A SITCOM legend is set to reunite with one of her most famous co-stars – though you may not recognise her.
The actress shot to fame in Home Improvement back in the 90s, but over 30 years later she’s ditched her brunette locks to embrace a stunning silver.
This actress looks completely different to her time on the classic sitcom[/caption]
Patricia played Taylor matriarch Jill in Home Improvement[/caption]
Jill is now set to reunite with her on-screen husband, Tim Allen, for his new series[/caption]
Patricia Richardson, now 74, found fame on the beloved ABC show as Jill Taylor, the wife of central character Tim ‘The Tool Man’ Taylor, played by Tim Allen.
The show followed the Detroit husband-and-wife duo with their three sons – Brad, Randy and Mark – as Tim hosted his own DIY show, Tool Time.
Her role earned her four Emmy nominations and two Golden Globe nominations for best actress in a comedy series.
Since the series ended in 1999, Patricia took on a leading role in medical drama Strong Medicine, where she played Dr Andy Campbell for four years.
Following that, she had a recurring role in the iconic political series, The West Wing.
From there, she’s appeared in arcs in Grey’s Anatomy, NCIS and The Blacklist.
But now she’s coming full circle with a confirmed appearance in Tim Allen’s latest sitcom, Shifting Gears, which tracks the life of a widowed car restorer.
Patricia will be reuniting with her on-screen husband Tim in the season premiere on October 1st, 26 years since their time together on Home Improvement – but she won’t be the only Home Improvement star dropping by.
They will be joined by fellow co-stars Richard Karn, who played Al Borland and “Tool Time Girl” Heidi Keppert star Debbe Dunning in the same episode.
Running from 1991 to 1999, Patricia appeared in all 208 episodes of Home Improvement – with an average 34million American homes tuning in, making it the number one sitcom in the country.
At the time, she sported a signature brown bob and bangs, and was seen trying to keep the men in her life in line – especially Tim, who she challenged about familial roles in the home.
Throughout the course of the show, character Jill went from a stay-at-home mom to a career-focused psychologist, enlisting in school after losing her job as a researcher for a magazine.
But she originally was hesitant to take on the most defining role of her career, having given birth to twins shortly before filming for season one began.
The team were so desperate to have her on board, they made concessions for her, including a second dressing room for the babies to rest in.
It was ultimately her decision, alongside Allen’s, to end the show, telling LA Times in 2024: “I told everybody, there’s not enough money in the world to get me to do a ninth year. This show is over. It needs to end.”
In the season finale, the family were seen moving to Indiana for the sake of Jill’s career.
Reflecting on the show’s history, she said: “I’m really proud of what it meant to our audience.
“I don’t care what anybody says, I’m proud of the legacy.”
Patricia said she is ‘proud of the legacy’ of the series[/caption]
Jill was known for her signature bob and no-nonsense demeanour with her boys[/caption]