- [Andrew] Last Man Standingis the popular Fox sitcom

starring comedian Tim Allen.

Actor Jonathan Adams playsthe neighbor next door.

Along with his successful career

in television over the years,

Jonathan is sure of his priorities,

faith, marriage, and family.

- Well Jonathan Adams joins us now.

We're so happy to have you here.

- I'm glad to be here again.

- Talk a little bit about the show

and the relationship of your character

to Tim Allen's character.

How would you describe it?

- Well, I think we startedoff first of all as neighbors

and then as frenemies.

You know that term thatthe young people use?

We just really were at odds,but loved each other still,

and that was part of ourrelationship at first.

And I still think it hasthat kind of aspect to it,

but we've more reconciledto the fact that we do,

really do care about each other.

- Do you think that one of the reasons

people love the show so much

is because seeing two people

who have different, comefrom different backgrounds,

have different opinionsabout social issues,

about personal issues, but get along

and care about eachother is such a message

needed in our culture today.

- It is the message

today in our culture.- It is the message.

- I mean they don't agree socially.

They don't agree politicallyon a lot of things.

And they don't come fromthe same kind of background.

They don't, you know...

He's never lived as a blackman in his entire life,

and nor have I lived

as a white man, so, yeah.- Do we know that?

- He hasn't.

I've talked to Tim about it.

He thinks he has, but he really hasn't.

So they have totally differentideas about the world

and where it's gonna goand where they fit in it.

But faith and family,they have an agreement.

They have an agreementthat those two things

are incredibly important in their lives

and that's what keepsthem together as friends.

- So do you think it brings a message of,

I mean I don't want tosay, make it too strong,

but hope to people that wecan get to this place again

where we can care about each other,

be civil with each other,

and not agree on everything.- Absolutely.

I'm always hopeful for that.

I'm always hopeful for that, Terry.

I think that that is just a...

(sighs heavily)

we used to be able to have discourse

without getting angry with each other.

We used to be able to talk about issues

and talk them through and compromise

and find an agreement that, you know,

not both sides are satisfied with,

but that both sides could accept.

And that's not what we do anymore.

It's my way or the highway

- Exactly.- And I think

that we need to find that

more in our politics- Here, here.

- and in our lives.

- Well, we're excited to hear

that season eight's gonnabe coming in 2020, right?

- Right.

- And do they give you any heads up

on what might be included in that or

- You know.

- [Terry] are you as in the dark

as we are?- I am.

And I'm as excited about it as you are

'cause I really want to see what happens.

No, we'll--- That must be so weird

to get a script to find out what,

oh that's what I'm doing.- Well,

the producers give you some vague idea.

Like I'll talk to Kevin and whatever,

Kevin Abbott, the executive producer,

and he'll give you some vague idea

of what might be happening

to your character in the next season.

But you don't know ifthat's really gonna happen.

But, you know, if I were writing it,

it wouldn't be half as funny

or it would be like a tenth as funny

because these people are brilliant

and they know what they're doing

and I put my trust in them and it always

comes out great.- Yeah, as wonderful

as actors may be, goodwriters have to give them

- Yeah.- something wonderful

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.- to perform.

- [Jonathan] Yeah, a goodwriter makes a good actor

look like a great actor.

- So you didn't grow up in a family

that was strong in their faith.

That kind of happenedlater in life for you.

You met your wife and sheinfluenced you in that regard.

- Exactly, yeah, yeah.

When I grew up, we werewhat I call CEO Christians,

Christmas and Easter Only.

We just--(Terry laughs)

My mom and dad

would dress us--- You needed a new suit

once a year, right?- Yes, exactly.

The Easter suit every year.

You'd get the whole suit, you put it on,

you go out to church, you come back,

and I didn't know what was going on.

- Yeah.

- And then I did not...

Christ was not a part of my life

for a great deal of my life

after I graduated high school

and after I got out of my house.

- I was reading your background

and you said that you weresort of in an agnostic place,

like you hadn't really embraced,

kinda the anti-Christian.- Yeah, to me--

- You just hadn't embraced

anything.- Exactly.

To me, it was a question of, you know,

at that point, it was like, well,

if there is a God, what is He doing?

- Right, where is he?- If there is a God,

where is He?

- So now answer this forme because I understand,

after you made a commitment to Christ,

invited him into yourheart, into your life,

that things got pretty tough for you,

like for a period of time.

(Jonathan chuckles)- I think you might have said

then, okay God.- Yes, exactly.

Well, I clearly remember, (clears throat)

in 2008, after the, youknow, what happened in 2008,

with everything, the economywent down just horribly.

And actors, especially actors like me,

it was really affecting me 'cause it's,

entertainment is like thefirst thing people kind of

get rid of and then.- Yes.

- Budgets were tight andI couldn't find a job

and we were gonna lose our house.

- Wow, been there, done that.- And it was pretty,

pretty awful.

I remember sitting in that house,

in our bedroom in the closet, praying,

and praying for God tochange the situation

and for God to help me get work

and help me do what I needed to do

to support my family and keep going.

What's strange was, in thatprayer, God touched my heart

and He didn't change the situation.

- [Terry] Yeah.

- He changed me.

He allowed me to get through the situation

and allowed me to get through that time.

I call it like hitting thereset button on my heart.

I went from despair and anger

and upset in the absolutelowest point of emotion

to just it's gonna be okay, and it was.

It took a while,

but it was okay.- It changed slowly.

- Yes, and the rest of the circumstances

changed slowly around me

when we did lose that house

and we did move to a different house

and we did move to a better neighborhood

that was better for my family

and I did get a jobthat was better for me.

You know, it just allstarted becoming better.

Didn't automatically become better,

but it started to become better.

But my attitude towardsit was so much better

and--- Learning to trust.

- Yeah.- It's a tough journey,

isn't it?- Yeah, yeah.

- It really is.

Well we sure love what you do

and we're all lookingforward to the next season

and we're so glad you're there.

Press on.

- I'm glad to be here.

- Yeah, we're glad to have you here

and we just can't waitto see what's coming.

When you get the script, we'll find out

I guess- Oh, yeah, yeah.

- that's the way it goes.- We all will.

So this is all new to me too.

- Well you can see Jonathan Adams

in Last Man Standing on Fox.

It's Friday nights, 8:00 p.m.

Great to have you with us.- Glad to be here.