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This article contains character information for the American
television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...
''
Home Improvement The concept of home improvement, home renovation, or remodeling is the process of renovating or making additions to one's home. Home improvement can consist of projects that upgrade an existing home interior (such as electrical and plumbing), ...
''.


Taylor family


Tim Taylor

Timothy "Tim" Taylor (
Tim Allen Timothy Alan Dick (born June 13, 1953), known professionally as Tim Allen, is an American actor and comedian. He is known for playing Tim "The Toolman" Taylor on the ABC sitcom ''Home Improvement'' (1991–1999) and Mike Baxter on the ABC/Fo ...
) – Tim Taylor (born October 1954) is the father of the family. Ever the
know-it-all ''Know-It-All'' is the debut studio album by Canadian singer and songwriter Alessia Cara. It was released on November 13, 2015 through Def Jam Recordings. The album followed the release of her debut extended play (EP) ''Four Pink Walls'' (2015), w ...
, Tim believes he has an incredibly wide knowledge of tools, electronics and general mechanics. In reality, he is highly
accident-prone Accident-proneness is the idea that some people have a greater predisposition than others to experience accidents, such as car crashes and industrial injuries. It may be used as a reason to deny any insurance on such individuals. Early work The ...
. He actually does have a significant amount of skill as a general handyman but can be overly confident and prone to spectacular mishaps. He often forgets a crucial step, ignores instructions, makes ill-advised modifications or comes to inaccurate conclusions. The only exception to this ineptitude is when working on cars, at which he excels. He is left-handed but actually does a great deal of his work with his right hand. Taylor's "arch enemy", so to speak, is the real-life
home improvement The concept of home improvement, home renovation, or remodeling is the process of renovating or making additions to one's home. Home improvement can consist of projects that upgrade an existing home interior (such as electrical and plumbing), ...
specialist, Bob Vila. One episode sees Tim competing against Bob Vila in a lawnmower contest for charity. Tim installs a
jet engine A jet engine is a type of reaction engine discharging a fast-moving jet of heated gas (usually air) that generates thrust by jet propulsion. While this broad definition can include rocket, Pump-jet, water jet, and hybrid propulsion, the term ...
on his machine, which results in Tim causing unintended chaos and destruction. Tim hosts a home improvement show called ''
Tool Time ''Home Improvement'' is an American television sitcom starring Tim Allen that aired on ABC from September 17, 1991 to May 25, 1999 with a total of 204 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons. The series was created by Matt Williams, Carmen Fi ...
'' with his co-host and friend,
Al Borland This article contains character information for the American television sitcom ''Home Improvement''. Taylor family Tim Taylor Timothy "Tim" Taylor (Tim Allen) – Tim Taylor (born October 1954) is the father of the family. Ever the kn ...
. While Al is his co-host, Al constantly must remind Tim of safety regulations and practices. Tim often ignores Al's advice and this frequently results in an accident. While it is constantly mentioned that ''Tool Time'' is a limited local home improvement show that sits very high on the channel dial, it seems to have a very wide audience in the state of
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
and is progressively broadcast to more outlets across the
Midwest The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...
(A season 5 episode has Tim, Al and Bud brainstorming for ideas on how to bring the show into the
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
markets). Tim often boasts of his popularity for hosting the show, although many people state that they like Al better. A running gag involves people encountering Tim in public and stating, "Oh, we always watch ''Tool Time. W''e ''love'' Al." To which an annoyed Tim sarcastically replies, "Oh, yeah, we ''all'' love Al." In later seasons, however, it is learned that Tim actually has a higher fan base than Al (except in a Season 8 episode, where Al scores higher than Tim on a popularity poll). Because of the numerous accidents in which he is involved, both on his TV show and at home, it is a recurring joke that Tim is on a first-name basis with the hospital staff, and it is often suggested that Tim has special offers available to him for being a repeat customer. Another gag is that ''Tool Time'' fans believe his many accidents are staged to show people what ''not'' to do. However, many of Tim's modified inventions work but are often too powerful, like his new ice cube dispenser, his leaf sucker machine, his gas-powered wheelchair and his gas-powered garbage disposal. Tim often garbles advice he heard from Wilson or otherwise makes ignorant remarks – although in one episode Tim stuns Jill and Wilson by putting forth sound advice of his own. Another
running gag A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling. Though they are similar, catchphrases are not ...
is Tim accidentally causing damage or destruction to anything he touches, such as destroying the world's smallest car or running over golf carts with a
Marine Corps Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...
tank. Tim has an unhealthy obsession with
Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...
and
Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...
, going to extraordinary lengths to scare others and competing with "Doc Johnson" in the annual neighborhood Christmas lighting contest, which he only won once, although it was more a victory for the boys as they did the decorating while Tim was out of town. He is also injured every year while working on the Christmas decorations. While Tim has a very good relationship with his wife, he is quick to admit defeat in any conflict they become engaged in. He also works hard to maintain healthy relationships with his three sons, although he relates more closely to Brad than
Randy Randy is a given name, popular in the United States and Canada. It is primarily a masculine name. It was originally derived from the names Randall, Randolf, Randolph, as well as Bertrand and Andrew, and may be a short form (hypocorism) of the ...
or
Mark Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * Fi ...
. Tim is occasionally
chauvinistic Chauvinism is the unreasonable belief in the superiority or dominance of one's own group or people, who are seen as strong and virtuous, while others are considered weak, unworthy, or inferior. It can be described as a form of extreme patriotis ...
in attitude, usually putting women down or sometimes seeing them as inferior (but he often must absorb the same insults against men from Jill). A running gag is that every time Tim says something sexist on ''Tool Time'', Al holds up a sign displaying the show's mailing address (or in one episode, the phone number) for the women to send in their complaints. He also tends to mock those who are overweight, such as Al's mother or his mother-in-law (until she loses weight) and can be juvenile in attitude on many occasions. Another running gag involves Jill's distaste for his attitude, in that she says "You're pathetic" every time he goes too far. Tim is an avid fan of all the local sports teams: the
Lions The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large cat of the genus '' Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphic; adult ...
, the
Pistons A piston is an engineering component of engines and pumps. Piston(s) may also refer to: Science and technology * Piston (optics) * Piston (subcellular structure) * Piston valve * Fire piston, an ancient device for kindling fire * Gas-operated rel ...
, the Red Wings and the
Tigers The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on un ...
. Many of the plot lines involve the teams and often wears their memorabilia. He is also a big fan of
boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...
, the
Indy Racing League The IndyCar Series, currently known as the NTT IndyCar Series under sponsorship, is the highest class of regional North American open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars in the United States, which has been conducted under the auspices of ...
and
tractor pull Truck and tractor pulling, also known as power pulling, is a form of a motorsport competition in which antique or modified tractors pull a heavy drag or sled along an , track, with the winner being the tractor that pulls the drag the farthe ...
s. Many scenes take place in the garage while he is engaged in his favorite hobby, working on one of his two
hot rod Hot rods are typically American cars that might be old, classic, or modern and that have been rebuilt or modified with large engines optimised for speed and acceleration. One definition is: "a car that's been stripped down, souped up and made ...
s, one he built from the ground up and the other an existing vehicle that he restored. While he occasionally considers moving on professionally, Tim remains the main host of ''Tool Time'' until the final episode of ''Home Improvement''. Before he was cast on ''Tool Time'', he worked as a traveling tool salesman. Tim barely graduated from college but later receives an honorary Doctorate from
Western Michigan University Western Michigan University (Western Michigan, Western or WMU) is a public research university in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It was initially established as Western State Normal School in 1903 by Governor Aaron T. Bliss for the training of teachers ...
. He often voices apelike grunts in a range of tones and inflections to convey emotions for comic effect, such as confusion, irritation or pride. His mother is alive for the entire series; however, his father died when Tim was eleven years old. There has always been some disparity between how many brothers Tim has. On several occasions in the later seasons, it is mentioned that Tim has four brothers, but in earlier seasons he is stated to have five. However, seven have been mentioned by name ( Marty, Jeff, Rick, John, Steve, Brian, and Danny). Marty and Jeff (and possibly others) made appearances, and Steve was mentioned in multiple seasons. Tim always thinks things need "more power" and is often seen wearing sweaters from Michigan-based colleges. Tim thinks he knows everything there is to know about tools. He is also very connected to his tools, even once joking that when he dies he would like to be buried with them. Tim is the only character to appear in every single episode. A close second is Jill, who only missed the second part of the series finale (unless one counts the flashbacks shown). Tim appears in the '' Last Man Standing'' ninth season episode "Dual Time". It is mentioned that Tim still works with tools like he used to but that he did not want to do his show ''Tool Time'' any more and that his neighbor Wilson died.


Jill Taylor

Jillian "Jill" Taylor (
Patricia Richardson Patricia Castle Richardson (born February 23, 1951) is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Jill Taylor on the ABC sitcom ''Home Improvement'', for which she was nominated four times for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Le ...
) – Jill (born November 1956) is Tim's wife and the mother of Brad,
Randy Randy is a given name, popular in the United States and Canada. It is primarily a masculine name. It was originally derived from the names Randall, Randolf, Randolph, as well as Bertrand and Andrew, and may be a short form (hypocorism) of the ...
, and
Mark Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * Fi ...
. Jill graduated from Adams High School (taken from an actual high school in
Rochester Hills, Michigan Rochester Hills is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 76,300. It is the 14th-largest city in Michigan. The area was first occupied by settlers of European descent in 1 ...
) in 1973. Jill is intelligent, practical, and has a dry sense of humor that doesn't often fly with her family. At the series beginning, she struggles to reenter the workforce after a long absence but soon lands a job at a local magazine. After being let go from the magazine and reassessing her career choices, Jill goes back to school to earn her master's degree in psychology. While she is very motherly and domestic in nature, the show features recurring jokes about her poor cooking skills. She takes a keen interest in her children's activities including Randy's showmanship and Brad's soccer playing but seems closest to her youngest son, Mark, as the oldest two seem to prefer their father's interests of sports and cars while Mark remains more responsive to other activities. Jill's father was a
Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
in the
US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
and she sometimes laments the many moves she had to make while growing up. She has four sisters: Katie, Robin, Carrie, Tracy, and Linda. (A sixth sister, Carol, was mentioned in "Maybe, Baby" after just having a baby girl, but never again.) Jill has a strong feminist side and enjoys
opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...
,
theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...
, and the
ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...
. She occasionally tries to be interested in her husband's hobbies including sports, cars, and tools, but often struggles to understand their basics. Jill also likes to "match-make", with mixed results. She set up Al with Ilene, who were together for a few seasons, and Wilson and one of her professors, who seemed to have a more successful relationship.


Brad Taylor

Bradley Michael "Brad" Taylor (
Zachery Ty Bryan Zachery Ty Bryan (born October 9, 1981) is an American actor and film producer. He is best known for his role as Brad Taylor on the ABC sitcom ''Home Improvement''. He also appeared in the films '' True Heart'' and '' The Fast and the Furious: ...
) – (born January 1981) is the oldest, most athletic, and strongest of the three boys, once seen throwing Randy around when they got into an argument. While all three boys are portrayed as troublemakers at one point or another, Brad gets into the most serious trouble. He had a run-in with the police after throwing bricks at windows in an abandoned greenhouse, and was once discovered in possession of marijuana, which he admitted to smoking. On the other hand, Brad was the only Taylor son to co-host an episode of ''Tool Time'', and the one seen doing the most extensive work on Tim's Hot Rod, and is the son to which Tim relates to the easiest. Although he often struggled with his school work, he has extraordinary athletic ability, especially playing
soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
. Throughout the series, he was offered numerous opportunities to make a career out of soccer, including the offer to play for a professional team in England (the fictitious Birmingham Chubbs). This was rejected when his parents refused to allow him to give up college to play professional soccer. Later in the series, despite a knee injury which threatened to put an end to his athletic pursuits, he earned a college scholarship to
UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
. Brad has a prominent attraction to women, including his mild infatuation with ''Tool Time''s Heidi Keppert. Brad and Tim enjoy working on
classic cars A classic car is an older car, typically 25 years or older, though definitions vary.While other languages, such as German and Dutch, may refer to classic cars as "oldtimers", this usage is unknown in English, where "old-timer" refers to an elder ...
. Brad got along well with Randy, especially early on in the show. The two are often seen working together to tease Mark, attempting to cover up Brad's actions to keep him out of trouble, or just hanging out together. Brad and Mark don't share many things in common until they get older, especially in the 8th season where they develop a close bond while Randy is away in
Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
.


Randy Taylor

Randall William "Randy" Taylor (
Jonathan Taylor Thomas Jonathan Taylor Thomas (born Jonathan Taylor Weiss; September 8, 1981) is an American actor and director. He is known for portraying Randy Taylor on ''Home Improvement'' and voicing young Simba in Disney's 1994 film ''The Lion King'' and Pinocch ...
) – Randy (born February 8, 1982) is the middle child, ultimately the smartest of the three boys, and frequently the most mischievous and especially sarcastic troublemaker. Randy's intelligence eventually led to him skipping ahead to advanced math and science classes, and was often the cause of sibling rivalry with Brad. Randy inherited Tim's talents as a jokester. Randy in the later seasons is noticeably a lot shorter than his brothers and his height is often made fun of by Brad. Whenever Tim was in trouble with Jill, Randy was always there with a quick remark that would almost always get him in trouble. Although initially sharing mostly the same interests as Brad and his father, throughout his adolescence Randy became very conscious about the environment and civil rights and became a vegetarian in later seasons. He wrote for the school newspaper, where he concentrated on social and political issues, including criticizing Binford for its pollution record, which led to a fierce disagreement with Tim and Tim's boss. Unlike Brad who dated many different girls, Randy, for the most part, only dated one girl, Lauren, whom he remained with for the rest of the series. Randy is generally the most level-headed son in the family, although because he is an intelligent boy, he was also prone to arrogance, jealousy, cynicism, and sometimes a little prejudice. His father has a tendency to dislike and mock anything he has no interest in, such as ballet and opera, and Randy inherited this attitude, which ironically puts him at odds with Tim, since Randy has no interest in cars and tools. Out of all the Taylor boys, Randy is the one with the least respect for his father. He once called his father's show "Fool Time", and compared his father to an ape. When Tim brought Brad onto ''Tool Time'', Randy immediately called it a stupid show and acted hateful towards Tim and Brad. During high school, he wrote a school article that turned many adults against Tim for Binford's pollution record, threatening his father's reputation, and he bitterly disapproved of Brad's jockish article earning the paper's front page, which was usually occupied by Randy's articles. He does however mend his relationships with them after learning the error of his ways. Unlike Tim and Brad, Randy is not good with his hands and does not enjoy working on crafts or the Hot Rod. Instead, he often relates more with his mother, with whom he shares his intelligence and enjoyment of acting. In the Eighth Season of the show, Randy leaves for
Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
(along with Lauren, who stayed in a nearby town), reappearing in only one episode when he came back for Christmas. On that occasion, Randy felt that so much had changed in his absence that he no longer fit in with the family, although confiding in Wilson aided his feelings. Early on in the show, Brad and Randy were portrayed as "partners in crime". While they did argue like normal brothers, they generally bonded over their mutual enjoyment of teasing Mark. As they got older, they grew apart somewhat, as Randy became more focused on school and social issues and Brad became more focused on athletics and girls. Early on Randy and Mark generally only get along when united against Brad, though things improved somewhat as they got older.


Mark Taylor

Marcus Jason "Mark" Taylor ( Taran Noah Smith) – Mark (born March 1985) is the youngest and most sensitive of the three boys. He relates very closely with his mother, especially after the first season. He does not share many interests with his brothers or father, and in the early seasons was often the victim due to his naïveté of some practical joke that Brad and Randy had thought up on the spot for him. Mark is not a troublemaker, as he doesn't possess a joking demeanor or even a hint of a mean streak. On the rare occasions that Brad or Randy include him on pranks, Mark often blows their cover by responding to someone when he is not supposed to or divulging too much information. This divulging of information gets not only Brad and Randy in trouble but often Tim as well, especially when he is trying to keep something he said or did from Jill. During
adolescence Adolescence () is a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age of majority). Adolescence is usually associated with the t ...
, Mark began to adopt a more
goth A Goth is a member of the Goths, a group of East Germanic tribes. Two major political entities of the Goths were: *Visigoths, prominent in Spanish history *Ostrogoths, prominent in Italian history Goth or Goths may also refer to: * Goth (surname) ...
look and an anti-establishment kind of attitude, the cause of which was founded in his feelings of social isolation. While Mark's darkening demeanor worried Tim and Jill on several occasions, it never turned into anything extremely destructive, although a homemade horror movie he created was a bit more twisted than they expected. His gothic appearance was gone by the end of the series. Mark enjoys film production and music, took karate and pilot training, and becomes a proficient cook. During the early seasons of the show, Mark is seen in a
Cub Scout Cub Scouts, Cubs or Wolf Cubs are programs associated with Scouting for young children usually between 7 and 12, depending on the organization to which they belong. A participant in the program is called a Cub. A group of Cubs is called a 'P ...
uniform without badges. Mark's relationship with Brad and Randy was often adversarial, especially in early seasons because he was often the butt of their jokes, pranks and teasing. While Mark never truly bonded with Randy, in the final season Mark and Brad grew very close as the result of the dynamic of their relationship changing when Randy left for Costa Rica. Mark eventually became taller than Randy in the seventh season.


Marty Taylor

Martin "Marty" Taylor ( William O'Leary) – Marty (born in 1964) is Tim's youngest brother by ten years. As their father died when Marty was just one year old, Tim is the closest thing he knows to a father. Marty was often picked on by his older brothers, much as Mark is by Brad and Randy. He is often seen bouncing from job to job, unable to hold a steady career. For the majority of the show's run, Marty was married to Nancy ( Jensen Daggett), and they had identical twin girls, Gracie and Claire. Marty and Nancy separated in season 8. He has his share of sarcastic quips and can be just as clueless as Tim.


Jeff Taylor

Jeffrey "Jeff" Taylor (Thom Sharp) – Jeff is Tim and Marty's oldest brother (exact age unspecified). He is extremely frugal and suffers from male-pattern baldness, both of which make him a frequent target of Tim's jokes. Like Marty, Jeff has trouble maintaining a steady job. It is mentioned that he has made a number of bad business ventures (such as a drive-thru pet store), was divorced twice, and didn't finish college (as mentioned by Jill's sister in one episode). Jeff eventually makes an investment in Tim's hardware store.


Friends of the family


Al Borland

Albert E. "Al" Borland (
Richard Karn Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'stron ...
) – A master plumber and licensed contractor, Al is Tim's un-hip co-host on the show-within-a-show ''Tool Time'' and best friend. His personality is an exact opposite of Tim's – he is reserved, quiet, does not show much enthusiasm and has a wide array of professional knowledge concerning tools. Al made frequent suggestions that he should be the host of ''Tool Time'' instead of Tim. Al does not make as much money as Tim; in fact it is implied that his salary is not very big at all. In the episode, "Brothers and Sisters", Al says that he gets a very small paycheck. In the episode, "Fifth Anniversary", it is revealed that a big reason why Al was chosen to be Tim's assistant was because Al was the only assistant applicant that was willing to work for the salary that was offered. Al could be characterized as a "mama's boy"; he spent a great deal of time attempting to please his mother Alma – who was severely overweight (though she was never seen). She died from a
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...
near the end of the series after Al asked her permission to marry Trudy. His father was almost 60 when Al was born. Al was engaged to an
orthodontist Orthodontics is a dentistry specialty that addresses the diagnosis, prevention, management, and correction of mal-positioned teeth and jaws, and misaligned bite patterns. It may also address the modification of facial growth, known as dentofacial ...
named Ilene for a time, but they ended up calling off the wedding. He also dated Greta Post who appeared a few times in the series. In a later season, Al met a wealthy exterminator named Trudy. They hit it off and were married on the show's final episode. Al might have been based on Norm Abram of ''
This Old House ''This Old House'' is an American home improvement media brand with television shows, a magazine, and a websiteThisOldHouse.com. The brand is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. The television series airs on the American television networ ...
'' because of the resemblance (flannel shirts, beard, portly, etc.) and the fact that Al does all the "real work" on the ''Tool Time'' show (much like Norm did on ''This Old House''). Al has a big brother named Cal who is a
physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate caus ...
, and unlike most male siblings, they had never gotten into a physical fight. Instead, they usually settled their disputes over a cup of
tea Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of ''Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and north ...
. In a flashback episode of the ''Tool Time'' premiere, Al was noted to be a Pisces and had a clean-shaven face, while Tim had a beard. Al has his own fan club. Like Tim, Al is left-handed and his favorite board games are
Parcheesi ''Parcheesi'' is a brand-name American adaptation of the Indian cross and circle board game Pachisi, published by Parker Brothers Parker Brothers (known by Parker outside of North America) was an American toy and game manufacturer which i ...
, Chinese Checkers,
Scrabble ''Scrabble'' is a word game in which two to four players score points by placing tiles, each bearing a single letter, onto a game board divided into a 15×15 grid of squares. The tiles must form words that, in crossword fashion, read left t ...
and
Bingo Bingo or B-I-N-G-O may refer to: Arts and entertainment Gaming * Bingo, a game using a printed card of numbers ** Bingo (British version), a game using a printed card of 15 numbers on three lines; most commonly played in the UK and Ireland ** Bi ...
. His favorite movie is ''
My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play ''Pygmalion'', with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons f ...
''. One episode had a pet of Al's, a turtle named "Scooter," which Tim accidentally dropped in cement. With his dry wit, Al serves as the show's (both ''Tool Time'' and ''Home Improvement'') straight-forward, practical man to the wackier, more outgoing Tim. Beginning at the end of the fifth season, Al invented a second source of income for himself by inventing a board game based on ''Tool Time'', which features Tim, Al and Heidi as playable characters.


Family, fashion sense, and career

Borland is slightly
overweight Being overweight or fat is having more body fat than is optimally healthy. Being overweight is especially common where food supplies are plentiful and lifestyles are sedentary. , excess weight reached epidemic proportions globally, with mo ...
and is almost always seen wearing
flannel Flannel is a soft woven fabric, of various fineness. Flannel was originally made from carded wool or worsted yarn, but is now often made from either wool, cotton, or synthetic fiber. Flannel is commonly used to make tartan clothing, blankets, ...
, which Tim cracks jokes about consistently. The reason he always wears flannel came from his father, who, when asking young Al to assist in their own various home projects, would put his old flannels on Al to keep him clean or warm. Al wears flannel as a tribute to him after he died. Tim also often pokes fun at Al's mother, Alma Borland, who is never seen (except her hand and forearm, in season 8) but is apparently severely overweight. In one of the later episodes, Al announces to his mother he is getting married. Immediately afterwards, she screams, passes out, and dies (she was holding a breadstick, which was all that was seen). When hearing the news, the breadstick shook violently and fell over. The coffin, shown at her funeral, is double-wide to keep the humorous tone. Al also has a brother, Cal, who looks and dresses almost exactly like him, though he is a
physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate caus ...
("Sisters and Brothers"). In the episode commentaries featured on the Season 1 DVD set, the executive producers reveal that "Cal" was a fan from Texas who sent his photo in a fan letter. Upon seeing his resemblance to Al, the producers brought him in to be Al's brother, Cal. When Al was younger, he took
fencing Fencing is a group of three related combat sports. The three disciplines in modern fencing are the foil, the épée, and the sabre (also ''saber''); winning points are made through the weapon's contact with an opponent. A fourth discipline, s ...
in school and served in the
Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...
as a Lt (j.g.) with the
Seabee United States Naval Construction Battalions, better known as the Navy Seabees, form the U.S. Naval Construction Force (NCF). The Seabee nickname is a heterograph of the initial letters "CB" from the words "Construction Battalion". Depending upon ...
s, and although he wanted to see the world, he was stationed in
Fallon, Nevada Fallon is a city in Churchill County in the U.S. state of Nevada. The population was 9,327 at time of the 2020 census. Fallon is the county seat of Churchill County and is located in the Lahontan Valley. History The community was first populat ...
(In the episode where Al mentions this, he uses the
shibboleth A shibboleth (; hbo, , šībbōleṯ) is any custom or tradition, usually a choice of phrasing or even a single word, that distinguishes one group of people from another. Shibboleths have been used throughout history in many societies as passwor ...
pronunciation of "Nevada", pronouncing as a native would: Nev-ADD-ah rather than Nev-ODD-ah. This is uncommon for an outsider, especially someone living in the Midwest). After finishing his military service, Al was a construction crane operator (
AFL–CIO The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL–CIO) is the largest federation of unions in the United States. It is made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 12 million ac ...
Local 324), then apparently got certified as a master plumber and carpenter before getting the job on ''Tool Time''. Al drives a 1984
Mercury Colony Park The Mercury Colony Park is an American Luxury car, luxury full-size station wagon that was marketed by the Mercury (automobile), Mercury division of Ford Motor Company between 1957 and 1991. Distinguished by its Woodie (car body style), simulated ...
station wagon (mistakenly identified as a
Mercury Marquis The Mercury Marquis is a model line of automobiles that was marketed by the Mercury division of Ford Motor Company from the 1967 to 1986 model years. Deriving its name from a French nobility title, the Marquis was introduced as a rebadged coun ...
wagon on the series) which his mother passed down to him, and has put much time and effort into preserving the vehicle. While Al has similar interests such as cars, he has some rather odd interests, such as being able to deduce different types of wood by smell rather than appearance or texture. Al gets along well with Tim's sons. However, just like Tim, Al has faced problems and needed to seek the advice of Wilson. Outside of his job, Al has made investments such as becoming part owner of Harry's Hardware and marketing a successful board game based on ''Tool Time'', the object of which is to avoid hospitalization.


Al's beard

Al's beard is also a constant joke by Tim. In one episode where ''Tool Time'' is celebrating their fifth
anniversary An anniversary is the date on which an event took place or an institution was founded in a previous year, and may also refer to the commemoration or celebration of that event. The word was first used for Catholic feasts to commemorate saints ...
show, Al is shown in the first ever episode of ''Tool Time'' clean shaven, while Tim has a beard.


Al's knowledge of tools and home improvement

He generally knows what he is doing more than Tim, and he seems to have a better knowledge of tools and home improvement than Tim. In the first episode of ''Tool Time'', he was described as a "master plumber" by Tim Taylor. He also is very serious about his job, unlike Tim, who often jokes and messes up the project. Al often speaks fondly of his time as a U.S. Navy
Seabee United States Naval Construction Battalions, better known as the Navy Seabees, form the U.S. Naval Construction Force (NCF). The Seabee nickname is a heterograph of the initial letters "CB" from the words "Construction Battalion". Depending upon ...
. Although Tim is the one who messes up most of the projects on ''Tool Time'', Al is often the one who is blamed for the mishap, or is injured by the mishap. On rare occasions Al would cause a mishap of his own, but these were more due to overcalculating than Tim's attitude of "more power". Despite this, Tim and Al are good friends offstage, and Al often helps out, either by helping with home projects, or by watching his children.


Romantic relationships

Al's struggles with relationships were a long-running plot point throughout the series. In season one, Al dated Greta Post, whom he met while she was volunteering to help out during a ''Tool Time'' show. Al then showed a brief interest in Jill's friend Karen, whom he met at an impromptu gathering at the Taylor home, but Karen had already accepted a date with another one of Tim's friends. Next, Al went on one date with Tim's ex-girlfriend Stacey Lewis, but had no interest in seeing her again. From seasons three through five, Al went out with Dr. Ilene Markham, an orthodontist and the sister of one of Jill's co-workers. They got engaged, but decided at their wedding to part ways. Al then met a woman named Trudy in season seven and married her in the finale episode in 1999.


Running gags and quirks surrounding Al

Common recurring jokes throughout the series include Al's beard, his love of bingo, his greater popularity over Tim among ''Tool Time'' fans, and his fanatic admiration of fellow home improvement television host Bob Vila. Throughout much of the series, Al often has bad luck with women despite, or possibly because of, his emotional sensitivity, which far exceeds Tim's. Al's overweight and overbearing mother is also the subject of many jokes, almost exclusively from Tim, such as Tim mentioning her "looking for a smorgasbord". On the set of ''Tool Time'', Al gives the viewing audience his iconic salute at the start of each airing at his introduction. He is also always wearing flannel on the set and is sometimes shown backstage taking off his shirt and changing into another identical flannel shirt. Perhaps most well known is Al's catchphrase, "I don't think so, Tim," which Al often says during ''Tool Time'' after Tim suggests doing something dangerous or stupid or merely says something that is obviously incorrect or based on wordplay. And when Tim makes a particularly sexist or otherwise offensive remark, Al often holds up a large sign with Tim's mailing address and say, "That's Tim Taylor, care of ''Tool Time'', PO Box 32733, Detroit, Michigan, 48252." Sometimes Tim rips the sign halfway in his sentence, but Al just picks up another sign and finishes.


Dr. Wilson Wilson, Jr.

Dr. Wilson W. Wilson, Jr. (
Earl Hindman Earl John Hindman (; October 20, 1942  – December 29, 2003) was an American actor, best known for his role as the kindly unseen neighbor Wilson W. Wilson, Jr. on the television sitcom ''Home Improvement'' (1991–99). Early years Hin ...
) – Tim's neighbor and confidant. As a child, his parents did not allow him to speak to his neighbors, so he really likes talking to Tim and Jill. Wilson serves as an all-wise sage in the show, doling out advice to the Taylor family and seemingly always knowing just what to say to solve a problem. While most of his appearances were to help the Taylors, on seldom occasion someone who was in the extended family, or a nonmember, such as Al, would seek out Wilson's advice. He has traveled the globe and learned much from virtually every culture in existence. He has a
Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...
in
Cultural Studies Cultural studies is an interdisciplinary field that examines the political dynamics of contemporary culture (including popular culture) and its historical foundations. Cultural studies researchers generally investigate how cultural practices re ...
, studying "extinct languages and forgotten cultures". His house is full of artifacts along with a pet
myna The myna (; also spelled mynah) is a bird of the starling family (Sturnidae). This is a group of passerine birds which are native to southern Asia, especially India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Several species have been introduced to areas like ...
bird named
Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...
, who appeared infrequently. Wilson was married at one point, but his wife Catherine died long before the series begins (in a November 1994 episode, Wilson revealed that month would have marked his and Catherine's 25th anniversary). At first it was unclear whether "Wilson" was his first name or last, but his full name is revealed as Wilson Wilson Wilson, Jr. In Season 6, it is revealed that his cousins are the Wilsons of
The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and frie ...
. He has a grown niece named Willow Wilson (
China Kantner China Wing Kantner is an American actress in television, theatre and film. She is also a former MTV VJ, sometimes credited on-screen as China Slick Kantner. Biography Kantner was born in San Francisco, California, the daughter of two Jeffers ...
), who appeared regularly in the seventh season when she moved in with him for a while. His usual greetings are "Well, hi-dee-ho ..." or "Hi ho, there neighbor" or "good neighbor" when greeting Tim, "neighborette" when greeting Jill, and "Taylor lad(s)" when greeting the Taylor boys. A
visual gag In comedy, a visual gag or sight gag is anything which conveys its humour visually, often without words being used at all. The gag may involve a physical impossibility or an unexpected occurrence. The humor is caused by alternative interpretatio ...
is that throughout the entire series Wilson's face is never shown in its entirety, originally (and most commonly) with the bottom half obscured by the tall privacy fence that separates the neighbors' yards; this was based on how Tim Allen saw a next-door neighbor when he was growing up. This gag is extended over the course of the series with other objects (or a beard) obscuring the bottom of his face, or the bottom half showing but the top obscured (such as by a mask), or his full face shown but covered by paint. The audience finally sees Earl Hindman's full face unobscured in the series finale's curtain call. Wilson was mentioned in the '' Last Man Standing'' episode "Dual Time" having since passed away (Earl Hindman died in 2003).


Lisa

Lisa (
Pamela Anderson Pamela Denise Anderson (born July 1, 1967) is a Canadian-American actress and model. She is best known for her glamour modeling work in ''Playboy'' magazine and for her appearances on the television series ''Baywatch'' (1992–1997). Anders ...
) – Binford's first "Tool Girl." A secondary cast member on ''Tool Time'', Lisa's job was to introduce Tim and Al and to hand them any tool they requested. When Pamela Anderson chose to leave ''Home Improvement'' to pursue a role on the syndicated series ''
Baywatch ''Baywatch'' is an American action drama television series about lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, and Hawaii, starring David Hasselhoff. It was created by Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz, and Gregory J. Bonann, ...
'', she was written out of the series after the second season; it was stated that Lisa was training to be a
paramedic A paramedic is a registered healthcare professional who works autonomously across a range of health and care settings and may specialise in clinical practice, as well as in education, leadership, and research. Not all ambulance personnel are p ...
. Lisa returns for a guest appearance four years later, having become fully qualified; and applies for (and gets) a job at Detroit Memorial Hospital.


Heidi Keppert

Heidi Keppert (
Debbe Dunning Debra Dunning (born July 11, 1966) is an American actress, model, television host, spokesperson and comedienne. She is best known for playing Heidi on ''Home Improvement'' (1993–1999). Career Dunning played Heidi Keppert, the "'' Tool Tim ...
) – The second "Tool Girl" (beginning in season 3, series regular in seasons 7–8) and a master electrician. Initially, the character was seen only in and around the ''Tool Time'' set. In later seasons, her personal life increasingly crossed paths with Tim and Al. She gave birth to a daughter (Amy) and suffered marital problems during the show's run. In season 8 episode 24 (Dead Weight), Heidi reveals to Tim that her breasts twitch when she is nervous. In the last episode of the series, Heidi revealed she was pregnant for a second time. Despite her credentials, Heidi was also "eye candy" for the male audience on "Tool Time", as the outfits she wore typically showed off her figure, particularly her legs and ample cleavage; Tim speculated that many men came to the show just to see Heidi. It is revealed in multiple episodes that Tim's son, Brad, has a crush on her. In seasons seven and eight, Dunning's role on ''Tool Time'' became such that she was eventually given main cast billing in the opening credits.


Harry Turner

Harry Turner (
Blake Clark Blake Clark (born February 2, 1946) is an American actor and stand-up comedian. He is best known as Chet Hunter on ''Boy Meets World'' and Harry "The Hardware Store Guy" on ''Home Improvement''. Clark has voiced Slinky Dog in the ''Toy Story'' f ...
) – Owner of "Harry's Hardware", where Tim spends a great deal of his time and money, and in which Al eventually became part owner. He is one of Tim and Al's buddies. He is not-so-happily married to his wife Delores (
Shirley Prestia Shirley Rose Prestia (August 18, 1947 – October 8, 2011) was an American actress. She guest starred in a number of notable television series including ''Family Ties'', '' Cheers'', '' St. Elsewhere'', '' The Golden Girls'', '' The Facts of Life' ...
), and the couple incessantly bad-mouth one another behind their respective backs, as well as occasionally to each other's face. Harry has four sons, including Dennis (
David DeLuise David Dominick DeLuise (born November 11, 1971) is an American actor and television director. He has appeared on numerous television shows as well as films. He is known for Coop in the animated show ''Megas XLR'' and Jerry Russo in ''Wizards of W ...
), with whom he has a somewhat rocky relationship, but they reconciled. In one episode Harry tells Tim that he has gotten a vasectomy (which convinces Tim to get one too). In another episode, he suffered a
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...
while mentioning his service in the
United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
in the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
(Blake Clark actually served in Vietnam as an Army officer).


Benny Baroni

Benny Baroni (Jimmy Labriola) – One of Tim's buddies who hangs out at the hardware store. Benny is a bit of a slacker and notoriously known as a freeloader – his trademark being drinking coffee and eating donuts. Benny has not had a job in years, mainly because he doesn't like to work. He makes money by gambling and betting on horse races. On one episode ("A House Divided", Season 4.18) While the "Tool Time" crew is fixing up Benny's aunt's house, the structure is blown up due to Benny's negligence and is ''not'' Tim's fault; furthermore when Tim and his family are moving furniture back into the twice repaired Benny's aunt house, Benny, rather than helping out, lies back on a lawn chair to watch the others do the work. He is also known for being inconsiderate of others; at one point, he even ate at a soup kitchen regularly to avoid paying for meals. One episode ("The Look", Season 5.07) Tim was selling season Pistons tickets (Tim had 2 tickets for each game and each pair cost $100) and Benny not able or willing to buy any of the tickets kept offering to go to the games with the people who were buying them, even people he didn't even know, so he could go to the games without paying for a ticket. Ironically in a rare instance of performing earnest work, Benny once appeared on an episode of ''Tool Time'' for "Tim and Al's Fantasy Kitchen", where he was shown cutting meat inside a walk-in freezer.


Other recurring characters

* Karen (
Betsy Randle Betsy May Randle (born June 24, 1950) is an American actress known for her role as Amy Matthews on '' Boy Meets World'' which lasted seven seasons. Biography Born in Chicago, Randle grew up in the suburb of Glenview. She is a graduate of New T ...
) – a feminist friend of Jill who clashes with Tim over male-female dynamics in relationships. The character moved to
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
after Season 2, as Randle started her role of Amy Matthews on ''
Boy Meets World ''Boy Meets World'' is an American coming-of-age sitcom created by Michael Jacobs and April Kelly that aired on ABC for seven seasons between September1993 and May2000. The series centers on Cory Matthews (Ben Savage) and his friends and famil ...
'', another ABC sitcom. * Ilene Louise Markham, D.D.S. (
Sherry Hursey Sherry Hursey is an American actress. She is best known for her recurring role as Ilene Markham on the sitcom ''Home Improvement'' and her 1988–1989 stint as Paula Carson on the soap opera '' Days of Our Lives''. Her other television credits i ...
) – an orthodontist and Al's girlfriend. On their wedding day, she and Al mutually agreed not to get married and ended their romance on a positive note. Her last appearance was in Season 6. * Marie Morton (
Mariangela Pino Mariangela Pino is an American actress. She is best known for her role as ''Diane Koscinski'' in the 1994 film '' Richie Rich'' and her recurring role as Marie Morton on the sitcom ''Home Improvement''. Early life and education Pino was born i ...
) – neighbor of the Taylors and friend of Jill. Marie talks about her struggles with her weight and about seeing a therapist. Marie is also encouraging when Jill says she's thinking about going back to school to get her master's degree. * Joe Morton (
Robert Picardo Robert Alphonse Picardo (born October 27, 1953) is an American actor. He is best known for playing the Cowboy in ''Innerspace'', Coach Cutlip on ''The Wonder Years'', Captain Dick Richard on the ABC series ''China Beach'', the Doctor on '' Star ...
) – Marie's overactive and obnoxious husband; the "meat man" who irritates Tim initially. Morton then locates and buys a hard-to-find jalopy replacement part for Tim. The character ran out on his wife in Season 5 - this coincided with Picardo's taking the role of "The Doctor" on '' Star Trek: Voyager''. * Jennifer Sudarsky (
Jessica Wesson Jessica Wesson (born January 1, 1982) is a retired American actress. She is best known for her recurring role as Jennifer Sudarsky, Brad's (Zachery Ty Bryan) first girlfriend on the sitcom ''Home Improvement'', and having supporting roles in the ...
) – Brad's first love interest who always called him "Bradley." * Angela (Kristen Clayton) – Former girlfriend of Brad, known for being a constant motor-mouth. She dumped Brad for a guy with his own car. Brad suffered from a bout of depression because of this, but eventually rebounded. * Ashley ( Leigh Ann Orsi) – girlfriend of Brad. * Beth (
Anndi McAfee Anndi Lynn McAfee (; born September 28, 1979) is an American actress. She is best known for voicing Phoebe Heyerdahl in Nickelodeon's animated television series ''Hey Arnold!'' and associated media, as well as the second voice of Cera in ''The ...
) – Randy's first girlfriend. * Lauren (
Courtney Peldon Courtney Peldon (born April 13, 1981) is an American television and film actress. Early life and education Peldon was born in New York City, New York. Her younger sister Ashley is also an actress. Both she and Ashley became involved in the ent ...
) – Randy's tomboy girlfriend, left for Costa Rica with him in Season 8. * Lillian "Nana" Patterson (
Polly Holliday Polly Dean Holliday (born July 2, 1937) is a retired American actress who has appeared on stage, television and in film. She is best known for her portrayal of sassy waitress Florence Jean "Flo" Castleberry on the 1970s sitcom '' Alice'', which ...
) – Jill's mother. Before Lillian's first appearance, she was joked at by Tim as being largely overweight, though in her first appearance, Lillian has become thin again, having used Tim's jokes on ''Tool Time'' as motivation. Lillian speaks with a very notable Southwestern accent and is caring and supportive to Jill whenever she has troubles. * Colonel Fred Patterson (
M. Emmet Walsh Michael Emmet Walsh (born March 22, 1935) is an American actor who has appeared in over 200 films and television series, including small but important supporting roles in dozens of major studio features of the 1970s and 1980s. He starred in ''Bl ...
) – Jill's father, died in his sleep from a
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...
in Season 6. He had a long career in the
Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
and his favorite movie was ''
Patton George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in Franc ...
''. He somewhat got along fine with Tim, but didn't particularly respect him. He never called Tim by his name but instead called him "Hey You". * Delores Turner (
Shirley Prestia Shirley Rose Prestia (August 18, 1947 – October 8, 2011) was an American actress. She guest starred in a number of notable television series including ''Family Ties'', '' Cheers'', '' St. Elsewhere'', '' The Golden Girls'', '' The Facts of Life' ...
) – Harry's overbearing and demanding wife; a
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...
fan who can devastate men with "The Look". Her worsening asthma causes Harry to sell the hardware store and move to Arizona in Season 8. Delores and Harry are shown to constantly be arguing whenever they are seen together. Delores is shown several times to work at a local coffee shop as a waitress, where she continues to be sharp-tongued to customers * Nancy Taylor ( Jensen Daggett) – Wife of Marty Taylor. They are separated in Season 8. * John Binford (
Noble Willingham Noble Henry Willingham, Jr. (August 31, 1931 – January 17, 2004) was an American television and film actor who appeared in more than thirty films and in many television shows, including a stint opposite Chuck Norris in ''Walker, Texas Ranger ...
) – founder of Binford Tools, died early in Season 3. * Maureen "Producer" Binford (
Vicki Lewis Vicki Lewis (born March 17, 1960) is an American singer and actress of film, stage, and television. She is best known for her role as Beth in the NBC sitcom ''NewsRadio''. Personal life Lewis was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, the daughter ...
) – John Binford's overeager and annoying daughter, she ran ''Tool Time'' for a brief time during Season 2, constantly reminding Tim in a sing-song voice that she was the Producer of the show, which allowed her to cause many changes to the show that Tim hated. * Trudy McHale (
Megan Cavanagh Megan Cavanagh (born November 8, 1960) is an American actress, who is best known for portraying Marla Hooch in ''A League of Their Own'' and the voice of Judy Neutron in '' Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius'' and ''The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Ge ...
) – an electrician and heiress to her family's fortune whom Al married in the final episode. * Cal Borland (Keith Lehman) – Al's brother, a physicist. * Felix Myman (Al Fann) – professional plumber and frequent participant in Tool Time's projects. * Rock Flanagan (
Casey Sander Clinton O. "Casey" Sander (born July 6, 1956) is an American actor known as the character "Captain" Jimmy Wennick on the short-lived TV series '' Tucker''. His television credits also include ''Criminal Minds'', ''The Golden Girls'', ''Grace Und ...
) – construction worker at K&B Construction. Somewhat loud, and charismatic, Rock always responds to guest appearances on ''Tool Time'' by saying, "It's always great to be here, Timmy!" In K&B's "all-tool band", his instrument is a grinder run over an empty oil drum. * Dwayne Hoover (Gary McGurk) – construction worker at K&B Construction. The "straight man" of K&B, he always has to interrupt Pete whenever he is about to say a story that is too revealing by saying, "This is not the time, nor the place!" In K&B's band, he plays hammers on an anvil. * Pete Bilker (
Mickey Jones Mickey Jones (June 10, 1941 – February 7, 2018) was an American musician and actor. He played drums with acts such as Trini Lopez and Bob Dylan, with whom he played on his 1966 world tour. He became a founding member of The First Edition ...
) – construction worker at K&B Construction. Whenever he is called by name from Rock, Pete usually responds, "That would be me." In K&B's band, he plays empty plastic fuel cans as drums, using screwdrivers as drumsticks. * Carrie Patterson (
Tudi Roche Tudi Joanne Roche (born July 19, 1955)Lipton, Michael A."No Mere Putterer"''People'', June 12, 1995 is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her recurring role as Carrie on the sitcom ''Home Improvement'' (1995–1998). Persona ...
 – the real-life wife of
Richard Karn Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'stron ...
), Jill's sister, a world-traveling photographer. * Willow Branch Leaf Wilson (
China Kantner China Wing Kantner is an American actress in television, theatre and film. She is also a former MTV VJ, sometimes credited on-screen as China Slick Kantner. Biography Kantner was born in San Francisco, California, the daughter of two Jeffers ...
) – Wilson's laid back niece, just goes by Willow, saying she "''pruned'' it back". * Lucille Taylor (
Bonnie Bartlett Bonnie Bartlett (born June 20, 1929) is an American actress. Her career spans seven decades, with her first major role being on a 1950s daytime drama, ''Love of Life''. Bartlett is known for her role as Grace Snider Edwards on the Michael Land ...
) – Tim's widowed mother. She begins to date Tim's old shop teacher in later seasons, causing Tim some discomfort at thinking of his mother in a romantic relationship. * Bud Harper ( Charlie Robinson) – head of Binford Tools, Tim's boss. Bud interacts a lot with Tim and Al, even offering Tim season tickets to the Detroit Pistons. He does not particularly respect Al, even at one point suggesting Al get fired, however Tim defended Al from this. * Jason (
Jarrad Paul Jarrad Paul (born June 20, 1976) is an American screenwriter, director, and actor. Early life and education Paul grew up in Miami, Florida. After graduating from high school, he moved to Los Angeles. Career Paul co-created and executive produ ...
) –
Eddie Haskell Edward Clark Haskell (also referred to as Edward W. Haskell) is a fictional character on the American television sitcom '' Leave It to Beaver'', which ran on CBS from October 4, 1957, to 1958 and on ABC from 1958 to 1963. He was played by Ken O ...
-like friend of Brad, often claims to be a fan of ''Tool Time'' even though he's never actually seen the show and gains favor with Tim by pretending to ask for advice about tools. * Samantha Hayes (
Maggie Lawson Margaret Cassidy Lawson (born August 12, 1980) is an American actress who is best known for her role as Detective Juliet "Jules" O'Hara in the TV show '' Psych''. From 2018 to 2019, she held the recurring role of Nathalie Flynn on Fox's ''Leth ...
) – A college student who dated Brad, although she was four years his senior, which troubled Jill and Tim. In one episode, she and Brad impulsively decided to get married at their young age, but Tim and Jill successfully tricked them to realize their mistake. * Patty (
Tammy Lauren Tammy Lauren Vásquez (born November 16, 1968), known professionally as Tammy Lauren, is an American film and television actress. She starred in the 1997 horror film '' Wishmaster'', portraying Alexandra Amberson, a young woman who accidentally ...
) – Jill's friend in season six and seven. * Morgan Wandell (Danny Zorn) – The new producer of ''Tool Time'' during the final season. He is interested only in ratings and is willing to go to any tawdry end to get them, including staging a Jerry Springer Show-like riot in the audience, and wanting Tim to stage more destructive accidents, which Tim is firmly against. Rather than let Wandell turn their show into "Trash Time", Tim, Al, and Heidi quit, but not before turning their final episode into a huge jam session, which became a ratings smash. His job now in jeopardy, Morgan offered Tim a big raise and an executive producer credit to stay on at the show, but Tim refused. * Milton (Milton Canady) – friend of Tim, often a guest on ''Tool Time''; when he's around, people tend to make gay references, leading to him snapping, "Hey, I don't go for that sort of thing!". * Art Leonard (
Dick O'Neill Richard Francis O'Neill (August 29, 1928 – November 17, 1998) was an American stage, film and television character actor best known for playing Irish cops, fathers, judges and army generals. He began his acting career as an original company ...
) – Tim's old shop teacher who inspired him to enter the world of tools. "Mr. Leonard" is initially shown struggling with his fading dexterity. At one point begins dating Tim's mother. * George Sparky Henderson ( Patrick Cronin) – friend of Tim and fellow car enthusiast. * Antonio (
Vasili Bogazianos Vasili Bogazianos (born February 1, 1945) is an American actor, best known for his role as Benny Sago #2 on the television series ''All My Children'', which he played from 1980 to 1990. He began his television career by playing the small role of ...
) – a sarcastic waiter who is always seen serving the Taylors at high-class restaurants; constantly jokes about the Taylors being cheap. * Alma Borland – Al's unseen, overbearing, obese mother; is the butt of many of Tim's jokes; dies of a sudden heart attack in Season 8 when Al informs her he is going to marry Trudi. * Ronny (Kaylan Romero) – Mark's goth friend in season 7. Almost never speaks a word and constantly disturbs Tim and Jill with his silent but haunting demeanor.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Home Improvement Lists of American sitcom television characters