Mike Baxter is a happily married father of three daughters who finds himself the odd man out as he tries to maintain his manliness in a home surrounded by women. Mike tries to escape all the female drama at home in the warm, manly embrace of his job at the Outdoor Man store, a sporting goods emporium where he is marketing director. He also revels in his Outdoor Man vlog, which he uses as a pulpit for his opinions — which often have nothing to do with the store’s merchandise. When he’s supposed to be selling mountain bikes or kayaks, he somehow ends up spouting off about the environment, health care, international politics or any other topic occupying his mind.
Tim Allen stars on the hit sitcom Last Man Standing. He can also be seen performing stand-up to sold-out crowds at venues across the country. He reprises his role as Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story 4, set for release in 2017.
Allen honed his talents as a stand-up comic throughout the 1980s, providing the perfect lead-in to his highly successful ABC television series Home Improvement, where he garnered a Golden Globe® Award, an Emmy® nomination, and was honored with the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Male Performer in a Television Series for an unprecedented eight years in a row.
During the Home Improvement run at the top of the prime-time charts, Tim revisited his comedy roots with a successful national concert tour. He also found time to pen his first book about the male perspective, Don’t Stand Too Close to a Naked Man, topping the New York Times Bestseller List. This was followed by his second bestseller, I’m Not Really Here, focusing on midlife, family and quantum physics.
In 1999, during the final season of Home Improvement, Tim was honored with the TV Guide Award for Favorite Actor in a Comedy Series. In a tearful farewell, Tim hung up his tool belt, shifting his film career into high gear with resounding success.
He made his film debut in 1994 playing a holiday icon in The Santa Clause, earning him another People’s Choice Award. In 1995, he voiced the beloved, but deluded, space ranger Buzz Lightyear in the CGI smash hit Toy Story.
In 1997, Allen starred in the hit comedies Jungle 2 Jungle and For Richer or Poorer. To the delight of moviegoers, in 1999 Tim reprised his character Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story 2, which grossed over $250 million worldwide. This was followed by the hit film Galaxy Quest. Representing the “average Joe,” Tim starred in 2001’s Joe Somebody and the comedy Big Trouble. In 2002, Tim took on the role of Critical Jim in Who Is Cletis Tout?, and he helped kick off the holiday season that year by reprising his role in The Santa Clause 2. In 2004, he starred opposite Jamie Lee Curtis in the comedy Christmas with the Kranks.
In 2006, Allen reprised his role in The Santa Clause 3. That same year, he starred in the comedy Zoom and in the updated version of the Disney classic The Shaggy Dog. In 2007, he starred opposite John Travolta, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy in the hit comedy Wild Hogs. In 2008, Allen starred in the drama Redbelt.
In 2010, Allen starred again as Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story 3. That same year, he starred in his feature film directorial debut, Crazy on the Outside, with Sigourney Weaver and Ray Liotta.
Mike Baxter is a man’s man and the marketing director of an iconic outdoor sporting goods store. But gone are the days of the hunter-gatherers, so Mike dedicates his life to reminding the world what makes men men. However, while he may be king of the hill at work, Mike is the odd-man out in a home that is dominated by women; namely his wife and three daughters.
Nancy Travis
Vanessa Baxter
Nancy Travis stars opposite Tim Allen as his wife Vanessa on Last Man Standing, who puts up with her opinionated, curmudgeon of a husband and their three opinionated girls.
In summer 2014, Travis wrapped production on two independent films – The Submarine Kid opposite Jack Coleman, Emilie de Ravin and Finn Wittrock, and Married Young with Gary Cole, Lucas Neff, David Flynn and Vanessa Lengies.
Travis was born in New York and grew up in both Baltimore and Boston. She returned to New York to study drama at New York University. Soon after, she joined the national touring company of Neil Simon’s hit play Brighton Beach Memoirs. Her additional theatre credits include Broadway’s I’m Not Rappaport and Athol Fugard’s My Children, My Africa, which the author directed at the La Jolla Playhouse. She is a founding member of the off-Broadway theatre company Naked Angels.
Travis starred on TBS’ hit comedy The Bill Engvall Show for three seasons and was seen in several television movies: Hallmark Channel’s Safe Harbor and Lifetime’s original movie Pregnancy Pact.
Travis made her feature film debut in the blockbuster comedy Three Men and a Baby. Her additional film credits include The Jane Austin Book Club, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Internal Affairs, Air America, Three Men and a Little Lady, So I Married an Axe Murderer, The Vanishing, Greedy, Fluke, Destiny Turns on the Radio and Bogie. On the small screen, she starred in Becker with Ted Danson and Almost Perfect for CBS, and in the television movies My Last Love and Fallen Angels.
Vanessa Baxter is a dedicated wife, caring mother/grandmother and wisecracking geologist. After taking a break from her career to raise three children, Vanessa returns to work, receiving a promotion shortly after, leaving less time for her family, less patience for their problems, and no patience for Mike’s “solutions”.
Kaitlyn Dever
Eve Baxter
In October 2014, Dever appeared in a supporting role in Lynn Shelton’s comedy-drama Laggies with Keira Knightley, Chloe Moretz and Sam Rockwell. The film follows Megan (Knightley), a floundering 28-year-old woman who hides out for a week with high school student Annika (Moretz) and her best friend Misty (Dever), under the pretense of going to a work retreat after her boyfriend attempts to propose. Laggies premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and was released by A24 Films.
Also in October 2014, Dever starred in Men, Women & Children alongside Judy Greer, Adam Sandler, Jennifer Garner, Ansel Elgort and Emma Thompson. Directed by Jason Reitman and based on the novel of the same name by Chad Kultgen, Men, Women & Children follows a group of high school teenagers and their parents as they discover the many ways the internet has changed their relationships, communication, self-images and love lives. Dever plays Garner’s daughter and love interest to Ansel Elgort. The film premiered at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival.
Dever also stars opposite Tye Sheridan in the indie drama Grass Stains, written and directed by Kyle Wilamowski. The story centers around teen Conrad Stevens (Sheridan) discovering his first love for Grace Turner (Dever), and the secret guilt he feels after a prank goes awry and causes the death of Grace’s older brother.
Dever appears in the drama The Greens are Gone, in which she stars alongside Catherine Keener and Anton Yelchin. Peer Pedersen directs the story of a matriarch (Keener) of a dysfunctional family who is pushed to her limits by the disappearance of her son (Yelchin) and her bipolar teenager (Dever). The feature was filmed in Boston.
Dever’s additional film credits include the Cameron Diaz comedy Bad Teacher and J. Edgar with Leonardo DiCaprio, directed by Academy Award®-winning director Clint Eastwood. In 2012, Dever was nominated three times at the 33rd Young Artist Awards for her roles in Bad Teacher, Last Man Standing and Justified.
Kaitlyn Dever has amassed tremendous respect at a young age with her dynamic and impactful performances in film and television.
Kaitlyn stars on ABC’s Last Man Standing, on which she stars as the youngest, toughest and most athletic daughter of the Baxter family. Other television credits include the FX drama Justified, CBS crime drama The Mentalist, Starz comedy Party Down, ABC’s Modern Family and Private Practice and the critically acclaimed HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm.
In August 2013, Dever appeared in the critically acclaimed Short Term 12, appearing opposite Brie Larson. The coming-of-age drama tells the story through the eyes of a young supervisor, Grace (Larson), of an at-risk center for teenagers. The film is a glimpse into the lives of neglected youths where Dever plays troubled teen Jayden, living in the group home. The film initially premiered at the 2013 South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW) where it won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative as well as the Audience Award. Dever was also highlighted as a SXSW breakout star.
In September 2013, Dever played a supporting role in the coming-of-age feature The Spectacular Now starring Shailene Woodley and Miles Teller. Based on Tim Tharp’s novel and directed by James Ponsoldt, the romantic comedy-drama centers on a live-for-the-moment high school senior (Teller) as he develops a relationship with introverted classmate Aimee (Woodley). Premiering at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, the film garnered much critical acclaim.
Eve Baxter is the youngest, toughest and most athletic daughter. Eve isn’t interested in clothes, make-up or what her hair looks like. She’d rather play full contact football with the Broncos than spend an elegant evening with the Kardashians. Her interests, hobbies, and even sense of humor mirror that of her dad’s, making her Mike’s favorite.
Hector Elizondo
Ed Alzate
For over 45 years, award-winning actor Hector Elizondo has enjoyed a successful and prolific career in film, television, theatre and radio. A native New Yorker, Elizondo first garnered recognition for his portrayal of God in Steambath on the New York stage, a role that earned him an Obie Award. High praise continued on Broadway in Neil Simon’s Prisoner of Second Avenue, The Great White Hope and the critically celebrated revival of Arthur Miller’s The Prince. Elizondo received a Drama Desk Award nomination for his performance in Broadway’s original run of the comedy Sly Fox.
Nominated for both a Golden Globe® and an American Comedy Award for his depiction of the hotel manager in the classic Pretty Woman, Elizondo’s other film credits include The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3, American Gigolo, Young Doctors in Love, Nothing in Common, The Flamingo Kid, Runaway Bride, Tortilla Soup, The Music Within, Love in the Time of Cholera and The Princess Diaries (1 & 2).
In 1997, Elizondo won an Emmy® for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of Dr. Phillip Watters on CBS’ Chicago Hope. In six years on the show he also earned four Emmy® nominations, an ALMA Award and a Screen Actors Guild nomination. He also starred in the two-character drama Mrs. Cage for PBS’ American Playhouse, receiving another Emmy® nomination for Best Supporting Actor. His numerous television appearances began with guest starring roles on Colombo, All in the Family, Hill Street Blues, Kojak and The West Wing. Additional guest appearances include recurring roles on Grey’s Anatomy and Monk.
Elizondo has done many voice-overs, including for Ken Burns’ critically acclaimed PBS documentary The West, the 2014 Guillermo del Toro film The Book of Life and the animated feature Max & Me. He also served as the host for the CBS special Mysterious Man of the Shroud. He is especially proud of his involvement in the distinguished L.A. Theatre Works, a group of 40 top actors who devote their time and talent to revive classic radio dramas as a respected contemporary art form for National Public Radio (NPR).
Due to his mother’s battle with the disease, Elizondo has become a strong voice in Alzheimer’s awareness, and currently acts as the celebrity spokesperson for the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA). Through public appearances he helps to publicize the AFA’s National Memory Screening Day, which strives to inform, educate and screen as many people as they can reach. He has been honored with the Diversity Award’s prestigious Integrity Award, as well as Nosotros’ Lifetime Achievement Award for the roles he has chosen in his career and how these have improved the image of Latinos on-screen.
Elizondo is also an avid supporter of Amnesty International, the American Cancer Society and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.
Ed is the thick-skinned, opinionated owner of Outdoor Man who wrote the book on how to live a man’s life. With years of experience, and four divorces behind him, Ed coaches Mike on problems at work as well as at home. He may not always be helpful, but he tries. A boss, a friend, and an eccentric gentleman—Ed is an essential person in Mike’s life.
Molly Ephraim
Mandy Baxter
Molly Ephraim appears in an arc on the IFC series Brockmire opposite Hank Azaria and Amanda Peet. In summer 2015, she played the lead role of Daphna in Matt Shakman’s Bad Jews at the Geffen Playhouse, for which she received rave reviews. Prior to that, she starred in the dark, indie comedy film Gravy and played Ali in Paranormal Activity 2. She can also be seen in the web series It Could Be Worse, streaming on Hulu.
Ephraim, born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, performed in shows at the Bucks County Playhouse as a child and teenager, and in professional productions at the Prince Music Theater and Arden Theatre Company in Philadelphia. In 2008, she graduated from Princeton University with a B.A. in religion, where she was a member of the Princeton University Triangle Club. She also performed in and choreographed various shows for Princeton University Players and Theatre Intime.
Additionally, Ephraim has had roles on episodes of Royal Pains, Law & Order and the pilots Hench at Home and The Wonderful Maladys. She made her Broadway debut in 2002 as Little Red Riding Hood in the Broadway revival of Into the Woods, receiving a Drama League Award nomination. Ephraim was later seen as Bielke in the 2004 Broadway revival of Fiddler on the Roof.
Off-Broadway, she played Rachel Stein in End Days at the Ensemble Studio Theatre in 2009. In 2008, she was Olive in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at the Barrington Stage Company and at the North Shore Music Theatre. In 2010, she played Anne Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank at the Westport Country Playhouse.
Molly is on the Board of Advocates for Youth Villages, a non-profit organization serving America’s foster youth and she encourages everyone to check out www.youthvillages.org if they’d like to lend a helping hand.
Mandy Baxter is Mike and Vanessa’s middle daughter who may not be as intelligent as her sisters, but what she lacks in academics (and sometimes common sense) she excels in social media and vanity. Mandy spends her free time updating her website, Mandyland, and has a strong interest in fashion. She can’t tell you who won the Civil War, but she already knows who will win on the “The Bachelorette” this season.
Amanda Fuller
Kristin Baxter
Amanda Fuller first captured the hearts of audiences as intern Morgan Peterson on Grey’s Anatomy. In addition to her role on Last Man Standing, her credits include the indie thriller Cheap Thrills, and she played the title role in The Brittany Murphy Story for Lifetime in September 2014.
As far back as she can remember, Fuller knew she would be an actress. Born in Sacramento and raised in Los Angeles, she was put into dance class at age two, and by age three she had discovered school plays and community theater. She spent the bulk of her youth acting and modeling, gaining valuable experience in dance, theater and commercials. She booked her first major TV movie role at the age of eight in Tales of the City opposite Laura Linney and Olympia Dukakis.
Fuller has played captivating characters in over 35 television series including That ‘70s Show, The Practice, Life, Bones, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Without a Trace and Law & Order: SVU, as well as various films made for television. She has also been on the big screen in several independent features.
In 2010, Fuller received critical acclaim for her award-winning performance in the independent thriller Red White & Blue, which premiered at the International Film Festival in Rotterdam and had its American premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas. She had her directorial debut directing Tyler Williams in Kenneth Lonergan’s This is Our Youth, and also produced her first music video for the talented Lindsey Haun and her band, The Haun Solo Project.
Fuller spends her down time polishing her craft and playing with other mediums of art. She has become a skilled photographer and writer, and is currently writing her first feature. She also enjoys painting and traveling. With two dogs of her own, Fuller is passionate about animals and is active in many animal rescue charities that strive to make a difference in animal treatment.
Kristin Baxter is the eldest daughter. She is an independent single mother and unlike her father, espouses more liberal beliefs. Between chasing around her son, Boyd, and working at the diner, Kristin rarely has a moment to herself. Recently, she moved back in with her family which has allowed her to have the luxury of free child care. For now, she can enjoy a few moments of peace and quiet– at least until Mike comes home.
Christoph Sanders
Kyle Anderson
Christoph Sanders booked his first professional role at the age of 10, playing Tiny Tim in the Flat Rock Playhouse production of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol in Flat Rock, North Carolina. Raised in neighboring Hendersonville, Sanders went on to do 16 more shows with the Flat Rock Playhouse, as well as other productions in the state.
At the age of 16, Sanders made his transition from the stage to the small screen when he booked his first commercial for General Mills. The following year, he landed a small role in the Will Ferrell comedy Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.
Additional credits include a series regular role on Ghost Whisperer and starring opposite Dakota Fanning in the film Hounddog, which was accepted to the 2007 Sundance Film Festival Dramatic Competition.
Kyle is Mike’s charming, naïve subordinate desperately in need of a father figure. His submissive personality may not make him first pick on the football field, but he holds his own at Outdoor Man and idolizes Mike.
Jonathan Adams
Chuck Larabee
Jonathan Adams plays Chuck Larabee, the neighbor and cohort to Tim Allen’s Mike Baxter on Last Man Standing.
Jonathan spent several seasons with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival before moving to Los Angeles. His television credits include being a series regular on FOX’s American Embassy, a three-season stint on NBC’s American Dreams as Henry Walker, and as Dr. Daniel Goodman on the first season of FOX’s Bones.
Jonathan has made notable recurring appearances on such series as Women’s Murder Club, Revenge, Castle, Dallas, 24 and Hellcats.
In addition to his on-camera experience, Jonathan continues to have a flourishing voiceover career which includes narration, animation, radio and television commercials.
Jonathan is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Chuck Larabee is Mike’s frenemy neighbor, who continues to take friendly pokes at Mike. Of course, Mike pokes Chuck right back, giving as well as he gets.
Jordan Masterson
Ryan Vogelson
Jordan Masterson plays Ryan, Kristin’s fiancé and father of their seven-year-old son Boyd on Last Man Standing.
Jordan always knew he wanted to be an actor. Like his siblings Danny Masterson (That ’70s Show), Christopher Masterson (Malcolm in the Middle) and Alanna Masterson (The Walking Dead), Jordan has also experienced success in his chosen profession.
His television credits include being a series regular on the ABC Family series Greek as the character Dumptruck, the Danielle Steel TV movie Star and a recurring role on ABC’s iconic comedy George Lopez. From that acting experience, Jordan recalls how hard it was to keep a straight face when Lopez was improvising.
Jordan also appeared in the film The 40 Year-Old Virgin as Mark.
Jordan is active in the Citizens Commission on Human Rights.
Though Ryan initially fled when Kristin became pregnant, he returned to be a part of his son’s upbringing. His strong liberal views, both politically and philosophically routinely clash with Mike’s conservative and traditional mainframe. It can be a bit of a struggle, but Kristin and Ryan are determined to raise Boyd their own way, outside of Mike’s well-meaning influence.
Flynn Morrison
Boyd Baxter
By the young age of nine, Flynn Morrison already had an impressive list of credits to his name. Within six months of deciding he wanted to be an actor, he appeared in numerous commercials, including for Walgreens, Meijers Department Stores, Subway, Shriner’s Hospital and Google.
His television credits include the ABC Family show Pretty Little Liars.
In his spare time, Flynn loves playing at the beach with his family – swimming, boogie boarding and surfing. He also loves to play soccer with his friends at school.
Boyd is the son of eldest daughter, Kristin, and first grandson for Mike and Vanessa. He loves watching cartoons, eating ice cream, and having Mike teach him new things. However, Boyd’s susceptibility to Mike’s beliefs and actions often cause friction between Kristin and Boyd’s father, Ryan.