Kat Dennings ‘was trying to be cool’ when Jonathan Taylor Thomas visited ‘Shifting Gears’ set: ‘It was a really big deal for me’

Kat Dennings said stepping onto the set with Tim Allen and the cast to make the new ABC sitcom Shifting Gears “was like a ’90s Mount Rushmore.”

The show also stars Seann William Scott, who played Stifler in 1999’s American Pie, and Daryl “Chill” Mitchell, who played English teacher Mr. Morgan in 1999’s 10 Things I Hate About You.

The cast wasn’t the only blast from the not-so-distant past. Dennings told Yahoo Entertainment Jonathan Taylor Thomas, the actor who played Allen’s son Randy on the iconic 1990s sitcom Home Improvement, also made a surprise visit to the set.

The actress, who grew up a Home Improvement fan, admitted that as a kid she thought Taylor Thomas was “the love of my life at the time.”

When Dennings met him for the first time, she couldn’t help but fangirl.

“It was a really big deal for me,” she said. “I was trying to be cool. I don’t think I succeeded, but it was a full-circle moment.”

Thomas was visiting his longtime friend Danielle Fishel — better known as Topanga from Boy Meets World — who was directing an episode of the show, Dennings said.

“He is one of her closest friends, and they’re both directors, so he came to say hi to her and, of course, to Tim,” she said. “There was a mini-reunion. It was awesome, and I was so excited.”

Fishel and Dennings also hit it off.

“She’s a brilliant angel,” Dennings said. “We fell in love [after meeting on the set], platonically, but like also whatever, also other ways. I’m just obsessed with her.”

Shifting Gears marks Allen’s return to the sitcom format after playing Tim Taylor on Home Improvement and Mike Baxter on Last Man Standing.

Allen stars as Matt Parker, a widowed mechanic who’s trying to repair his relationship with his estranged daughter Riley (Dennings), who moves back in with Allen, along with her two kids. Together the family members navigate the complexities of grief, healing and reconnection.

Scott and Mitchell play Gabriel and Ed, two mechanics in Matt’s car shop. Shifting Gears marks Scott’s first time acting in a multi-cam sitcom — a format that’s been central to Allen’s career.

“I had no idea what to expect,” Scott told Yahoo. “It’s like putting on a new play every week in front of a live audience. I’m having the most fun that I’ve had in a long time.”

The actor, best known for his American Pie franchise antics, said that for a while “playing a version of the same character was just fun.”

“When I started off [acting], they were doing a lot of the same types of movies,” Scott said. During that time, “I was typecasting myself, but I didn’t really give a shit because I was like, ‘This is fun, man. I’m gonna do the best that I can, and eventually hopefully I’ll get a chance to do other things.’”

As for Mitchell, who has acted in both comedies and dramas since 10 Things I Hate About You, he’s excited for audiences to connect with the series.

“The country and everybody else in the world, they need to sit down,” he told Yahoo. “They’re gonna laugh and enjoy themselves with this show.”

Shifting Gears premieres Jan. 8 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

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