Tim Allen Opens Up About the Age Gap Romance on 'Shifting Gears' With Jenna Elfman

Tim Allen is weighing in on the on-screen romance between his character and Jenna Elfman's in the ABC comedy Shifting Gears, opening up about concerns surrounding the significant age gap.

The 73-year-old plays Matt Parker, whose character is dating Eve Drake, portrayed by Elfman—roughly 20 years his junior. In a candid conversation, Allen acknowledged the dynamic makes him uneasy at times, though he drew parallels to his own marriage to Jane Hajduk.

"It depends on the pictures. It gets creepy for me at a certain age [and] we're right at that border," Allen told Us Weekly. "If Jenna didn't look so damn nice than our age gap is not that much. I just let my hair go natural and she just looks — especially on camera — quite young."

The Toy Story 5 star noted that lighting and styling can shift how the pairing reads on screen. "When I'm lit better, I look probably 68," he explained. "I just don't want to be creepy about it — and that's kind of the borderline image these days."

Allen revealed he initially had reservations about the romantic storyline. He had envisioned the show as a vehicle for exploring grief through a widowed protagonist, but when Elfman's character was introduced, he reconsidered. "They threw this romance in there and I know Jenna so I said, 'That's not the problem. It's just that I'm feeling way too old for her,'" he shared.

The chemistry between the characters has resonated with audiences, and Allen has come around to the pairing. After the relationship was written off and then revived by the end of season two, he's curious to see where the show takes it next.

"She's so fun to be around and it's brought out a whole different part of that show and brought a different audience to that show," Allen said of Elfman. "The flirting and the actual activity between these two characters is working and I said, 'All right, I'll go there.' [Jenna is] really good at this and the romance is kind of generated quite by accident."

Shifting Gears has been greenlit for a third season, joining several other ABC renewals.