Tim Allen shares life-changing realization he had after spending time in prison

Tim Allen has opened up on what it was like being in prison, as well as the life lessons being locked up taught him as he promotes his Toy Story 5 flick.

Allen has been a permanent fixture as the voice of Buzz Lightyear in the hit Pixar franchise since 1995, playing alongside Tom Hanks’ Woody in all five films.

But while the 73-year-old Home Improvements actor has always played a straight-laced character on TV (minus The Santa Clause), it might shock you to learn that he has actually been sent to prison.

In an interview with Us Weekly, Tim explained his upbringing and issues with sobriety, before diving into his scepticism about faith and.

There, he shared that his time at college was what set him onto a path that wasn’t where he needed to be.

In fact, it sent him right to the slammer, but there’s one thing that got him out of the industry – books and new life passions.

Tim Allen has voiced Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story franchise since the 90s (Disney)

Tim explained: “I’d lost focus after college, where I got into criminal stuff. When I was incarcerated, I started reading books [about] men and women who had been successful out of nowhere, and I started focusing on where I wanted to be. I did not want to do that ever again. I humiliated my family and friends and myself. I did not want to make that mistake [again].”

The actor was incarcerated for two years back in 1978 for a felony drug trafficking charge at just 25 years old.

He was apprehended at the Michigan's Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport for possession of over 650 grams of cocaine, and unfortunately, this came right after the 650-lifer law.

Tim was sentenced after being caught with cocaine (Photo by Kypros/Getty Images)

To this, per the Michigan Legislation, anyone caught distributing, creating or holding 650 grams or more of the drug, would be subject to the possibility of spending life in prison.

However, Tim pled guilty to his charges and also allegedly provided the names of other dealers in exchange for a lesser sentence of three to seven years, per Entertainment Weekly.

Since then, he’s been straight laced and after leaving prison in 81, got his first notable acting role ten years later – in Home Improvement.

Then, he went on to become Buzz for the next three decades.

“It’s an amazing part of my life,” the actor told Us Weekly. “Buzz has become such a part of me, and vice versa.”

Thank God he chose to act.