The Shifting Gears cast has had more success in their dating lives than their fictional counterparts.
Shifting Gears, which premiered in January 2025, introduced Us to a car restoration shop opened by Tim Allen‘s character, Matt. After reuniting with his estranged daughter, Riley (Kat Dennings), the duo work on cars —and repairing their relationship.
The first season of the hit ABC sitcom made viewers root for multiple on screen romances. The chemistry between Riley and Gabriel (Seann William Scott) caught everyone’s eye but the actors made it clear that Shifting Gears is aiming for a slow burn.
“We get along. We instantly really hit it off and got along and we have a lot of things in common and I really help you with your phone a lot,” Dennings quipped to Us Weekly exclusively in March 2025, while Scott added, “When we were shooting, it’s one thing. When we’re not shooting, we became friends right away and I immediately was like, ‘Oh wow, this is a huge gift.’ Not only do I get to do this show but it came with just a really important dear friend for life. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced it before where I was like, ‘Oh wow, we do have chemistry.’”
Then there is Matt’s connection with Eve (Jenna Elfman), which builds up to a kiss in the season 1 finale.
“You’re going to see more of the dynamic between Matt and Eve,” Elfman teased to Us in February 2025. “Just more forthright communication, opinions and exchange. You get to see people being their full selves in each other’s face. It’s really fun.”
Off screen, meanwhile, the cast has found love as well. Keep scrolling to learn more about the Shifting Gears cast and their respective love lives:
Tim Allen
Allen was married to Laura Deibel from 1984 to 2003. Before their split, they welcomed daughter Katherine in 1989. The actor moved on with Jane Hajduk and they got married in 2006 after several years of dating. Their daughter, Elizabeth, was born in 2009.
Kat Dennings
Dennings dated her 2 Broke Girls costar Nick Zano from 2011 to 2014. She was also linked to Josh Groban before meeting Andrew W.K. in 2021. After less than one year of dating, Dennings and W.K. got engaged and tied the knot in 2023.
Seann William Scott
Scott, who plays Gabriel, dated former Victoria’s Secret model Deanna Miller from 2005 to 2008. He got engaged to Lindsay Frimodt in 2012 but they called it quits one year later. Scott went on to marry Olivia Korenberg in 2019 and they later welcomed their daughter. In 2024, Scott filed for divorce.
Daryl ‘Chill’ Mitchell
Mitchell shares four children with wife Carol. He currently plays Stitch in Shifting Gears.
Jenna Elfman
Before joining Shifting Gears as Eve, Elfman found love with Bodhi Elfman. The pair dated for several years before getting married in 1995 and expanding their family twice.
Lucas Neff
The actor, who plays Riley’s estranged husband, was previously married to Caitlin Stasey from 2016 to 2020.
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