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Tim Allen’s interview with Jimmy Kimmel nearly ended his Hollywood career: "Gotta be careful..."

Tim Allen’s 2017 interview became a major controversy with Hollywood largely distancing itself from the actor.

Tim Allen's sharp wit and conservative political stance have always landed him in trouble, but his one particular interview with Jimmy Kimmel in 2017 nearly cost him his Hollywood career. While some fans praised his honesty, his comparison of Hollywood to 1930s Germany was surely in poor taste. On ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live,’ Allen discussed attending Donald Trump’s first inauguration as President of the United States and how Hollywood treated those with conservative views. He said, "You have gotta be real careful around here. You get beat up if don’t believe what everybody believes. This is like '30s Germany. I don’t know what happened.”

As per The Things, the backlash was immediate. Steven Goldstein, a civil rights activist, strongly condemned Allen’s words. He slammed, “Tim, have you lost your mind? No one in Hollywood today is subjecting you or anyone else to what the Nazis imposed on Jews in the 1930s. Sorry, Tim, that’s just not the same as getting turned down for a movie role. It’s time for you to leave your bubble to apologize to the Jewish people.” Despite some fans supporting Allen, Hollywood largely distanced itself from the actor. That same year, his popular show ‘Last Man Standing’ was unexpectedly canceled, despite strong ratings.

Allen suspected political bias played a role. He argued, “I have no idea why [ABC] did what they did.” At the time, the show was one of ABC’s most-watched comedies, pulling in 6.4 million viewers per episode— second only to ‘Modern Family.’ Many conservatives saw this as proof that Hollywood was intolerant of Right-leaning voices, fueling Allen’s claims about the industry’s bias. In the years, following the controversy, Allen became more selective about expressing his political views.

As per The Guardian, despite the uproar, Allen did return to ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ during the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting there were no hard feelings between him and the host. However, the damage to his career was undeniable, with Hollywood continuing to be wary of openly conservative actors. Allen’s 2017 interview wasn’t the first time he courted controversy. In 2013, he ignited outrage by arguing he should be allowed to use the N-word in comedy. He asserted, “If I have no intent, if I show no intent, if I clearly am not a racist, then how can ‘ni****’ be bad coming out of my mouth?”

Despite past controversies, Allen remains a respected figure in conservative circles. His long-standing role as the voice of Buzz Lightyear in ‘Toy Story’ and his acclaimed work in ‘The Santa Clauses’ show he still has a place in the entertainment industry. Regardless of where one stands, there is no denying that Allen’s 2017 interview with Kimmel almost got him banned from Hollywood.