It's hard to believe that the family comedy starring actor/comedian Tim Allen as a Denver sporting good store executive could be associated with the word controversy but the show's had its share became of its conservative bent and wide Republican audience.
The show about a married father of three daughters, the eldest with her own son, ran on ABC from 2011 to 2017 then a year later in 2018 it was picked up by Fox. In May 2020, Fox renewed the series keeping alive the story of a guy trying to maintain his manly-manliness in a world dominated by women--albeit ones he loves.
Tim Allen: Home Improvement
You may get a kick out of him as anti-liberal ranter Mike Baxter, the Director of Marketing for Outdoor Man chain stores, who thinks the male species has become too "soft," but you fell in love with his voice when he played Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story franchise and definitely couldn't get enough of his face on his first hit sitcom Home Improvement (1991-1999).
If you love a good holiday flick, you've probably also seen the veteran stand-up in the Hollywood blockbusters The Santa Clause 1 & 2 and Christmas With The Kranks.
Nancy Travis: The Kominsky Method
Vanessa Baxter, and her nightly glass of wine, is the very relatable mother of the house as well as a wisecracking geologist who went back to school for a teaching degree and proved to be her own woman when she donated to Hillary's presidential campaign.
The actress who plays her had been a familiar face on screen since the '80s when she was Alec Baldwin's mistress in Married to the Mob. While working on Last Man Standing, the versatile actress had roles in two other TV series: The Kominsky Method opposite Michael Douglas, and Mr. Mercedes.
Hector Elizondo: Pretty Woman
Ed Alzate is Mike's boss, friend, and mentor who literally wrote the book on living a man's life.
When you first saw him you probably recognized the actor as the hotel manager who helps Julia Roberts spiff up in Pretty Woman, but the real challenge is to name a movie he hasn't been in. His credits go back to 1963 working consistently through the decades playing everything on screen from Pancho Villa to police detectives, dads to district attorneys, and doctors as well as patients.
Amanda Fuller: Orange Is The New Black
Kristin Baxter is Mike and Vanessa's eldest daughter who became a single mother during her senior year of high school, lived with her parents who helped care for her son Boyd (Flynn Morrison) while she waitressed at a diner. Parlaying her restaurant experience into a better job at a high-end establishment, Kristen worked her way up to management. She and Boyd now live with Boyd's dad Ryan.
The actress who plays her had a major role as tough-as-nails inmate Madison "Badison" Murphy in season 6 of the mega-hit Orange Is the New Black.
Molly Ephraim (Seasons 1-6): Halt And Catch Fire
During her time playing Mandy Baxter, the social fashionista who dreams of starring on reality television, the actress helped transform the character from selfish and ditzy to someone who cares for others and hustles to succeed in life as well as having a role on HBO's Halt and Catch Fire that follows some '80s players in the players in the tech revolution that led to an information society.
Molly Ephraim also appeared in the movie The Front Runner starring Hugh Jackman as Senator Gary Hart. She's also currently on the new Perry Mason series.
Molly McCook (Season 7-present): The Ranch
Suddenly Mike's daughter is blonde. Before taking over the role of Mandy Baxter (who got married and pregnant) when the show switched to Fox in 2018, the actress appeared on the Ashton Kutcher show as Darlene as well as the series Good Trouble as Rebecca. She also has a long list of television credits on high-profile shows such as Modern Family, Hot in Cleveland, and television version of the feature Cruel Intentions, plus a stint on daytime TV as Margot in The Bold and the Beautiful.
Kaitlyn Dever: Booksmart
Eve Baxter is the youngest of Mike's girls and a bit of a tomboy, so she shares a lot of his interests.
You know Kaitlyn from her four-year run as Loretta McCready on Justified starring Timothy Olyphant and must have seen her recent feature film Booksmart directed by actress Olivia Wilde. Kaitlyn co-starred as a high school academic superstar on the eve of her graduation who along with her friend (Beanie Feldstein) decides to make up for lost time spent studying instead of partying. She was named one of Variety's 10 Actors to Watch.
Christoph Sanders: Ghost Whisperer
Kyle Anderson is the sales floor coordinator at Outdoor Man and married to Mandy Baxter-Anderson who announced the couple's pregnancy in season 8. Although his hair is much longer and he's more mature looking now, you spotted that handsome as Ned Banks on the Ghost Whisperer (2005-2010) where he helped Melinda Gordon (Jennifer Love Hewitt) see and communicate with her ghosts, against his mother Delia's wishes.
Sanders took over the role from another actor in season 3 and we followed the shenanigans of the character's adolescence.
Jordan Masterson: Greek
Ryan Vogelson is Boyd's father who finally stepped up to be part of his son's life as well as Kristin's. He is the polar opposite of Mike and they clash constantly. (In season 1, the role was played by Nick Jonas.)
You probably know the actor from his recurring role as Dumptruck on the TV series Greek, but also must have seen him his guest appearance on How I Met Your Mother and The 40-Year-Old Virgin starring Steve Carrell. He is the brother of Danny Masterson (That '70s Show.)
Jonathan Adams: Castle
Chuck Larabee is Mike's neighbor who's a husband and father in his own right. The two men get along incredibly well yet neither will admit that they're actually friends.
You definitely recognize this actor's voice from the television version of Guardians of the Galaxy and other superhero shows like Justice League Action, but know his face from his role on the series Revenge where he played Matt Duncan opposite Emily VanCamp (now of The Resident) and on Castle in the role of Vulcan Simmons.