Meet the Real-Life Loves of the ‘Shifting Gears’ Cast
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/shifting-gears-real-life-loves-tim-allen-jane-hajduk-kat-dennings-andrew-w.w-093025-ed84adf8fb1d40c5ad0b8c92dd00b8e5.jpg)
At the center of Shifting Gears is family, which anchors every laugh, conflict and tender moment in the ABC sitcom.
Created by husband and wife duo Mike Scully and Julie Thacker-Scully, Shifting Gears follows Matt Parker (Tim Allen), a gruff but loving widower who owns a classic car restoration shop, as he navigates the challenges of reconnecting with his estranged daughter, Riley Parker (Kat Dennings). Broke and newly divorced, Riley and her two children, Carter (Maxwell Simkins) and Georgia (Barrett Margolis), move in with Matt in the hopes of a fresh start. While Matt adjusts to life with his daughter and grandchildren underfoot, his shop becomes a hub of comedy and camaraderie with employees like Stitch (Daryl Mitchell) and Gabriel (Seann William Scott).
In season 2 of the ABC series, which kicks off in October 2025, fans are set to watch Matt explore his blossoming relationship with dance studio owner Eve Drake (Jenna Elfman), while Riley and Gabriel finally confront the elephant in the room: their feelings for each other.
Off-screen, the relationship drama unfolding on Shifting Gears is far removed from reality, as both Allen and Dennings are happily married in real life. Allen tied the knot with his wife, Jane Hajduk, in 2006, while Dennings married Andrew W.K. during a “small home wedding” in 2023.
Here’s everything to know about the real-life partners of the Shifting Gears cast.
Tim Allen and Jane Hajduk
Jamie McCarthy/Getty
Allen, who plays widower and classic car lover Matt Parker, has been married to his wife, actress Hajduk, since 2006.
During an interview with PEOPLE in November 2024, the couple credited communication as the key to the success of their decades-long partnership.
“We talk,” Hajduk said, as Allen replied, “That’s right, we talk. We do. And we’re good buddies.”
The Home Improvement alum is a dad of two. Allen welcomed his first child, daughter Katherine, in 1989 with his ex-wife, Laura Deibel, whom he separated from in 1999. He and Hajduk also share a daughter, Elizabeth, who arrived in 2009.
Kat Dennings and Andrew W.K.
Kat Dennings/ Instagram
Dennings, who portrays Matt’s daughter, Riley Parker, married her musician husband in November 2023.
“He is a very loving, kind, gentle person. He’s the kindest person I’ve ever met,” the actress told PEOPLE of her husband in January 2025.
“When we first started talking and seeing each other, I was shocked at how he was just so straightforward with me, and I was used to a little bit more game stuff,” Dennings continued. “I really was on high alert for that. I really was distrustful.”
Seann William Scott
Amy Sussman/Getty
Scott — who plays Gabriel, one of Matt’s employees at the restoration shop and Riley’s love interest — is currently single.
He was previously married to interior designer Olivia Korenberg. The pair separated in October 2023 after four years of marriage and finalized their divorce in May 2024. The former couple share daughter Frankie Rose.
Daryl Mitchell and Carol Mitchell
Daryl Mitchell/Instagram
Mitchell, who portrays Stitch in the ABC sitcom, has known his wife, Carol Mitchell, for over four decades. They wed in 1997 and celebrated their 28th anniversary in July 2025.
“I can guarantee you that it hasn’t been any easier than anyone else’s marriage, but when the road gets rough, you stay and pray,” Daryl wrote on Instagram in honor of the milestone. “I love you, and you love me, let’s push for 28 more.”
The couple share three children.
Cynthia Quiles
Amanda Edwards/Getty
Cynthia Quiles, who plays mechanic Frankie, is not known to have any romantic ties and hasn’t spoken publicly about her personal life.
However, the actress told Tell-Tale TV in February 2025 that she’d love the writers on Shifting Gears to “bring Frankie’s sexuality more into play,” adding, “I would love to see her have a love interest.”
Jenna Elfman and Bodhi Elfman
Owen Hoffmann/Getty
Elfman — who portrays Matt’s love interest, Eve Drake — has been married to her husband, actor Bodhi Elfman, since 1995.
In the past, Jenna has credited “communication” with a healthy relationship, telling PEOPLE in August 2018, “We’ve never cheated on each other, we’ve never broken up. We hang in there.”
The couple share two sons, Story and Easton.
Credit to Nypost AND Peoples
