Tim Allen Can Live On Home Improvement Reruns Alone But Did Patricia Richardson Lose Out On Millions
Patricia Richardson wasn't the first actor cast as Jill Taylor on Home Improvement. But she was perfect and memorable as the wise sitcom wife of Tim Allen's character. Together, the coupled did their best to raise their kids Mark, Randy, and Brad, and the show was relatable in many ways. But although the show was so popular and it felt like it could go on forever, Home Improvement ended after eight seasons. And Richardson had a strong opinion about not agreeing to season 9 of the sitcom.
Tim Allen earned $18 million from reruns of Home Improvement and the show made him very wealthy. But did Patricia Richardson miss the chance to make millions of dollars when she realized that she didn't want to star on Home Improvement anymore?
How Much Money Did Home Improvement Star Patricia Richardson Miss Out On?
Home Improvement went off the air in 1999 after eight seasons. And while that was definitely a great run for the popular sitcom, that of course meant that the stars would stop receiving such a high salary. When she didn't want to keep going with the show, Patricia Richardson thinks that she upset Tim Allen.
Patricia Richardson said no to more Home Improvement and according to Closer Weekly, she wanted to prioritize her children. She said, "I was a single [divorced] parent and away from my kids too much."
Richardson has three kids: 38-year-old Henry Baker, 32-year-old Roxanne Baker, and 32-year-old Joseph Baker. They have all acted at one point, although Joseph Baker has the most credits to his name, including the TV series Search Party.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Patricia Richardson missed out on getting paid $30 million for season 9. And Tim Allen would have made $50 million.
If season 9 of Home Improvement had gone forward, Richardson would have added $30 million to her net worth. And she would likely have made even more money from reruns since that would mean additional episodes to get paid for. The actress continued to work after the sitcom ended.
She went back to TV, playing Dr. Andy Campbell in 59 episodes of Strong Medicine and Sheila Brooks in 9 episodes of The West Wing. Richardson also starred in some movies like A Very Vintage Christmas in 2019, Snow Bride in 2012, and A Christmas in Tennessee in 2018.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Patricia Richardson has a $25 million net worth. Those roles all helped the actress make a lot of money. But it's unlikely that any of those TV shows or movies paid $30 million each, so she definitely walked away from a fortune.
Home Improvement definitely has its cheesy moments and fits into the category of corny 1990s sitcoms. Jill Taylor was always a special character whose intelligence was a cherished part of the show. And Richardson was really great in the role.
The actress also noted in her interview with Closer Weekly that her mom and dad were in bad health and she wanted to be there for them. It sounds like while she missed out on tens of millions of dollars, she felt fine with the decision, and it felt like the right thing to do at the time. It still must have been a tough and tricky decision, though, because saying no to $30 million is no small feat.
In an interview with Modern Mom in 2011, Richardson said, "When you’re on your death bed, you’re going to remember being a mom, not doing a movie." She also told the publication that she was alright with her choice to stop acting on Home Improvement because of what she could do for her children instead.
The actress explained to Modern Mom, "I loved acting, but I was content to step back and be a mom."
What Was Patricia Richardson's Home Improvement Salary?
Since Patricia Richardson played a main role in Home Improvement, it's possible to think that she made a great salary from the show. Unfortunately, her exact salary isn't available.
Tim Allen's Home Improvement salary was very high, however. According to The Richest, he made $200,000 for each episode of the sitcom in 1996. In 1998, his salary went up to $1.25 million for each episode.
Since Patricia Richardson wasn't going to be paid as much as Tim Allen for Home Improvement season 9, it's possible that her salary was lower than his for the other eight seasons. It still must have been good, though. And she must have done well since she starred on Home Improvement for eight years.
No matter what the actress was paid, she seemed to like playing Jill Taylor, and she has shared positive stories about her time on the Home Improvement set. In 2013, Richardson explained to Trainwreck'd Society that she enjoys TV work because everyone knows each other well. She said, "I believe actors do better, freer work when they feel safe and relaxed. Every set in every medium is a family. The longer the family gets to be together the more comfortable that environment becomes."
In 2023, the actress was interviewed by Fox News Digital, and she shared a funny story about starring on Home Improvement alongside Tim Allen.
Richardson said, "Early on in the first couple of episodes, if I would cry about something — the first time that I did that — he was so listening, and he was always so involved and just bouncing back. We were always just so listening to each other and reacting that I saw tears starting to come out of his eyes."
She continued to Fox News Digital, "And that totally freaked him out. And he stopped everything and just said, 'Wait a minute, wait a minute! She's upset!' Director John] Pasquin said, 'She's acting, Tim.'"
While Patricia Richardson felt okay letting go of Home Improvement before season 9, Tim Allen would love a revival. In 2020, he was interviewed by TV Line and said, “I like the idea of doing it as a one-off, like a one-hour movie. I like the idea of finding out where the boys are now, and where… Tool Time would be in today’s world. I just think it’s a marvelous idea, and all the actors think it’s a great idea.”
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