Tim Allen Nearly Played 1 of Mike Myers’ Most-Hated Characters
Tim Allen is one of the most beloved character actors in American pop culture. His work in both television and film has earned him a place of honor in the Hollywood pantheon. To this day, he’s hard at work on new projects that inspire and delight new generations. But over the years, he’s had to turn down a few roles. Most notably, Allen once revealed that he turned down the lead role in a controversial 2003 comedy that ended up starring Mike Myers.
Why did Tim Allen drop out of ‘The Cat in the Hat’?
By 2003, Allen was a huge star. His work in the sitcom Home Improvement endeared him to television viewers, while his leading role in the beloved holiday comedy The Santa Clause solidified his status as a Hollywood icon. Allen was an in-demand performer, and regularly received offers to star in a wide variety of comedies. One project that he attached himself to was the 2003 comedy The Cat in the Hat, an adaptation of the classic book.
According to BuzzFeed, Allen had signed to star in the movie as early as 2001. But he ended up dropping out before filming started. As Allen told it, he wanted to focus on The Santa Clause II, the sequel to his 1994 classic. “I couldn’t do two icons,” Allen explained.
‘The Cat in the Hat’ wasn’t well-received by critics or fans
Ultimately, Allen probably isn’t too upset that he wasn’t able to tackle the role of The Cat. Comedian Mike Myers signed on to play the anthropomorphic cat after Allen dropped out. But the film was a box office bomb, even though Myers was on a hot streak at the time. The film was slammed for its crude humor and obvious sight gags, and audiences stayed away in droves. It didn’t hold up well, either — currently, it holds 10% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer, along with a 55% audience score.
“Part of the problem is the film confuses chaos with fun,” one critical review said. Another took issue with Myers’ performance directly, claiming “much of the film is padded out by the comic business of Mike Myers’ cat, in a deeply flawed role falling somewhere between a stand-up dying on stage or an alcoholic clown harassing kids at a birthday party.”
Tim Allen is best known for his role as Santa Claus
After his work in The Cat in the Hat, Myers took a step back from live-action performing. He chose to prioritize voiceover roles in movies like the Shrek franchise. He has continued to act sporadically, appearing in movies like Inglourious Basterds, Last Knight, and Bohemian Rhapsody. As for Allen, he has enjoyed a career renaissance in recent years. In 2011, he landed a new sitcom role, in Last Man Standing. He acted in the series for 10 years, all while choosing parts in movies.
Most recently, Allen returned to his role of Scott Calvin in the all-new Disney+ series The Santa Clauses. Although Allen has revealed that wearing the Santa suit was intensely uncomfortable, fans are truly thrilled to see Allen back in action as a character that he first created nearly 30 years ago. With the news that the series has been renewed for a second season, fans of all ages can look forward to even more Allen in the years to come.
