Patricia Richardson: ‘Home Improvement’ Ended Over Pay Gap

Patricia Richardson, who played Jill Taylor on the popular 1990s sitcom “Home Improvement,” said the show ended because ABC refused to pay her as much as her co-star, Tim Allen. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Richardson shared that she decided to leave after Season 8 to spend more time with her children. ABC offered her $1 million per episode to return for a ninth season, but Allen was offered $2 million per episode.

Richardson was frustrated by the pay difference, especially since she felt she contributed a lot to the show’s success. She asked for the same pay and an executive producer credit as Allen, knowing ABC would say no, which they did.

“I knew Disney would never pay me that much,” she said, explaining that her demand was a way to decline the offer and highlight the unfair treatment. Richardson also mentioned she never received a producer credit despite her input on the show, while Allen became an executive producer in Season 6.

The show ended in May 1999 after eight seasons. Richardson felt isolated during the final season because she was the only one refusing to continue, causing tension with Allen. They have not stayed in touch.

Regarding a possible reboot, Richardson is not interested. She found it strange that Allen talked about a reunion without asking her or their co-star Jonathan Taylor Thomas. She thinks trying to recreate the show after 30 years would be “weird” because everyone has changed.

“People think we can just go back to who we were 30 years ago,” she said. “But we’ve all changed a lot since then. It would be very weird.”

Re-reported from the article originally published in USA TODAY.