The Hollywood star Tim Allen of Home Improvement fame is speaking out this week to reveal his terrifying skin cancer scare.
Allen’s Skin Cancer Scare
While appearing on Bill Maher’s Club Random podcast on Monday, Allen revealed that his skin cancer was “missed five times” by his dermatologist. He was only finally diagnosed with skin cancer when a makeup artist at The Today Show flagged it.
“The lady at The Today Show noticed it,” recalled Allen, 72. “This is [over] two years; I did Jimmy Fallon and then I did The Today Show. And she goes, ‘I see you haven’t done anything yet.’”
Allen went on to say that he felt confident in his “very prominent Beverly Hills dermatologist. However, he decided to bring it up at his next checkup just to be safe.
“Finally, I said, ‘Hey, doc, would you take a look at this thing on my nose?’” Allen recounted. He immediately knew that something was wrong when his dermatologist said, “Hold on a minute” and put his glasses on “for the first time in 30 years” of visits.
“Then he looks at my nose, and he goes, “Oh [expletive], [expletive]. Janice, get Paul in here, and my lawyer,’” Allen remembered.
Allen’s Dermatologist ‘Screwed Up’
The dermatologist proceeded to admit that he “screwed up.” He then informed Allen that he had melanoma or carcinoma. Allen was quickly sent to another doctor to have it removed.
“He goes, ‘I’m going to have to cut most of your nose off.’ He said it like that,” Allen stated. “And I go, ‘Let me explain what I do for a living. Unless I’m gonna do a Blazing Saddles with the guy with the silver nose, you have to leave some of my [expletive] nose on so I can do comedy without doing 20 minutes on having no nose!’”
Host Bill Maher reassured Allen that the surgery on his face was undetectable.
“It all worked out,” Allen replied. “The surgeon was good.”
“You’ve aged as well as you can,” Maher concluded. “You absolutely have.”
Allen’s Sitcom Success
Allen is best known for his successful sitcoms. He starred on the classic sitcom Home Improvement from 1991 until 1999. Allen then starred in Last Man Standing from 2011 until 2021.
These days, Allen is starring on the hit sitcom Shifting Gears, which is currently in its second season. New episodes air on Wednesday nights on ABC.
“There’s nothing like sitcoms,” Allen previously told TV Insider. “They seem tired. Until you watch one in person.”
“I’ve done a full circle. I look around and I’m on the Disney lot, and I keep walking by the Home Improvement set, which is over that way,” he continued. “I sat in front of the set and they still have a sign on it: Home Improvement. I’m kind of finishing, if you will, where I started.”
Allen is a true living legend, and there will never be another one like him. While his skin cancer scare was nothing short of terrifying, we’re just glad that it all worked out for him.
God bless you, Tim Allen!