The actor is putting his ‘Tool Time’ skills to work as Craft Ambassador for Natural Light
As Home Improvement‘s Al Borland, Richard Karn knew his way around a toolbox. And as it turns out, he was often just as crafty off-screen, too.
Speaking to PEOPLE about his new partnership with Natural Light and the brand’s Tool Bar — a dual-purpose workbench that folds up from workspace to a post-task dart board and drink holder — Karn, 69, says he drew inspiration from one of his own idols when creating his beloved ’90s character: his dad.
“My dad and my grandfather were builders,” he tells PEOPLE, “and so even though I didn’t go into that business — I became an actor — it was there, you know? We all become our parents in one way or another, and I think a lot of my dad was in the character of Al.”
Karn’s father “really liked the show,” he adds. “He thought it was funny. And one of the great compliments he gave me was, ‘You really look like you know what you’re doing.’ That was a big one.”
On Home Improvement, which ran on ABC from 1991 to 1999, Karn played the foil to Tim Allen’s often over-the-top Tim Taylor, keeping him in check on their fix-it show Tool Time.
On set, “every day was fun,” says Karn. “I just remember laughing a lot, and feeling good about the work. We were doing great things, and I didn’t fully understand that at the time, but over the years when people come up to me, it’s like, they’ve cemented this image of Tool Time or Home Improvement, and have these wonderful memories of watching the show with their family, their grandparents. And it’s a good feeling to know that that is still happening.”
The series has found new fans through streaming, “kids who were the ages of the kids [on the show] who now have their own kids,” says Karn. “They’re watching it because it’s something they feel safe with, and it shows life in a very specific, wonderful way.”
Though he’s not often in touch with the show’s “kid” stars — now-grown Zachery Ty Bryan, Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Taran Noah Smith — “I see Tim, I see Debbe [Dunning],” Karn says. “And all the guest stars who came on the show, I run into them all over the place.”
Karn’s fond memories of the series extend beyond the set, as he notes his son Cooper was born during the first season of Home Improvement.
“He’s 33 now,” Karn says. “But it was two life-changing events happening all at the same time. It probably kept me grounded — I was able to not go too far off the deep end with that newfound celebrity. I had opportunities that could have taken me away. But because Cooper was born, I didn’t want to go to London to do a play, I didn’t want to go off and do something that took me away for weeks on end. In that way, it kind of strengthened my connection with my son.”
For Karn, Home Improvement was “a perfect job, a 9-to-5 job in a weird way. Plus we had weekends off and worked just 25 weeks out of the year on the show.”
These days, the actor keeps busy with continuing roles — he has a movie slated for fall — and, just like Al, work around the house.
“I’ve owned my house now for over 20 years, and there’s a lot of tinkering I should be doing,” he says with a laugh. “There is always a project. My dad was a contractor when I was growing up, so nothing around my house ever seemed to break. I know that’s not the case now because, you know, stuff breaks, though as long as you get to it right away, people don’t notice.”
It’s why his partnership with Natural Light as the brand’s Craft Ambassador made sense, he adds.
“Now with this whole ultimate DIY zone, it’s bringing Father’s Day to a whole other level,” he says. “It’s something you can present your dad with — a really cool tool board and dart board — that they can fuss around with in their garage.”
Fans can enter for a chance to win the Tool Bar by following Natural Light on Instagram, Facebook or X and commenting on the entry post by June 15. Directions on how to make your own Tool Bar are available on naturallight.com.
