Having co-starred opposite Tim Allen for what will be two seasons of ABC's Shifting Gears by the time finales hit the 2026 TV schedule, Kat Dennings is well aware of what working with Tim Allen is like. Something that may surprise upwards of nobody is that the Home Improvement vet likes when cars are on topic, particularly his own vehicles; the sitcom's location wasn't chosen randomly from a hat. A pro tip from Dennings? Maybe don't speak respectfully about Jay Leno's car collection.
To be sure, the 2 Broke Girls vet didn't come right out and say that during her most recent Jimmy Kimmel Live! appearance, but she definitely did imply it with her amusing answers and body language after the host brought up the two Last Man Standing vets and their respective wheeled passions. And it all stemmed from a conversation about seat belts, no doubt a part of everyone's daily exchanges. In any case, here's how Dennings addressed Allen's hobby-and-then-some:
He has — I don’t know exactly how many — but he might have 100 cars. It’s like the Jay Leno thing where it’s a collection of old, rare [cars].
It's hard for me to think about having 100 cars in the same area without feeling anxious pangs about not being able to find a place to park, even if they're my own cars. Because then it's like, "Where the hell did I get all these cars?" and the anxiety strengthens.
No such issues for Jay Leno, who appeared in Shifting Gears' first season earlier this year. Jimmy Kimmel knows it, and vicariously poked fun at Tim Allen through the former Tonight Show host, leading to the following exchange:
- JIMMY: Although Jay Leno laughs at Tim Allen’s 100 cars collection.
- KAT: I know, I know. Jay’s more of the type, I know. I’ve heard a lot. I‘ve heard all about this.
- JIMMY: Well, you know, [Tim] is always like, ‘Well, Jay has a few more cars than I do.’ I’m like, ‘This is a world I know nothing about.’
Kat Dennings does look like the wife/daughter/colleague who has heard the same old story about the same old shit time and time again from a husband/father/car-loving colleague without ever having shown all that much affection for it in the first place. But still trying to be genial about it, which makes it that much funnier to think about Allen offhandedly grunting about how many cars Jay Leno has at random points of the day, unable to let that sliver of his brain go unchecked for very long.
Kimmel continued, reveling in the knowledge of the mini-rivalry:
- JIMMY: I like the idea that there is a rivalry there, "Who has 100 cars?" and that’s not enough.
- KAT: I mean Jay did come on the show as himself, which is very cute.
- JIMMY: To brag about how many cars he has.
- KAT: I guess. I can’t relate. This is an expensive hobby that I don’t have access to.
The Dollface vet noted that she only has one car, and she's not interested in owning another 99 anytime soon, even if it wasn't financially impossible. This is a mindset I can get behind. Probably to push it because the battery is dead.
Check out Kat Dennings' interview with Jimmy Kimmel below, which also involves some talk concerning a commercial about bedwetting.
Shifting Gears will continue its Season 2 run on the 2025 TV schedule every Wednesday night on ABC at 8:00 p.m. ET.
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