Comedian Tim Allen discussed Fox’s revival of his show “Last Man Standing” in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter Thursday and also commented on the state of comedy in today’s political climate.
Allen addressed ABC’s cancellation of “Roseanne” after Roseanne Barr aimed an offensive tweet at former Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett.
"I go way back with Rosie and that's not the Roseanne that I know," he said. "She was the most diverse and tolerant woman I've ever known for a long time. So, whatever got in her head isn't the Roseanne that I know."
Allen, who is a conservative Trump supporter, discussed the climate for comedians in the current hyper-partisan political era.
"It's a very icy time,” he said. “I've been a comedian for 38 years. What Lenny Bruce said at the Purple Onion in 1951 … we've gone backwards. There's things you can't say, there's things you shouldn't say. Who makes up these rules? As a stand-up comic, it's a very dangerous position for me to be in because I like pushing buttons.”
“I don't know what Roseanne [meant],” he added, “but that's not the woman I know. Whatever came out of that, whatever she said by that, she is inclusive and tolerant. It's unfortunate."
Allen emphasized that his character Mike Baxter on “Last Man Standing” is a "centrist."
"He owns a big business so if it's helping his business, he's probably pro-Trump. He probably doesn't defend him," he explained.