Nancy Travis Jokes the Most Difficult Part of Working with Tim Allen Is Keeping Him in 'His Lane' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

(L-R) Tim Allen and Nancy Travis on Shifting Gears.Photo:Disney/Raymond Liu

Disney/Raymond Liu

Ahead of her Wednesday, Feb. 12 guest appearance on ABC’sShifting Gears, Travis, 63, jokes with PEOPLE about the most “difficult” part of reuniting with her longtimeLast Man StandingcostarTim Allen— while also making it clear that sharing the screen with the actor again was “like a family reunion.”

Travis appears as Charlotte, a woman who has been a widow for five years, in the show’s first Valentine’s Day episode. She meets Matt (Allen) under unusual circumstances and ends up giving him some much needed advice on how to move forward following the loss of his wife.

“I almost felt like I was the ghost of his past wife coming back to nudge his character forward in his current,” she tells PEOPLE. “I just thought she’s almost like a little spirit angel coming through and giving him a little pinch.”

Nancy Travis on Shifting Gears.Disney/Raymond Liu

“I think he’s a master at that. So I always go into it, not just as an equal, but also as a student,” she says.

However, as a comedian with a stand-up comic background, Allen “likes to hold the stage,” according to Travis. “I guess the most challenging thing is just… is kind of keeping him in his lane,” she says with a laugh. “It’s sort of keeping him focused on the work at hand, which is also part of his genius [and] also his improvisational ability.”

Travis also praises Allen for his sense of loyalty, noting that walking on theShifting Gearsset she was delighted to see a number of familiar faces she worked with behind-the-scenes during her time onLast Man Standing.

(L-R) Tim Allen and Nancy Travis on Shifting Gears.Disney/Raymond Liu

“It was very much like a family reunion and it was just so wonderful to see these faces that we shared so much time with, that I shared so much time with, and it was great,” she says, adding that there was a “warm” atmosphere on the set.

She continues, “It really did feel like the best kind of a family reunion, not the kind with, you know, a drunk cousin spilling all the family’s garbage.”

The actress — who can next be seen in NBC’sGrosse Pointe Garden Society— also shares she wouldn’t be surprised if more of her former castmates appear on Allen’s new sitcom soon.

“Tim is very loyal to the people that he’s worked with, which is probably why I was invited to be on the show as well,” she explains. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you start to see a lot ofLast Man Standingpeople showing up onShifting Gears.”

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Shifting Gearsairs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and streams the next day on Hulu.

source: people.com