Earl carried the gag so far that he actually had a miniature picket fence on a string around his neck during interviews. Frickin hilarious.

Damn. I had no idea that he died twenty years ago. What a great actor.

Quick Answer: It was a reoccurring bit that made the character memorable.

The theory that Wilson was the illegitimate father of one of Tim's kids and didn't want them to see his full face lest they notice the resemblance is absurd. It's only the television audience that didn't see his full face. He wasn't always hidden by the fence. Sometimes he walked toward another character in the scene with his back to the camera, or had something other than the fence obscuring his face. Some of the clips in this video show this clearly. Tim and his family could see Wilson's full face many, many times.

I liked the explanation that he provided council much in the way a priest would in a confessional.

It’s not that he was hiding his face from them, he was hiding it from us. There are several episodes they can see his full face, but because the camera is off to the side, to get every actor in the shot, his face is partially concealed from us.

He actually showed it once. It was in the blooper reel at the end of an episode. He just popped up and his full face was on display

This was such a clever setup.

Earl Hindman wasn't even who they wanted for Wilson, impossible to imagine anyone else. Loved this show as a kid and still do to this day.

Home Improvement was Good TV , Grate TV!

This show was my childhood man. I loved this show. And it taught you so many lessons as well as being a wholesome fun time. God I miss this show.

Seeing the bottom half of earl hindman's face is just like seeing someone unmask in 2020

After Home Improvement, my other favorite with Earl Hindman was the original feature film of 'The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3". In it, several desperadoes hijack a New York city subway train and hold it -- and the passengers -- for ransom. The film stars Walter Matthau as an inspector for the police assigned to guard the subway. When the bad guys take the train, they are all in disguise: trench coats, floppy hats, fake mustaches, and glasses. During the entire holdup you never see Earl's face!! BTW, the other three bad guys are played by Robert Shaw, Martin Balsam, and Hector Elizondo. Hector, of course, was featured as Tim Allen's boss in his second series 'Last Man Standing'!

I loved this show and the interactions with Wilson were a favourite part of it. So cleverly done and I was always intrigued that we only ever saw part of his face. Good memories

He was very entertaining

He almost did in the series finale but they filmed two versions. One is the usual with it hidden, one where they show it. They went with the usual for some reason.

Earl was so warm as Wilson...it is sad he never got to work with Tim on "Last Man Standing."

Thank you for this

Remember him from Ryan’s Hope. That’s how I recognized his voice.

This is very nice. I'm sure Home Improvement was great show. I loved Last Man Standing. Great show! Watched all the time with dad

.... And here I was thinking that it was something to do with the weeping boils and the third eye. :) Loved the character, loved what he brought to the show.

I remember him well in the original version of the film “The Taking of the Pelham 123” that was a great movie and Earl Hindman gave a wonderful performance. I was almost 13 years old and felt so grown up and pleased with myself, it was my 1st time getting past the ticket booth to watch a 14+ movie! What a shame, it was the very end of the movie when Robert Shaw sneezed at the last moment, the apartment door was nearly closed when Walter Mathew heard and recognized the sneeze. RIP Earl Hindman. PS, I had 5 dollars and I saw the movie, got popcorn, a drink, Milk Duds and Ju Jubes and still went home with change in my blue jeans pocket!

I'm 6'7" and have a shadow box style fence... Literally all of my neighbors have called me Wilson at some point.

Best 🤩

Wilson! ❤

Because TIM ALLEN SAID SO... Literally the reason. Tim Allen Decided it Was SO

They showed Wilson's face in the very last episode of home improvement also

I believe he did voice over commercials for Home Depot at one point.

You can see his face in the last scene before/during the end credits in the episode with the beach boys; when Jill talks to them about how to sing the song one of the Beach Boys moves away from Wilson, revealing his face by accident.

I thought he was the same gentleman from Pet Cemetery

I can't remember which episodes it was, but there are a couple of scenes throughout the show that you can see Wilson's whole face.

For years, I thought he was played by Robert Culp

Earl would have been great as an old mentor to Mike on "Standing" or the Sage relative of the Kyle character.

He was Mr Brown in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three.

That was a good episode of Last man standing.

Best character on the show ❤

We actually saw his bottom face once when he was helping with an art project. The top part was obscured by paper Mache, but the bottom was on full display.

RIP brother 🪦💐🕊️

There is an episode where his face was on full view but it was covered in makeup for Halloween

I liked Wilson better than the others.

Probably so they didn't have to pay him full pay, only half 🤣

I thought they finally showed his face in one episode. Either finale episode or at least final season.

"Good fences make good neighbors."

Last Man Standing was a good show too.

It was done before. The doorman on Rhoda did it.

"never showed his face" we could see bits and pieces between the fence! Although still a fun Easter egg! Update: wait! Hes dead?! 😢

Thanks for this. All i ever heard was it's just a 'gimmick' the show used. Hardly a full explanation.

You still can't see Hindman's full face in 240p lol

Wilson should show his face

He know what was coming 2019

The idea that he hides his face so Tim's children won't notice a similarity is stupid because his face is only hidden from the audience, not his neighbors.

I want to know what the W (his middle name) was. Hmmm.

Earl was also scary as one of the terrorists in "Taking of Pelham 123."

They showed his face a hand til of times.. probably by accident tho. Was watching the show day before yesterday. Check out the episode where he dates a woman who actually thinks of ending it bcuz he’s so distant. 3 or 4 times shown in 1 episode

Anyway wanted to know why

I thought they over did it with this hiding Wilson's face. There were episodes where despite it was unnecessary they still did it. I didn't see a reason to do that all the time.

These explanations are stupid. The audience doesn't see his face. The Taylor family sees his face plenty. Like when they go over to Wilson's house for dinner. Or when Wilson's girlfriend is with him.

I was told a theory that Wilson is really God. The idea is that in in the bible there is a verse, "No man can see the face of God".

I didn't understand why Wilson's face was always hidden and why we couldn't see his face.

Or Tim is playing Wilson at the same time

The real issue is that the bottom half of his face is a mass of tentacles, like Cthulhu.

Ouh, ouh, ouh, ouh.

HE'S THE COLONEL FROM THE MOVIE "FIRST BLOOD" WITH SYLVESTER STALLONE.

Lol

Jill and Willson had a relationship 😜😜😜

I had a burger king wrap for dinner

Wilson hid his face off camera as well. Not many crew members knew what he looked like.

He could have been a Mexican lucha libre wrestler and worn a mask, so there's no need for him to hide behind wooden fences.

wilson were a manic mastubater so he had to stand behind fench

It’s a gimmick

All theories are stupid. It's a tv show, you know, NOT connected to the real world. Just take it for what it is ffs. ♿♿♿

Another theory on why Wilson didn't show the bottom half of his face was because it was deformed.

Lazy writing. Just like Maris in Frasier.

Never liked the New Mandy. Too tall and not brunette or black hair.