 2022 TV schedule). Of course, folks also enjoy seeing St. Nick's relationships with other characters and, interestingly enough, Allen recently compared those fictional bonds to the ones belonging to the lovably rough Mike Baxter -- his character on the sitcom Last Man Standing.
When Tim Allen returned to the role of Scott Calvin a.k.a. Santa in the Disney+ limited series, a new family relationship has formed. Thanks to the addition of Calvin's two North Pole-born kids -one of which is played by real-life daughter Elizabeth Allen Dick), we’re going to see Allen’s paternal side yet again. But how is this project different from the other family-based sitcoms he’s done in the past? Here’s what Allen told CinemaBlend, as our own Law Sharma and Jeff McCobb were on the red carpet for The Santa Clauses’ big premiere:
You know, it’s funny, because I said Eve in the show is actually, in a weird way, like having a son. She always played a little rougher on that side, and I said, ‘I have two daughters, and this is very similar,’ in that Mike Baxter would come off as, in a weird way, misogynistic at work. And then any time his daughters got involved, he’d say, ‘No. No one’s gonna tell me my daughters can’t do whatever they [want]. And when you’re around strong, effervescent women like I am, you become a different type of man. That’s what the situation is.
Scott Calvin and Mike Baxter definitely come from different corners of the "Tim Allen universe." The Clause protagonist is a more typically jolly figure who likes to spread joy, whereas the head of Last Man Standing’s Baxter clan is an endearingly stubborn factory of hot takes. However, both men do overlap in ways that end up in similarly heartwarming territory.
The actor's characters, much like the man himself, back their families with the greatest of faith. During our time with him on the Clauses red carpet, the Toy Story alum even admitted that he and his wife originally were hoping their daughter Elizabeth Allen-Dick wouldn’t distract herself from school and sports when her acting career came into play. In the same breath, he wasn’t going to stand in the way of his daughter’s pursuits, as he saw that Allen-Dick earned her Disney+ role on her own steam.
Judging by the trailer for The Santa Clauses, Tim Allen has had no problem slipping back into the Scott Calvin or Santa personas he’s been famous for. That also includes the more family-based moments that see Calvin trying to be a good father and husband for his North Pole-based brood. Behind the scenes, Allen also gave his daughter some important advice, and it also looks like she took those words to heart. It'll be interesting to see how their on-screen relationship plays out -- and just how much it compares to the ones Allen had on Last Man Standing.
Those awaiting the premiere of The Santa Clauses will have to wait until November 16th, as that's when the two-episode premiere lands. Should you want to enjoy those adventures, as well as the The Santa Clause film trilogy, it can all be unwrapped through a Disney+ subscription.
