Allen started his career as a comedian in 1975. On a dare from one of his friends, he participated in a comedy night at Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle in Royal Oak, a suburb of Detroit. While in Detroit he began to get recognition appearing in local television commercials and appearing on cable comedy shows such as Gary Thison's Some Semblance of Sanity. Following his release from prison in 1981, he returned to comedy. He moved to Los Angeles and became a regular performer at The Comedy Store. He began performing stand-up appearances on late-night talk shows and specials on record and film. In 1998, Western Michigan awarded Allen an honorary fine arts degree and the Distinguished Alumni Award. In a magazine interview, Allen once said, "I can only play a part if I can draw on personal experience, and that well can go dry pretty quickly". His initial film debut was as a baggage handler in Tropical Snow (1988).
On March 6, 2024, Allen announced on his Facebook page that he would be starring in a third sitcom called Shifting Gears. His character is Matt, a “stubborn, widowed owner of a classic car restoration shop. When Matt’s estranged daughter and her teenage kids move into his house, the real restoration begins.”
Allen is also involved in philanthropic efforts to help reduce homelessness.
Stated in interview on Inside the Actors Studio /wiki/Inside_the_Actors_Studio
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Stated in interview on Inside the Actors Studio /wiki/Inside_the_Actors_Studio
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