Tim Allen is now a veteran of the entertainment industry, but before finding success in Hollywood, he served time in prison. Ahead of the release of Toy Story 5, Allen, the longtime voice of Buzz Lightyear, reflected on how that period of his life influenced his future.
Toy Story 5 star Tim Allen talks about his time in prison
Toy Story star Tim Allen, who has voiced Buzz Lightyear for nearly three decades, recently reflected on his life before Hollywood. The actor discussed how his time in prison became a turning point that influenced the direction of his future.
“I’d lost focus after college, where I got into criminal stuff,” Allen said in an interview with Us Weekly for a cover story.
“When I was incarcerated, I started reading books [about] men and women who had been successful out of nowhere, and I started focusing on where I wanted to be. I did not want to do that ever again. I humiliated my family, friends, and myself…I did not want to make that mistake [again],” Allen continued.
Allen was arrested in 1978 at the age of 25. He was arrested at Michigan’s Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport. Authorities found more than 650 grams of cocaine in his possession. At the time, Michigan had recently enacted the “650-lifer law.” Under the law, individuals convicted of trafficking more than 650 grams of cocaine could face a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
Allen pleaded guilty to felony drug trafficking charges. He also provided information about other individuals involved in drug trafficking in exchange for a reduced sentence. He was ultimately sentenced to three to seven years in prison. Allen served two years and four months at the Federal Correctional Institution in Sandstone, Minnesota. He was released after completing that portion of his sentence.
The 72-year-old actor also discussed the impact of losing his father to a drunk-driving accident when he was young. Allen was later arrested on a DUI charge in Birmingham in 1998 and received one year of probation. He has since spoken publicly about maintaining sobriety.
Toy Story 5 is set to release on June 19, 2026.
